The whole world will be invited to the Whitsunday SESsions cyclone benefit concert this Saturday.
Whether someone is based in Perth, Darwin, or overseas, everyone will have access to live streaming of the event from 10am.
Whitsunday SESsions organiser Gavin Butlin said this would offer people access to world class music and entertainment and include interviews with people in the local community who had been affected by Cyclone Debbie.
He said it was all made possible thanks to support from Brisbane’s Festival TV.
“One of the guys from Festival TV in Brisbane fell in love with Airlie and he said he wanted to bring the team up and do it for nothing as long as we could put them up which we did,” he said.
“There will be lots of good and bad stories all day and live crossings to the musos who will do acoustic sessions in the studio.”
The Whitsunday SESsions line up will include legendary artists and bands including the Oz INXS Show, Phil Emmanuel, Joel Turner, Kieran McCarthy, James Blundell, Pauly Fenech and more.
Over 70 prizes will be on offer over the day, with auctions to be held for items over $200 and everything under $200 to be raffled.
Some of the prizes on offer include an electric children’s Jeep from Lee’s Wow House valued at $500, a two night trip to port Douglas, and one year’s supply of Boost juice.
Other prizes include reef trips, sky dive tickets, hair and beauty products, massages, festival packs and more.
All proceeds raised from the day will be donated to the SES, whose volunteers worked around the clock for the Whitsundays in the aftermath of the severe category four storm.
Local SES controller Mark Connors said the entire SES crew had every reason to be proud of the work they achieved.
He also said it was humbling to learn the SES would be beneficiaries from the concert.
“(I felt) two feelings, one very appreciative and secondly a little embarrassed because there are a lot of organisations here that also put in a lot of help, but I’m very grateful,” he said.
Mr Connors said the money would allow them to buy specialist equipment such as bigger chainsaws.
“The other thing we looked at because we operate in the rain a lot, is providing battery operated lighting so we don’t have to worry about the danger of using generators which are high voltage,” he said.
People are encouraged to bring along chairs, blankets, a hat and sunscreen for the all day event which runs from 10am-10pm this Saturday.
Tickets can be purchased online for $20 or at the gate on the day for $25 at the Whitsunday Sailing Club.
The live streaming of Whitsunday SESsions can be accessed via http://www.whitsunday-sessions-relief-concert.com.au/ for a cost of just $10.
Source: Whitsunday Times.