Daylong Flood Aid TX benefit concert raises money for flood victims

Originally posted on MyStatesman.

Irma Galvan and Yolanda Pacheco were the first in line Sunday to get into the Flood Aid TX benefit concert.“This is like a chance of a lifetime. We just couldn’t be more excited,” said Galvan, 62, who had two feet of water in her Hays County home after the Memorial Day weekend flood.On Sunday, she joked she parked her car close — so they could take a quick nap if they got tired before her favorite act, Kevin Fowler, came on at night.

Ray Benson, Jack Ingram and Robert Earl Keen headlined the daylong, flood aid relief show. Along with dozens of other acts, the event raised money for the victims of the floods that devastated many parts of Central Texas.

Stewart Mann with Statesboro Revue performs during Flood Aid TX at the Palmer Event Center Sunday, June 28, 2015. (Stephen Spillman for AMERICAN-STATESMAN)

Close to 2,000 advance tickets were sold, according to Thomas Graham of public relations firm Crosswind, which helped organize the fundraiser. Additional income from walk-up ticket sales, sponsorships and a silent auction helped the event net a ballpark of $175,000, Graham said.

The city of Austin, Travis County, the Lower Colorado River Authority, Texas Music Office and Palmer Events Center collaborated to put on the show.

“I hope someday I can give back to them,” Galvan said about the artists, who performed for free. “Now, I see what it is all about: giving back to the community.”

Sam Riggs performs during Flood Aid TX at the Palmer Event Center on Sunday. (Stephen Spillman for AMERICAN-STATESMAN)

Ashton Smith and Kari Norvell decided to volunteer and run the raffle because one of Smith’s friends — who helped run the event — mentioned she needed help. The two friends were also heavily affected by the floods; Smith said she “lost everything” after a house she was renting in San Marcos quickly filled with water.

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