Helen North Carolina victims ‘left behind’ get help from star-studded concert for Carolina

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – More than 80,000 Americans from across North Carolina and the country traveled to Charlotte for a concert for Caroline On Saturday, the benefit show will donate 100% of proceeds to those affected by Hurricane Helen in the western part of the state.

Country music stars Luke Combs and Eric ChurchBoth hailing from western North Carolina, put on a star-studded show that included performances from James Taylor, Keith Urban, Billy Strings and others, as well as surprise appearances from Nicole Kidman and Randy Travis, to help those influenced by Helen and ultimately raised by 24. 5 million dollars.

“I volunteered for hurricane relief and I see that they need a lot more help than what they are getting, so this is a great opportunity to listen to the music I love and help people who need it. most of them were left behind by the people who were supposed to be helping them,” Jessica White of East Tennessee told Fox News Digital.

She added that people were still “sleeping in tents” as temperatures in the mountains dropped.

LUKE COMBS AND ERIC CHURCH RAISED OVER $24.5 MILLION FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS AT A STELLAR CONCERT FOR CAROLINE

Jessica White, who volunteered in western North Carolina, said people affected by Hurricane Helen were “left behind.” (Fox News Digital)

“It’s horrible. And it’s even worse when we have illegal immigrants sleeping in hotels and our citizen taxpayers sleeping in tents because a hurricane destroyed their home,” White added.

Sherry from Denver, North Carolina shared the same sentiment.

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Sherry, from Denver, North Carolina, believes that “most of the country has moved away and has no idea that people are still sleeping in tents.” (Fox News Digital)

“I think if we did for our American citizens what we did for those entering this country illegally, we would be in a much better position,” she said, adding that she believes “most the country is gone and has no I think people are still sleeping in tents.”

“Good old friends and neighbors came and I think they’ll be okay.”

— Sherry from Denver, NC

Many of the participants who spoke with Fox News Digital on Saturday saw the devastation first-hand in areas around Asheville as they drove hours from their homes to drop off supplies and volunteered their time to help people recover.

Many of the participants who spoke with Fox News Digital on Saturday saw first-hand the devastation in areas around Asheville as they drove hours from their homes to drop off supplies and volunteered to help people rebuild. (Fox News Digital)

One Avery County family said a tree fell on their home during the storm and they traveled to Charlotte for a concert to escape the stress they had faced over the past month.

Church announced during the show that his charity, Chief Cares, had donated 100 homes. those in need after Elena, which killed 98 people in North Carolina alone and more than 250 in the Southeast. North Carolina Gov. Cooper estimates damage to the state at about $53 billion.

Luke Combs and Eric Church perform at Concert For Carolina at Bank of America Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (John Shearer/Getty Images for the Caroline Tribute Concert)

“We developed a plan called the Blue Ridge Plan.” We are looking to house 100 families who have lost their homes in Avery County and surrounding areas, one of the hardest hit areas. I’ve spent half my life in this area where I’ve had a lot of inspiration and I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration in, an area where I’ve made five records. And we’re going to go and keep these people in their community, give them a roof over their head, let them interact with their community, let them be a part of their community and let them help rebuild the community.”

Hosts Marty Smith of ESPN and Caleb Pressley of Barstool Sports announced during the show that Dolly Parton had donated $1 million to the Carolina concert through a donation from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, which he dedicated to Dolly specifically, “to direct her toward causes that she cares about,” Smith said Saturday.

ERIC CHURCH SUPPORTS HURRICANE HELEN VICTIMS BY DONATING ROUNDS FOR NEW SONG: “THEY NEED”

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman perform at the Caroline Tribute Concert at Bank of America Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (John Shearer/Getty Images for the Caroline Tribute Concert)

Earlier this month, the country legend donated $1 million of his own money. Mountain Ways Fund to Support Hurricane Helen Relief Efforts. Parton’s company Dollywood also contributed an additional $1 million to the relief effort.

On Saturday morning before the show, Church and Combs spoke with Fox News Digital about their memories of western North Carolina and their thoughts on the widespread destruction Helen caused.

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The stadium caught fire during Eric Church’s performance at the Concert for Carolina. (Audrey Conklin/Fox News Digital)

“I remember there was some video about an area that I knew well in western North Carolina, and… I didn’t know what I was looking at. It was amazing for me to see this area that I grew up in, that I knew. , which I no longer acknowledged,” Church said.

WATCH: LUKE COMBS AND ERIC CHURCH recall seeing photos of the destruction

Combs recalled the U-Haul dealership where he was fired when he was a teenager.

“There’s a Walgreens on one side of Tunnel Road and a U-Haul dealership on the other, and one summer I worked at that particular U-Haul dealership. I got fired from this job, and… I came home, I was probably 20 years old, and I told my parents that I was fired. They knew it was a lie,” Combs recalls.

Combs added that “it was sobering to see so many of the places he walked on, especially in Asheville,” destroyed by the hurricane. He mentioned the MANNA Food Bank, one of his chosen charities that benefited from the Concert for Carolina show and where he and his mother used to volunteer, which was severely damaged by the hurricane.

James Taylor performs at the Concert for Carolina at Bank of America Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (John Shearer/Getty Images for the concert in honor of Caroline)

“Very special place for me. There’s a lot of memories here and I just hate to see the state it’s in,” Combs said.

All proceeds will be split equally and distributed to Combs’ and Church’s organizations of their choice to support relief efforts in the Carolinas and the Southeast, according to the press release.

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A portion of the Combs will be distributed to Samaritan’s Purse, MANNA Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina.

The Church’s organization, Chief Cares, is dedicated to providing assistance to reputable charities and organizations that are well-run, organized, and can expedite assistance directly to families affected by Hurricane Helen.

Fox News’ Ashley Hume contributed to this report.