Jack Johnson and Friends, a Benefit for the Community will take place Sunday, March 18 at the Santa Barbara Bowl, in support of ongoing Thomas Fire and flood recovery efforts.
The Thomas Fire, which erupted on Dec. 4, destroyed hundreds of homes and heavily impacted thousands of people in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
A powerful January storm then pounded the scorched hillsides above the community of Montecito, triggering flooding and mudslides that caused deaths and devastation.
”The stretch of coast from Santa Barbara to Ventura is one of the most beautiful parts of the world with such a strong and close knit community,” Johnson said. “It was heartbreaking to have so many events affect this region in recent months.
“In turn, it has been inspiring to see the amount of love, hard work, and collaboration that has gone into the recovery efforts,” he said. “We are excited to celebrate many of the heroes and do what we can to help rebuild our community.”
After the rain subsided, Johnson began reaching out to fellow musicians and set plans in motion to host a benefit, with a goal of raising funds and raising spirits through a community-building event.
ALO, longtime friends with roots in Santa Barbara will be opening the night, and Johnson will be joined onstage by friends and guests for an night celebrating the community’s strength and resilience.
For tickets, there will be a locals-only presale (restricted by billing zip code) Friday, Feb. 9, during which residents can buy tickets 2-6 p.m. at Santa Barbara Bowl Box Office, and online 6 p.m.-midnight at www.sbbowl.com.
The public sale opens at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb 10.
All net proceeds will be directed to the United Way Thomas Fire & Flood Fund, and to local nonprofits working on relief and recovery efforts in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, the Santa Barbara Bowl said.
United Way of Santa Barbara County and United Way of Ventura County said they are working jointly to address the needs of those impacted by fire and flooding, and are waiving all administration fees so all funds raised can be put to good use.
While the United Way is the primary beneficiary of the Jack Johnson and Friends concert, additional donations will be made to Direct Relief, Santa Barbara Foundation, Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, FOOD Share (Ventura), Search Dog Foundation, Greater Goods (Ojai), Habitat for Humanity, and the Santa Barbara Response Network.
The past year has seen no shortage of natural disasters around the globe. As part of Johnson’s All the Light Above It Too 2017 tour, funds were directed to support Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma relief efforts in the U.S. and Caribbean.
Johnson has personally supported Northern California Wildfire relief efforts, as well as Thomas Fire recovery, the Bowl said.
Several organizations receiving support from the benefit concert in Santa Barbara, including Direct Relief and Search Dog Foundation, will continue their work responding to disasters around the world.
As part of Johnson’s efforts to reduce single-use plastic waste, a benefit souvenir cup will be given to every ticket-holder.
To learn more about the event and to make a direct donation to any of the aforementioned nonprofits, visit: www.jackjohnsonmusic.com or www.sbbowl.com.
— Jessica Puchli for Santa Barbara Bowl.