CRAiC HAUS

 CRAiC HAUS PLAYS AT 1pm  to help kick it off.
Heartbreaking story! But this is your chance to turn your love of Irish music into a fun day for you, an excellent CD for your collection and a glimmer of hope for people who badly need some. If you are in SoCal on 11/19, come to The Tilted Kilt for a benefit concert with seven of the top Irish bands in SoCal! The following story is reprinted from the page ofSligo Rags excellent fiddler and vocalist Michael Kelly:

On September 4th, 2011, a wildfire raced out of control through Bastrop, Texas. After a week of 40 mph winds and lackluster attempts at containment, the fire destroyed over 1,500 homes and killed 2 people before being extinguished.

Country superstars Willie Nelson, George Strait, and the Dixie Chicks (among others) jumped in quickly to help, raising over $500K in a concert to benefit the victims of this catastrophe. Bob and Gaile Kelly are two of these victims who have fallen in the cracks.

Bob Kelly, a structural steel engineer, retired just one day before the fire took his home. He and his wife, Gaile, had been putting all of their money into their home located in the hills of Bastrop, TX, roughly 40 miles south of Austin. They had just finished a five year remodel on their home, including $30K in new appliances delivered the week before the fire. "The ice maker in the new refrigerator didn't even have time to fill up yet," said Gaile. They had two years of food storage, their hedge against inflation in our rough economy. They had decades of memories, photo albums, jewelry, and mementos stored in the home they had planned to live in for the remainder of their lives.

They were evacuated Monday afternoon on September 5th. Their home was burned to the ground the next day.

"It's heartbreaking to lose everything like that," said Gaile, "but at least we are alive." They were able to take their four grandchildren, three dogs, and one of two cats when they evacuated. "But we lost the chickens. That hurts. I loved my chickens." One of their dogs died a week later.

"I'm a stoic at heart," continues Gaile, "and all we lost was just stuff. I was able to use it and love it for over 40 years, so I got what I could from it. But I still get a twinge from time to time, usually when I want to do something and realize that I don't have what I need to do it."

Bob collapsed shortly after viewing the devastation of his retirement home and was rushed to the hospital. He was released five days later, but on the return trip somehow managed to run himself over with his own car, breaking one of his legs.

Bob is mostly upset that after all the money and effort they put into their home, their insurance is only covering $60K, with another $6K for living expenses. It is unclear why the coverage was so low on a property valued over $350K, but Bob thinks it has something to do with it being a prefabricated home. "They only covered the contents at $60K until we got the skirting put around the house. That was scheduled to go in the week after I retired. The week of the fire."

FEMA, despite their quick response, has been unable to help the Kellys. It seems that the system is set up to help those who have mortgages and credit card bills. Bob and Gaile have neither. They paid off everything before Bob retired so they could live on their Social Security checks.

After spending a few weeks visiting family out of state, the Kellys are back in Bastrop. They are building a garage in which to live while they finish the cleanup and begin the task of rebuilding. The insurance money will only go so far.

A benefit concert is being held on their behalf here in California on November 19th, 2011at the Tilted Kilt in Long Beach. Their son, Michael, is a member of a popular Irish band called "Sligo Rags". He has rallied the Irish community in support of his parents, and Sligo Rags will perform along with seven other top Irish bands. Also putting in an appearance is the award-winning Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes & Drums band, along with the Irish Pride Dancers and the Ceili To The Core dance troupe.

Performing that day are Sligo Rags, The Fenians, Trooper Thorn, Craic Haus, Anita & The Yanks, The Fooks, the Brick Top Blaggers, and Hoist The Colors.

Tickets are $20 to attend the 12-hour event, going from 1:00pm til 1:00am on Saturday, November 19th. A professional recording of the bands will be made and the resulting compilation CD will be pre-sold at the event for $25. There will be a silent auction and raffles. All proceeds will go to the "Bob & Gaile Kelly House Fund" set up through Bank of America. Donations are accepted payable to "Bob & Gaile Kelly", and an online method of donating will soon be available for those who are unable to attend the concert.

For more information, you can contact Michael Kelly at fiddlin4you@aol.com or visit his Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/fiddlin4you.

Tilted Kilt
(562) 795-0243
6575 E. PCH, Long Beach, CA 90803
www.tiltedkilt.com