'It could happen to anyone' - community support for Tycor
You can buy raffle tickets from Taylor O'Leary in Waterford City all this week.
Although a fire anywhere is a tragedy, it was particularly heartbreaking for Waterford that it was the Old Jute Factory that went up in flames. The business reflected the heart and soul of Waterford city. In particular, the Waterford music scene was affected by the fire with many local bands, unable to afford insurance, losing all of their equipment and recording space.
However, people are not sitting around feeling sorry for themselves, the businesses affected as well as good samaritans have been busy at work organising fundraisers to help get them back on their feet.
A voucher for Momo Restaurant, Lisa Keane art pub coasters and €100 Blaa Giveaways site credit are just some of the prizes you can win if you enter a raffle organised by Taylor O’Leary. Taylor runs the popular ‘360 Bus Fanpage’ Instagram account and says she has been “blown away” by the responses from businesses in Waterford who agreed to donate prizes for the raffle.
You can buy five tickets for five euros, “or one ticket for one euro, if you’re a scab,” says Taylor.
When the met up with Taylor, she had only been selling tickets for two hours, and she had already raised €175. Indeed, as I spoke with her, several people approached Taylor and bought tickets within the space of five minutes.
Taylor has had no problems selling tickets.
She said, “As soon as I say I’m doing a raffle, people say no but when I say it's for Tycor, they immediately pull out their wallets and start telling me about how they used to go there or they know someone who worked there. Everyone knows someone affected and it could happen to anyone.”
Her goal is to reach €4,000. She will be selling tickets in Waterford City all this week and also in Tully’s bar this Saturday before the raffle takes place.
The winners will be announced at 8pm in Tully’s this Saturday.
This Saturday from 12 to 9, over 10 local acts, including Washed Out and Celtic Brew, will take to the stage on O’Connell Street, to raise money for musicians who lost their equipment in the fire in Tycor.
In a post on social media, Tully’s Bar Waterford said, “Some of the acts were directly affected by the fire and others had friends or musical groups affected.”
The event is free but you can donate on the day, all proceeds will go towards musicians affected by the fire.
Amber April and Scott Hammel’s recording studio, Monohazard, was destroyed in the fire so they are organising a gig in Bank Lane featuring all of the musicians that recorded with them in the past. This includes some well-known Waterford acts, such as Ozzie, Bad Mother’s Union and The Spudguns.
The gig will be held on June 18 at 6pm in Bank Lane. Entry is free but the suggested donation is €10.
The motorbike club in Waterford, Freewheelers MC, have organised a fundraising gig for the rock band ‘Sleeze n Cheese’.
In a post on social media the band shared a picture of their destroyed equipment. They wrote, “To say we are devastated is an understatement. We were hoping that something may be salvaged but absolutely everything is destroyed.”
They went on to say, “Thanks to ye and yer generous donations, we will bounce back.”
The gig will take place on Saturday, June 13, in the Freewheelers MC Clubhouse known as “the barn” on Meeting House Lane at 8pm. Tickets are €10 and can be bought at the door, all proceeds will go towards getting new band equipment.
