Bop Skizzum Singer Personally Touched by Typhoon Haiyan, Hosting Fundraiser at Moe’s BBQ
by Tim Wenger
The city of Tacloban in the Philippines, home of the family of Bop Skizzum vocalist Julie Almeria, was nearly wiped out by Typhoon Haiyan, and the band has set up the first of what it hopes will become a series of benefit shows at Moe’s Original BBQ + Bowl on December 12.
“Right now, we’re hoping to do several of these fundraisers throughout the next year,” says Almeria. “A lot of attention is being paid for it now because it’s new and it’s an emergency, but really our concern is how these people are going to rebuild. We’re going to try and raise a few thousand dollars because in the Philippines, a dollar goes really far.” An American dollar is worth approximately 43 pesos in the country’s currency. “It’s great because if people don’t have that much to give, it’s nice to know that their dollar goes quite a bit further in the Philippines.”
The main charity the fundraiser will benefit is Convoy of Hope (the organization promoted by television star Stephen Colbert) and their efforts to help the rebuilding process. “We’ll also be giving an amount of it to a charity that my uncle is involved with in the Philippines,” says Almeria. “The charity is all people from Tacloban. It is a very impoverished town, it is a charity for them to give back to Tacloban.”
Almeria recently returned from a trip down to the area. “We planned to spend the few weeks we were there in Tacloban for a family reunion to commemorate my grandfather’s death last year. We flew into Manila, the capital, where my uncle lives. We stayed with him that weekend when the typhoon happened”
“Nobody could get ahold of their relatives,” she says. “For a few days, we didn’t know if our family was even alive. We had no way of communication. “Cell phones were not working, many were lost, and many residents do not have cell phones, so communication was very hard during the tragedy.
“It was really scary not knowing what was going on.” Her dad’s cousin and family perished, leaving only one surviving daughter, with a grandson still missing as well. “It’s like a horror movie. I’m glad that we were there because my dad was able to go to Tacloban in the aftermath and get (the remaining relatives) out. My mom’s house was damaged by the flood,” she says. “I lost a first cousin and his family. Going forward we are just going to have to deal with it and rebuild.”
The fundraiser will feature Bop Skizzum with supporting acts Brave Song Circle, Amanda Hawkins, Grits & Gravy and Navy. The show starts 8 pm and will also feature a silent auction, with 100% of proceeds of the event and auction going to the charities. “I think it will be a very positive evening about rebuilding and moving forward, not focusing on the tragedy,” says Almeria. “It will be about ‘How can we move forward and help these people. We want to make sure the awareness is still there. It’s going to be years of rebuilding.”
Those unable to attend the event in person can find more information at bopskizzum.com, and are encouraged to make donations to Convoy of Hope (convoyofhope.org).
Category: Local News
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
 |
 |
