NORMAN, Okla. -- Some
of country music’s biggest stars, including Garth Brooks, Toby Keith
and many others with ties to Oklahoma, played a sold-out show Saturday
at the University of Oklahoma to raise money for the victims of the
recent tornadoes that strafed the state.
Organizers
of the concert, which was held in the school’s Gaylord Family-Oklahoma
Memorial Stadium, estimated that nearly 65,000 people braved the searing
heat to watch the show and show their support for the victims, the
Tulsa World reported.
The money
raised from ticket sales benefits the United Way of Central Oklahoma,
which established a fund to aid victims of the May storms that killed
dozens of people.
A
separate benefit concert last month hosted by Oklahoma native country
music star Blake Shelton raised more than $6 million in donations and
pledges.
Saturday’s concert was organized by Keith, who was still playing to a packed house seven hours into the show.
Brooks, who was the biggest draw, took to the stage Saturday afternoon to a rousing ovation.
“Today the healing begins,” said Brooks.
Brooks
played “Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House” and “Papa Loved Mama.”
His wife, Trisha Yearwood, joined him for a duet, “In Another’s Eyes.”
“God bless you, Oklahoma!” Yearwood yelled, according to the World.
Some
concertgoers said their experiences with tornadoes or someone affected
by the recent storms drew them to the fund-raising event.
Marie
Carter, a physician whose office is in Oklahoma City, said she watched
helplessly as a twister moved through Moore, coming within a half-mile
of her own home.
“It was very
scary for a lot of us,” Carter said, according to the World. “We’ve been
out there helping our friends, digging through the rubble, and because
we’re so close, we’ve had a lot of patients come in who lost everything
who have symptoms of PTSD. It’s almost surreal, but we wanted to come
out and support this cause.”
No comments:
Post a Comment