The Hurricane Katrina relief effort of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) received a big boost Tuesday (Aug. 8) thanks to a $75,000 contribution rock ‘n’ roll style.

The announcement came during an afternoon news conference where representatives of the rock band 3 Doors Down presented Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

(PDA) with the money, which will go for purchasing construction materials to rebuild homes along the Gulf Coast. The news conference was held at a volunteer village in Gautier, Mississippi, one of six such sites in Mississippi and Louisiana operated by the relief and recovery program of the PC(USA). Each village houses work teams from churches across the country helping with the response.

Band spokesman Mark Smith said 3 Doors Down was impressed with the effectiveness and efficiency of PDA’s Gautier village, which is located in southeast Mississippi near the Alabama border, about 20 miles east of Biloxi, MS. He said the contribution was made through The Better Life Foundation, the band’s charitable agency named after its first CD.

“Initially we did immediate relief stuff and right now the most important thing on the Gulf Coast is rebuilding,” Smith told the Presbyterian News Service. “So we want this distribution to help with rebuilding efforts and to help people step-by-step get closer to where they were before the storm hit.”

The band, whose members are from nearby Escatawpa, MS, were an early supporter of disaster-relief efforts following last fall’s Gulf Coast hurricanes and continues to raise money for the cause through sales of its music and special concert appearances.

“For me the gift from 3 Doors Down affirms the visible presence that Presbyterians have along the Gulf and for local people they are becoming the responder of choice,” said Susan Ryan, PDA’s coordinator. “If local people are saying that this is a place they want to put their money, then it validates the kind of wonderful work and ministry that is happening in the Gulf.”

Ryan said the money would purchase a range of building-related materials such as drywall, shingles, doors, and windows. The funds are earmarked for use only by volunteers working out of the Gautier volunteer village, Smith said.

The widespread destruction left by Katrina and other hurricanes last year led to the PC(USA)’s biggest-ever domestic relief effort. The band’s $75,000 adds to a record-setting $23 million in contributions raised by PDA in response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.

“They were out on tour when Hurricane Katrina hit,” Smith said of the band. “When they came back home and saw it, it was just complete shock. In some places it looked like Iraq.”

3 Doors Down has sold more than 12 million records in the United States alone since debuting in 2000 with their CD “The Better Life.” The band’s follow up release in 2002, “Away From The Sun,” remained on the Billboard Top 200 Chart for almost two years.

3 Doors Down has written six number one hit singles including (according to Nielsen) the most played song in the country in 2003 “When I’m Gone” and the 2004 critically acclaimed ballad “Here Without You.”

One of the band’s guitar players, Chris Henderson, who was present at the news conference, lives near PDA’s volunteer village in Gautier, which is pronounced “go-shay.” His home took on six feet of water from Katrina and every member of the group had at least one family member directly impacted by the storm, Smith said. Joining Henderson in 3 Doors Down is Brad Arnold, lead vocals; Matt Roberts, guitar; and Todd Harrell, bass.

It’s great because they’re local boys and they want to make a contribution to the redevelopment of their community,” said Camille Lopez, PDA’s volunteer village coordinator. “They really wanted to make sure that they put it into somebody’s hands that would take good care of the money and made sure it was spent properly on people who needed it.”

Presbyterian News Service

PDA Hurricane Katrina response