AT&T Park concert raises $17M for nonprofit benefiting fire victims
SAN FRANCISCO (Alex Savidge) - Tipping Point announced Friday that $23 million has been raised for low-income communities hit hardest by the North Bay fires. Thursday night’s Band Together Bay Area concert raised $17 million through ticket sales, sponsorships and online donations. Prior to the concert, $6 million had been raised to launch the Emergency Relief Fund through Tipping Point Community donors.
A sold-out crowd of 40,000 people attended 'Band Together Bay Area', to see some of the biggest names in music taking part in a benefit concert at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
It was rain or shine Thursday with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the non profit Tipping Point Emergency Relief Fund, to raise money for low-income communities affected by the North Bay fires.
The concert will featured big-name Bay Area artists like Metallica, G-Eazy and Grammy-award winning artist Raphael Saadiq.
The event lasted five hours with the legendary metal band closing out the night.
On Instagram, Saadiq, an Oakland native, posted a video saying he was looking forward to “giving Napa a small token of love.”
Dave Matthews, Tim Reynolds, Dead and Company and Rancid also performed.
Survivors at the concert say they experienced a wide range of emotions the night of the show.
Some of the best seats for the show were donated to firefighters, first responders, volunteers and families who lost their homes. 6,500 of them were given complimentary tickets.
"Recognition is difficult for us. Something like this is amazing. We're actually very happy they're doing something for the communities," says Deputy Geoff Rochester with Napa County Sheriff's Department.
"The brotherhood throughout Marin, throughout San Francisco Bay Area in general, brought all of us together and made me want to be here even more," says Kentfield Fire Captain Ned Fox.
One single mother, a school teacher from Santa Rosa, who who survived with her children says she's grateful.
"I think we gained more than we lost. Our time in the hotel room, the laughter, the jokes. We're paying attention to what's important instead of things we lost," says Tricia Woods, a survivor who lost her home.
"This is my parents home in Coffey Park. It's the most devastating thing ever," says Cierra Davis or Santa Rosa,
She and her sister Michelle Hammock say they lost their childhood home in the fire.
"Sad times, good times, every thanksgiving that we had there," says Hammock.
They say this night provides a respite from the grief and struggle to recover and rebuild.
"Just to get out of town and have a nice night out ...enjoy being with the family with the hustle and bustle of insurance and doing everything," says Davis.
Many people attending said they came to see Dave Matthews.
They paid anywhere from $49 TO $149 a ticket.
VIP tickets ran several hundred dollars each.
Dave Matthews addressed the audience," Thank you for coming. It's a great honor to here to stand together, work together to help people out. I'm really grateful to be in this great place, this great state, doing it for a good thing."
The founder of Tipping Point, the San Francisco-based nonprofit says $15 million have been raised from ticket sales and sponsors. He says the money will help survivors in dire need.
"The immigrants, the hourly workers who lost their rental units and had no rental insurance, the thousands who are homeless," says Daniel Lurie, the founder of Tipping Point.
During the show, the names of those who lost their lives in the fires were displayed on two large screens.
Survivors say the first responders who saved their lives will forever have a special place in their hearts.
Donations are still being accepted and can be made by visiting www.bandtogetherbayarea.org and by texting TOGETHER to 20222 until January 1, 2018. Text donations are $25 each and standard messaging rates apply. Google will match all text donations up to $1 million until January 1, 2018.