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NEW ORLEANS BAND GIVES BACK TO KATRINA-RAVAGED HOMETOWN
By STACEY PLAISANCE
Associated Press Writer
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New Orleans fire chief Charles Parent, left, thanks rock band Better Than Ezra members, from second left, Travis McNabb, Tom Drummond and Kevin Griffin as they make a donation for new fire equipment in New Orleans today. In all, five donations totaling $100,000 were to be announced by the Better Than Ezra Foundation. ((AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber))
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NEW ORLEANS (March 25, 2008) A year ago the rock band Better Than Ezra helped an injured firefighter rebuild his Hurricane Katrina-ravaged home by buying new furniture and appliances to replace those destroyed in the 2005 storm's flooding.
This year, the band is making a donation to the city's fire department for new equipment, and it's donating to other groups working to rebuild the city, among them Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation. In all, five donations totaling $100,000 were to be announced by the Better Than Ezra Foundation at a news conference Tuesday in New Orleans, where the band and its foundation are based.
"This is the biggest thing the foundation has ever done, as far as money goes," said Tom Drummond, bassist for the band that became well-known in the 1990s for such hits as "Good," "In the Blood" and "Desperately Wanting."
Drummond said the foundation, through an annual golf tournament and auction, has raised more than $500,000 over the past seven years.
Since Katrina, giving back takes on a whole new meaning, he said, particularly when it comes to the city's firefighters.
"They were the first responders and are still on the job," he said. "The (recovery) money has been so slow and they have been working in deplorable conditions. They deserve a whole lot more credit than they get."
Drummond said the band thought long and hard about what projects to support. They, along with foundation board members, ultimately decided to help Make It Right by purchasing windows, doors and other construction materials to build affordable homes for Katrina victims.
They are also giving money to Restore or Retreat, a nonprofit coastal advocacy group that distributes educational material about coastal erosion and wetlands preservation efforts, and Louisiana ArtWorks, a program that provides educational services for children to learn about art and culture.
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