Earlier this week, the home of Harry Grant, promoter of the Wind Gap Bluegrass Festival in Pennsylvania and a very popular figure in bluegrass, was destroyed by fire.
Fortunately, Harry was not home when the fire began, and retuned to find flames coming from an upstairs window. His life was very possibly spared by making a trip to Wal-Mart in the middle of the night on October 22, or he may have been asleep when the fire started and overcome by smoke.
The nearest fire station was just a short distance away, and trucks arrived quickly, but his historic wood frame house was quickly engulfed by flames. All was lost, and Grant reported being most affected by the loss of a hard drive containing records from years worth of festivals, and his collection of 37 years of Wind Gap t-shirts.
In addition to running the festival, Harry depended on his work as a live audio engineer for financial support, and with the prohibition on musical performances this summer, he had let his homeowners insurance lapse.
So friends in the bluegrass world have leapt to his aid, launching a GoFundMe campaign that has already come close to reaching its initial goal of $10,000, and seems certain to climb even higher. At this point nearly everything Harry owned has been reduced to ashes, and he is staying with friends until a next step is clear.
All monies raised in this campaign will be donated directly to Harry, to help him back on his feet and try to get his life back to normal.
Anyone who has enjoyed attending Wind Gap over the years, or has come to know Harry as a friend through the bluegrass community, is encouraged to give generously if you are able. It will be a difficult feat to come back from this, but Harry is in good spirits, and determined to do so.
You can find the GoFundMe Campaign online, where donations can be made using a major credit card or PayPal.
Best of luck, Harry!
