Over 10 1/2 hours in 104 degree weather and humidity at 96% were spent raising money at the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for the "Toby Keith Twister Relief Concert". I'm sure it was around 118 degrees in the stadium without a single breeze to be caught.
Before I go any further, you can donate $10.00 by texting REBUILD to 52000. This was used at this concert and ALL funds go to the tornado victims.
Or you can go here and see more ways to donate: http://www.aidmatrixnetwork.org/SCMPublicPortal/states.aspx?ST=Oklahoma
If YOU need help: http://www.ok.gov/okstrong/Need_Assistance/index.html
Other guests were Willie Nelson, Sammy Hagar, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Mel Tillis, Ronnie Dunn, John Anderson, Wade Hayes and a satellite performance from Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood. They brought out people like Bob Stoops, the current OU football coach and brought in Barry Switzer, the previously GAWD coach who took on the Dallas Cowboys later, and whom I spent many a night with in bars with along with his current team back in my pre-med college days, to introduce musicians. Along with the introducers were the Mayor of Moore, Glen Lewis and the always sporting flannel and jean wearing female governor, Mary Fallin. She impressed me so much through this natural disaster that it would literally take another blog to go through it all. I will say this: she was there from day one, helping, cleaning, talking, hugging, and giving.....in jeans and flannel like the rest of us.
Straight up, the crowds were passing out from heat exhaustion by hours 2 and 3. We could barely stand and I mean that. Then--Sammy Hagar STOLE the show. I really didn't know any of their music except Willie Nelson and I was never a fan of Van Hagar, or Sammy, but after he got on stage, in front of 80,000 country-western fans and he got everyone standing and screaming, I instantly became a Hagar Groupie. It was almost a miracle because they had to set up med centers at every section with water and oxygen a few hours after a light bulb went off. And honestly, you can ask the people that passed out from heat or those puking drunks, it was STILL amazing to be there and witness this community gathering.
It was held at this stadium, outside, to get the most people in. Nothing in Oklahoma could hold enough, so this concert went down in history as the largest concert venue in the history of Oklahoma ever.
ALL money raised, every single penny, goes directly to Oklahomans hit by the tornado. Not only the ticket money, but the teeshirt money and donations they asked for in between sets of musicians. They also had interviews and motorcycle and car giveaways for those desperately in need, from Toby Kieth.
About Toby Kieth, I have a new found respect for this fellow, and not because my brother was his body guard for so many years. It is because he GIVES BACK. Everywhere. To everyone. When everyone wouldn't go or stopped going overseas to perform for our troops, he still remains valiant in giving them some relief from war to this day. He also has a foundation for children with cancer in which 100% of the funds go to those kids. Toby made a joke about doing a yearly Twister relief concert for Oklahoma 3 months before tornado season so we wouldn't have to suffer again.
Cheers to you, Toby Keith, I raise my "red solo cup" to you.
Before I go any further, you can donate $10.00 by texting REBUILD to 52000. This was used at this concert and ALL funds go to the tornado victims.
Or you can go here and see more ways to donate: http://www.aidmatrixnetwork.org/SCMPublicPortal/states.aspx?ST=Oklahoma
If YOU need help: http://www.ok.gov/okstrong/Need_Assistance/index.html
Other guests were Willie Nelson, Sammy Hagar, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Mel Tillis, Ronnie Dunn, John Anderson, Wade Hayes and a satellite performance from Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood. They brought out people like Bob Stoops, the current OU football coach and brought in Barry Switzer, the previously GAWD coach who took on the Dallas Cowboys later, and whom I spent many a night with in bars with along with his current team back in my pre-med college days, to introduce musicians. Along with the introducers were the Mayor of Moore, Glen Lewis and the always sporting flannel and jean wearing female governor, Mary Fallin. She impressed me so much through this natural disaster that it would literally take another blog to go through it all. I will say this: she was there from day one, helping, cleaning, talking, hugging, and giving.....in jeans and flannel like the rest of us.
Straight up, the crowds were passing out from heat exhaustion by hours 2 and 3. We could barely stand and I mean that. Then--Sammy Hagar STOLE the show. I really didn't know any of their music except Willie Nelson and I was never a fan of Van Hagar, or Sammy, but after he got on stage, in front of 80,000 country-western fans and he got everyone standing and screaming, I instantly became a Hagar Groupie. It was almost a miracle because they had to set up med centers at every section with water and oxygen a few hours after a light bulb went off. And honestly, you can ask the people that passed out from heat or those puking drunks, it was STILL amazing to be there and witness this community gathering.
It was held at this stadium, outside, to get the most people in. Nothing in Oklahoma could hold enough, so this concert went down in history as the largest concert venue in the history of Oklahoma ever.
ALL money raised, every single penny, goes directly to Oklahomans hit by the tornado. Not only the ticket money, but the teeshirt money and donations they asked for in between sets of musicians. They also had interviews and motorcycle and car giveaways for those desperately in need, from Toby Kieth.
About Toby Kieth, I have a new found respect for this fellow, and not because my brother was his body guard for so many years. It is because he GIVES BACK. Everywhere. To everyone. When everyone wouldn't go or stopped going overseas to perform for our troops, he still remains valiant in giving them some relief from war to this day. He also has a foundation for children with cancer in which 100% of the funds go to those kids. Toby made a joke about doing a yearly Twister relief concert for Oklahoma 3 months before tornado season so we wouldn't have to suffer again.
Cheers to you, Toby Keith, I raise my "red solo cup" to you.
Norman, Oklahoma Gaylord Family Stadium aka OU Sooners Football. Boomer Sooner!
Note: The top stadium photo is the work of my trusty iPhone. The Sammy Hagar photo is stolen from the web from the same concert. I would love to credit the actual source, but it's on every news site and blog.
