Susan Sarandon Hosts a Hurricane Katrina Benefit Crash Mansion Tuesday, October 4, 2005 Written by Janet Perisa Photographed by Mary Blanco
	Susan Sarandon

In 1897, a creative movement began in the Red-Light district of New Orleans. Charles “Buddy” Bolden and his band blazed through the nights with a melodious mixture of the blues, ragtime, hymns, and Creole folk. This fusion gave birth to what would later become known, throughout the world, as one of the great cultural and musical art forms of the 20th century—Jazz. Legendary performers, such as Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, and Prof. Longhair, began their careers while playing throughout the flavorful city. It has been over a month since hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans, leaving indescribable amounts of residents impoverished and homeless. These numbers also include a vast number of musicians who no longer have the instruments they need to perform. While media coverage of the tragedy has subsided, humanitarian organizations are still reaching out to the public, reminding us that we are still at the beginning of what has come to be the largest relief effort in American history.

Wycleff Jean

Susan Sarandon, Wycleff Jean, Tim Robbins

Kirsten Price

On Tuesday, October 4th, a musical event, hosted by Susan Sarandon, was held at Crash Mansion (99 Bowery and Spring Street) to help raise funding for the residents and instruments for the musicians who lost their livelihood in New Orleans. All of the proceeds from the event were donated to the non-profit organizations, Habitat for Humanity and The Tipitina Foundation. Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has been dedicated to building decent, affordable housing for low income families. The Tipitina Foundation is an organization dedicated to maintaining the musical and cultural heritage of New Orleans. Brian Shupe, a member of the Tipitina Foundation, describes the work load ahead as “… a continuing long-haul… once the story drops out of the news, [people] will forget… we don’t want the public to forget so quickly.”

Tim Robbins	Joss Stone

Sarandon was all smiles when husband Tim Robbins, surprised her with a cake to celebrate her 59th birthday. Among the attendees that evening was singer/songwriters Joss Stone, Judd Harris, and Kwame Jackson. The evening included live performances by Matthew Pucket, Kirsten Price and Visible from Space. The evening was concluded by a remarkable live performance by Wycleff Jean, whose lyrical prowess and rhythmic beats turned the intimate venue on its head and into a dancehall extravaganza.

Wycleff Jean

For information on how to donate money for Habitat for Humanity and The Tipitina Foundation, log on to www.habitatsforhumanity.com and www.tipitinas.com. The Tipitina Foundation would also appreciate donations of wood or brass musical instruments.