A year after Hurricane Helene cut a devastating path through communities across Western North Carolina, one local nonprofit will be in Asheville this week as part of a benefit concert commemorating the somber anniversary.

The Reunion Concert aims to bring music, worship, and remembrance to Harrah’s Cherokee Center on Saturday while benefiting the Reunion Relief Fund, which aids families and communities still rebuilding in the storm’s aftermath.

Shining Through the Storm, an organization founded by local pageant winner Reanna Ruark, is partnering with The Blessing Project and other sponsors to foster what Ruark described as a “safe space where healing can begin and where hope shines brighter.”

In addition to supporting those impacted by the hurricane, the concert will also serve as a tribute to the lives lost.

“Lives are still being rebuilt, families are still trying to regain stability, and communities are still healing from the devastation,” Ruark added. “This concert is a reminder that while we’ve come a long way, we must continue standing together and helping each other move forward.”

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Part of that process, she told Scope News, will involve “gathering people together in worship, lifting our voices in unity, and pointing everything back to Christ.”

This isn’t the first Helene-focused concert Ruark’s organization has helped organize this year. Shining Through the Storm presented a relief concert featuring Luke Cope and “The Voice” contestant Tatum Scott in March. 

Ruark praised the commitment of other businesses and groups in the area, including Greensboro-based DH Griffin, that continue to partner in events like this one.

“To me, this event is a testimony of God’s faithfulness,” she said. “Being part of something that continues to bring restoration to Western North Carolina and provides a place for survivors to feel cared for and uplifted is one of the greatest honors of my life.”

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at this link. The lineup of performers includes Jimmy Clifton, Creigh Riepe, Nick Mac & The Noise, and Jeremy Fine.

Click here for more information about Shining Through the Storm.

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