The band Son del Tiempo: Hawk Arps, Jaime Cordova, Donnie Poole III, Rick Gehring, Shawn Westervelt, Luke McKinnon, Ashley Woolworth, Christie Johnson, and the Dalton brothers (Lark and Sand) on horns

Lopez Island lost many dear community members this winter, but still the compassion of the islanders holds true. A benefit concert for the families who have suffered will be held at the Lopez Community Center, Friday, April 24.

“People on this island had a rough winter,” local musician Hawk Arps commented, “and it wasn’t just the families that experienced tragedies and debilitating injuries. The whole community felt it.” Referring to the untimely deaths of beloved community members David Fisher and Leta Currie-Marshall, and the serious injuries incurred by Colin Doherty and Shantparv Roloff, Arps said, “Jaimé Cordova and I wanted to do something that would help Shantparv, Colin and Heidi, and Karen Fisher and her family deal with expenses, something that would honor Stewart and Wendy Marshall, and help nourish our collective spirit of togetherness on Lopez.”

For Arps, that community spirit is the true beauty of Lopez Island, even deeper than the abundant natural beauty that is evident here. “Our community spirit is a living being, like one of our elders or one of our children, and it needs to be nourished and cared for. It is older and wiser than any one of us.”

The musicians decided to put on a fundraiser for the families, and to make it a super-fun evening that will raise all of our spirits after this long, hard winter. Spring is here (or nearby, anyway) and the families are healing, but the need for assistance is still great.

The fundraiser will take place at the Lopez Community Center on April 24, starting at 7 p.m. Local band Son del Tiempo will play a dance party concert of Caribbean beats, soul, reggae and zydeco. The band features ten members: Arps, Cordova, Donnie Poole III, Rick Gehring, Shawn Westervelt, Luke McKinnon, Ashley Woolworth, Christie Johnson, and with the fabulous Dalton brothers (Lark and Sand) on horns, the fundraiser concert will be the bands’ debut.

The opening band is Psychedelic Bullfrogs, an amalgam of Lopez talent producing new sounds based in American R&B.

Admission is by donation ($10 suggested) but all are welcome. The event will include excellent coffee and tea, wine and beer, and delicious savories and sweets for sale, along with a silent auction featuring specialty desserts made by local luminary chefs. There will also be a silent auction of art, adventures, and services donated by locals. In addition, a special section of the silent auction will feature art, services, and fancy desserts contributed by local children and teens.

The effort required to put on a successful fundraiser in the midst of a busy spring might have been daunting for Cordova and Arps, but as is usual on Lopez, many others have stepped in to volunteer. Arps said, “Feeding our community spirit through dance and camaraderie, we can nourish ourselves, rebuild our collective strength, and have a good time, too.”