Five former presidents pitch in for hurricane relief appearance
Texas A&M hosts show with stars of country music
Harvey, Irma and Maria are long gone but definitely not yet history.
The damage left in their wake remains an ongoing source of misery — and the five living former American presidents don’t want anyone to forget it.
They will make an unprecedented joint appearance at the “Deep from the Heart” benefit concert in College Station on Saturday night that will raise money for victims of the trio of hurricanes that recently pummeled and inundated Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The campaign they are promoting is called the One America Appeal, and organizers insist every penny raised will go to the funds created to assist those in need.
Former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter will speak briefly to the sold-out crowd at Reed Arena at Texas A&M University before giving way to a Texas-tinged and mostly country all-star lineup. The two-hour concert begins at 7 p.m. and is being streamed live on Google and YouTube, with fundraising appeals accompanying the broadcast.
Jim McGrath, spokesman for the campaign, also promised a “surprise” at the concert though he did not elaborate, except to say it would not be an appearance by President Donald Trump.
“The five presidents continue to be inspired by the response of our citizens to these devastating storms,” McGrath said. “That certainly includes the over 80,000 donors who have given so generously of themselves — and the ticket buyers who sold out this
charity concert in less than 24 hours. A lot of people are going to get help on the road to recovery thanks to the selfless spirit of the American people.”
Former first lady Laura Bush said the joint appearance emphasizes the common purpose felt by Americans in a time of trouble.
“I think it’s such a good example for our country that all our presidents, Republicans and Democrats, come together,” Bush told Waco TV station KWTX on Friday. “(It’s) a chance to show we’re all Americans, and whether we’re Republicans or Democrats we’re certainly together … in trying to help our brothers and sisters in Houston and in Florida and in Puerto Rico.”
Country music legend Alabama will headline the concert, for which all 11,000 tickets sold out within a few hours. The recipient of more awards than any other country artist, the semiretired group also headed a benefit concert in their namesake state following a deadly tornado there in 2011.
Lovett on the bill
Joining Alabama will be four acts from Texas: multifaceted country star Lyle Lovett, longtime troubadour Robert Earl Keen, and gospel legend Yolanda Adams, a five-time Grammy winner. All are from Houston, and friends Lovett and Keen are former Aggies who once performed at small clubs near the campus. They will be joined by veteran Texas country musician Larry Gatlin, who attended the University of Houston, as well as his brothers.
Also appearing is “Soul Man” Sam Moore, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member who performed as half of the Sam & Dave duo; Cassadee Pope, the Season Three winner of NBC’s “The Voice” television show; and rising country artist Stephanie Quayle.
Veteran country music artist Lee Greenwood will serve as emcee.
The One America Appeal was announced Sept. 7, shortly after the remnants of Hurricane Harvey brought unprecedented flooding to the greater Houston area.
When hurricanes Irma and Maria battered Florida and the Caribbean, the campaign was expanded to include other storm victims.
The joint appeal uses a model that found success after other disasters. The first and most successful of the earlier campaigns was for those affected by the tsunami that hit multiple nations in Southeast Asia in December 2004. Clinton and George H.W. Bush raised about $1 billion and in the process developed an enduring personal friendship.
The two reprised their efforts after Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans in 2005. That campaign raised about $130 million. Obama was quick to turn to Clinton and George W. Bush after Haiti was hit by an earthquake in 2010. That appeal raised about $54.5 million by the time the fund was shut down.
A final disaster assistance effort was mounted by Clinton and George H.W. Bush in the wake of Hurricane Ike. It was called the Bush/Clinton Coastal Recovery Fund and was specifically dedicated to longterm needs.
“This is just something the former presidents have started doing,” McGrath said in announcing One America. “They all rallied to the flag when we said, how about doing this for the people hurt by Harvey.”
Five designated funds
McGrath declined to reveal how much the One America appeal has raised, saying that figure will be announced at the concert. Other celebrities and organizations have informally signed on to help and have been active on social media to promote the appeal.
“It’s important that those affected by these devastating storms know that, even if the path to recovery feels like a road that goes on forever, we’re with them for the long haul,” George H.W. Bush said in a statement.
In order to eliminate overhead costs, proceeds from One America Appeal will not be parceled out to individual relief groups. Instead, the money will be funneled through a special account at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station to five designated funds:
• Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, focusing on the greater Houston region
• Rebuild Texas Fund, assisting hurricane-ravaged communities across the state
• Florida Disaster Fund
• Juntos y Unidos Por Puerto Rico, launched by First Lady Beatriz Rossello and a private sector coalition
• The Fund for the Virgin Islands The concert will be simulcast live on iHeartMedia Radio in its Texas markets of Houston, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Bryan and Waco.