Illinois tornado benefit concert raises $300,000
BLOOMINGTON — Authorities say this week’s benefit concert for Illinois tornado victims has raised about $300,000 for relief efforts.
Wednesday’s sold-out Rock to the Rescue concert at the Bloomington Coliseum featured Styx, REO Speedwagon and Richard Marx among others.
A Coliseum spokeswoman tells The (Bloomington) Pantagraph organizers won’t have a final tally until next week when bidding ends on a memorabilia auction.
Rock to the Rescue was founded by Styx’s Tommy Shaw and REO’s Kevin Cronin in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Cronin and Styx guitarist James Young are Illinois natives.
WJBC Radio reports two Washington High School football players who lost guitars in the storm got new instruments were signed by the musicians.
The two dozen tornadoes that hit Illinois on Nov. 17 are blamed for killing seven people.