Following a series of tornadoes that caused extensive damage to the Greater Chattanooga area in April, Southern students wanted to help. While the University campus received minimal harm, the heartbreak of the surrounding devastation — even felt remotely by students sheltering in place at their homes across the U.S. as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic — inspired a group of Southern musicians to organize a virtual benefit concert to help victims in the Collegedale and Ooltewah areas.
The special evening of sacred songs, composed of 17 individual vocal and instrumental performances recorded in seven different states and two countries, was streamed online. Musicians included a collection of Southern students, alumni, adjunct instructors, and other talented friends of the University. The concert attracted several hundred viewers and raised more than $1,600.
Kaili Kimbrow, senior music and business administration double major, helped organize the event from her home in Texas, and contributed her own harp performance to the collaboration.
“As I contacted friends and classmates across the country, we all really wanted to help those affected by the tornadoes,” Kimbrow said. “If we were still in Collegedale, we could have volunteered with storm clean up, but we were scattered, so that just wasn’t possible. Instead, we created this unique concert where everyone shared from their hearts and their homes. Music uplifts and encourages during difficult times. We pray that this concert blessed those who listened as well as those who will benefit from the financial help.”
Southern Adventist University | July 2020
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