Benefit Concert to Help Hurricane Victims

Westmont’s baseball coach and a popular Montecito musician are teaming up in hopes of helping families affected by Hurricane Katrina. Rob Crawford and Bobby Shand will present “One Family at a Time,” a special benefit show with The Shand Band at SOhO, 1221 State St., Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door for $20, children half price. All proceeds will benefit the relief effort. Doors open at 5 p.m.

The show will include a brief movie about the lives of hurricane victims which Crawford recorded on his last trip to the Gulf Coast. Crawford continues to keep in contact with 20 families in the hurricane devastated region and hopes the local community will continue to support them.

“We want to contribute throughout the holidays by buying gift certificates, Christmas gifts for kids and food cards for the families we’re focusing on,” says Crawford.

Shand, a talented singer-song writer, keyboardist and guitarist, has played with John Leventhal, producer of Marc Cohen and Shawn Colvin, Jay Ferguson of Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and Carl Wilson of Beach Boys fame. He is also founder and president of The Shand Group, a national advertising agency based in Santa Barbara, with offices in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

“Many of us write checks and we have no idea where the money is going,” Shand says. “It’s rewarding to know specifically how our contribution is changing people’s lives. ‘One Family at a Time’ offers that connection.”

The Shand Band is a group of talented musicians from southern and central California, some of whom have played with Macy Gray, David Bowie, Kenny Loggins, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Stevie Wonder, and Natalie Cole. Band members include Bucket Baker, drums, George Friedenthal, keyboard, Randy Tico, bass, Dan Zimmerman, guitar, and Darelle Holden and Muffy Hendrix on background vocals.

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Crawford led a relief trip of 21 local volunteers to the affected region. The group spent a week in Louisiana and Texas helping at shelters and moving evacuees to available hotels.

“Rob hopped on a bus and was able to save all these families,” Shand says. “The least I can do is introduce the wonderful community of friends and associates that I have to his effort.”

Crawford says he hopes to make another trip to the Gulf Coast to hand deliver the gifts and cards to the families for Christmas.