Dawson Springs, Ky. (WEHT) It’s been a little over three months since the deadly December 10th tornado.
And over the past few days, some survivors have gotten a very special gift- the gift of music.
“I had a mandolin that was my grandmothers. It was over 100 years old. And I had a banjo that a very dear friend made and gave to me” said Laura Duncan, a resident who lost instruments in the tornado.
After seeing the devastation, nationally syndicated radio show Wood Songs decided to organize a relief effort to bring music back to the hardest hit areas.
“There are so many musicians out here, and they lost everything, they lost their home, business, family, friends and livelihoods. What we can do is restore the music and the spirit of home,” said Michael Jonathon, a folk singer who helped organize the event.
Within a few months, they collected hundreds guitars, banjos, fiddles, flutes, pianos and more, all in good condition.
“People were crying when getting a mandolin, a fiddle, or a guitar, or a banjo. There hearts were so moved,” he said.
The company began their road trip through the hardest hit areas of western Kentucky with a truck full of instruments.
“The crowds were huge. We collected hundreds and hundreds of instruments, and now they are virtually all gone,” he said.
Duncan says she’s excited to play again,
“I was so excited to get the instruments back I lost in the tornado,” she said.
Wood Songs says they are grateful for those who donated and for the turnout.
