Music, jambalaya and more music at Katrina fund-raisers

Watching TV coverage of Hurricane Katrina reminded Carson City resident Jackie Maye of her mother, who lived in West Palm Beach, Fla., and always kept a car and gas ready to flee to safety.

"She's been in about 20 hurricanes over the years, and I just looked at those people, and I saw my mother," the Carson City pianist said. "I saw her in all these people and said I had to do something."

Saturday, a fund-raiser at the Brewery Arts Center, which donated its space, brought in $500. With the help of several musical friends, including Christina Bourne, Linda Hardy, Sue Kitts and Elinor Bugli, Maye put on an hour-plus musical skit in which she played as Mozart.

"I called it the '10/10/10,'" she said. "It was on Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. and the suggested donation was $10."

More than 40 people attended. Casino Fandango matched the $500, and together, $1,000 is going to the Red Cross.

"We had people donating on the way in and way out," Maye said. "I never saw that before, and I'm doing it again Saturday in Reno."

That 10 a.m. show at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 780 Del Monte Lane, will be a similar performance by Maye. Fifty percent of proceeds will help two fellowships flatted by Katrina, and the other half will be given to hurricane transplants in Northern Nevada.

CAJUN BARBECUE

In Virginia City at a Cajun Barbecue on Saturday, Lorraine Du Fresne sold out of jambalaya, red beans and rice, Cajun sausage and cornbread in the Bucket of Blood parking lot, but raised $1,480 in 21Ú2 hours.

"We didn't charge," she said. "It was a donation only. Some people put in $20, and some people put in a dime. We encouraged them into giving more than a dime."

It was only the second time she had made the chicken, ham and sausage jambalaya. The first was last week, when she tested out a friend's recipe.

"I'd never eaten eat it before," she said. "I didn't know it was supposed to taste like. I was impressed when people told me it was good."

She and several friends volunteered about 12 hours to make it. The money will go to Habitat for Humanity in Northern Nevada to help a person relocated from the affected area build a home.

"I watched (the coverage) on TV, and it made me mad that nobody was doing anything," Du Fresne said. "I decided a week ago Friday to do this. I pulled it off, and it went fine. There was a lot of cooperation from the people at the Bucket of Blood."

PIPER'S OPERA

A fund-raiser at Piper's Opera House, which donated its space, raised nearly $1,000. Sheree and Will Rose of Silver City put together eight hours of performances featuring several musicians.

"We sat here and watched the news reports for like two days and said we have to do something," Sheree said.

The suggested donation was $5, but several people put in twenties. One boy from Carson City brought his piggybank and cracked it open. Proceeds will benefit the Red Cross.

"We walked out with $860 in cash, and there was still a bunch of change to be counted and money from the bar to be counted," she said.

"Not bad for a little ole day in Virginia City."

n Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.