Eric Church and Luke Combs announced they were joining forces for a concert. In an interview with Good Morning America, the pair laid out their plans to raise money to support those affected by the incoming Hurricane Milton. It'll be a "Concert for Carolina" Hurricane Helene/Milton benefit show. Church and Combs, alongside James Taylor and Billy Strings, will headline the show on October 26.
Church and Combs intend to split the proceeds from the event. For Combs, he plans on giving his share to Samaritan's Purse, Manna Food Bank, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC. Church will be offering his half to his Chief Cares Fund, offering financial assistance to extensive relief efforts.
"Over the next few years, I hope to match my half of the funds we'll raise at the concert," said Church. "Sure, many of us want to turn the page after an event like this. But that's impossible for those people in places like Western North Carolina. Continuing to shine a light on the services they'll continue to require is important."
Luke Combs And Eric Church Will Have A Hurricane Milton Relief Concert
Combs, meanwhile, is eying the infrastructure of rural areas in North Carolina. "When the creeks that separate towns in valleys suddenly become rivers, it also changes the topographical landscape of the mountains surrounding them. Those towns — and the Western North Carolina region, in general — will never be the same."
"I'm devastated that areas that I once intimately knew are now unrecognizable," Church added. "Being in service to the community is at the heart of what it means to be an artist and songwriter." Church concluded the interview on an emotional note, perfectly conveying the importance of assisting people when they're most in need.
"This displacement of life will take years to overcome — more than anything, that's most devastating of all. It'll take a while, but one day, things will return somewhat to what they used to be." It's heartwarming to see musicians like Combs and Church give back to the people who have poured into them over the years. With any luck, we can only hope that Hurricane Milton won't be as catastrophic as it's predicted to be.
