Schuyler County –
Historic flooding hit Upstate New York last August, disrupting the lives of an entire community. Basic services like clean drinking water were impeded by this event. Roads were damaged, sewer systems overloaded, and the state advised that residents boil any tap water before consuming it. Canceling a three day music festival was a relatively minor inconvenience.
But the members of the headlining band Phish wanted to do something that made a difference to the community. Through their charitable organization The WaterWheel Foundation, members of the band are donating over $100,000 to seven area non-profits. Three Fire Departments, a food pantry, a local Humane Society, an affordable housing organization, and the local Red Cross are all receiving donations this year. The money will go a long way towards restoring a sense of normalcy to the area.
“We were all so disappointed by the cancellation of Curveball last summer and recognize, in particular, that Watkins Glen and the surrounding communities suffered terrible consequences from the flooding,” said Beth Montuori Rowles, executive director of The Waterwheel Foundation, in a release. “Being able to make this donation reaffirms all of our goals as a charitable foundation, harnessing the collective philanthropic efforts of Phish and their fans to be able to give meaningful donations to the communities that we visit on tour. We’re just glad to have the opportunity to help.”
If you would like to donate to any of the organizations the links are below:
The Great Lakes Observer 