Want to support Western NC? Check out these fundraisers, drives & other ways to help
In the wake of Helene, North Carolinians have mobilized to support communities in the western region of the state as they begin to recover and rebuild.
Well-known musicians such as Luke Combs, Eric Church, James Taylor, Billy Strings and Ben Folds have announced benefit concerts. Local businesses in the Triangle and Charlotte have collected clothing and other supplies to share as temperatures drop. The Carolina Hurricanes donated ticket sales and donations to hurricane relief funds. Michael Jordan and his 23XI Racing team contributed $1 million to Second Harvest of Metrolina and the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund. Restaurants in the Triangle set aside some proceeds from sales for relief efforts.
And still more is being done.
Here’s a list of fundraising events and donation drives.
Two Roosters unveils new flavor for Western NC
Raleigh-based ice cream shop Two Roosters unveiled the flavor “Appalachian Apple Stack Cake” earlier this month, which can be found in all six scoop shops throughout the Triangle until Thursday, Oct. 31 and benefits Samaritans Purse headquartered in Boone.
The ice cream flavor is made with an apple butter base, chunks of molasses cake and buttermilk frosting. As of Thursday, Oct. 17, Two Roosters raised over $17,000 from the special edition flavor.
Two Roosters has three scoop shops in Raleigh, one in Durham, one in Wake Forest and a new one in Cary.
NC-based jewelry store accepting donations
Bailey’s Fine Jewelry, which has stores at Crabtree Valley Mall, Village District (formerly Cameron Village) and Cary’s Fenton, is collecting monetary donations and supplies that will be delivered to Western North Carolina. Find a list of accepted items at instagram.com/baileysfinejewelry.
Fenton restaurant donates proceeds to Helene relief
Colletta, an Italian restaurant at Fenton in Cary, is donating a portion of proceeds from each polpette order throughout October to hurricane relief efforts.
Triangle real estate office accepting supplies
Compass Triangle, located at 201 Fenton Gateway Drive in Cary, is collecting supplies, such as baby formula and wipes, bug spray, sunscreen, cleaning supplies, pet food, trash bags, work gloves and toiletries.
They can be dropped off on the second floor above the Hines office, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. (Questions may be sent to kevin.woody@compass.com.)
Crabtree mall fundraising events
Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh is hosting a series of events to support relief efforts in Western North Carolina through the end of 2024.
A portion of proceeds from a concert, silent auction, photos with Santa and other programs will be donated.
Triangle Pilates studio to hold donation-based class
Club Pilates Cary, located near Fenton in Cary, is holding a donation-based mat class Thursday, Oct. 24. Proceeds from the class, scheduled for 6-7 p.m., will be donated to Triangle Mutual Aid.
Register for the class, which will be held at Fenton Square (21 Fenton Main St.) in front of Paragon Theaters.
Music for the Mountains benefit concert in Raleigh
Band Together and Lincoln Theatre are partnering to put on Music for the Mountains, a benefit concert to raise funds for hurricane relief and disaster recovery. The concert will be on Sunday, Oct. 27 at Red Hat Amphitheater and feature performances by Old Crow Medicine Show, Chatham County Line, BJ Barham and more.
All proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. For tickets and details, visit etix.com and bandtogethernc.org.
Donate while buying NC State Fair tickets
You can support disaster relief efforts while purchasing tickets to the NC State Fair. All money collected will go to the MANNA FoodBank of Asheville, which lost its distribution warehouse in the hurricane.
When purchasing fair tickets online, a “State Fair Cares” boxed link will pop up on the shopping cart page before you check out. Visit ncagr.gov/divisions/ncstatefair/2024/buytixnow to buy tickets and donate.
Buy T-shirts to benefit western North Carolina
Many local and regional shops are selling apparel, like tee shirts and sweatshirts, to donate funds to organizations working in storm-hit areas, and all you have to do is click “buy.”
For details, designs and prices, visit charlotteobserver.com.
Country artist Sturgill Simpson fundraising concert in Cary
Country musician Sturgill Simpson will perform a benefit concert at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Monday, Oct. 21. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.
Visit sturgillsimpsonlive.com for information and tickets.
Simpson was originally scheduled to perform at Asheville’s ExploreAsheville.com Arena on Monday, Oct. 21, but the show has been canceled with plans to be rescheduled.
Appalachian Aid Music Festival to benefit Helene victims
Western NC shops and restaurants could use our help from afar
The hurricane devastated so many of our mountain towns who rely on tourism, especially right near the peak of leaf-changing season, and supporting these businesses feels more critical than ever. Officials have asked us not to travel to Western North Carolina for fun right now, and many of these shops were absolutely devastated, so there would be no place for us to visit even if we could get there.
But there are a few ways you can help support the area from afar:
- Local shops and restaurants are beginning to offer ways to support them online, including making purchases and supporting fundraising efforts. One business suggested including a note stating “Ship when the time is right” with your purchases, and that’s probably a great idea for all of these places.
- Another idea is to book a rental or a session with a place that you don’t plan on using, so the business is able to pocket the money. This may help hospitality folks who can’t work during this time.
Find a list of businesses and ways you can help at charlotteobserver.com.
Charlotte chefs, breweries, venues hosting dinners and concerts
Many Charlotte restaurants and concert venues are hosting dinners, music events and fundraisers for disaster relief. Here are some Charlotte-area groups hosting events and/or fundraisers in October:
- Oaklore Distilling
- Burial Beer Co.
- Birdsong Brewing Co.
- Customshop
- Stage Door Theater
- The Amp Ballantyne
- Resident Culture
- Neighborhood Theatre
Find a full list of events at charlotteobserver.com.
Is there a fundraising event we missed? Let us know.
This story was originally published October 9, 2024 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Want to support Western NC? Check out these fundraisers, drives & other ways to help."
