PEEKSKILL ARTISTS, RESTAURANTS, AND FAITH COMMUNITY COORDINATE CITY-WIDE EFFORT FOR HAITI RELIEF

- ‘To Haiti With Hope’ Benefit to be Held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church; Concert Features Who’s Who of Peekskill Arts Scene –

- 5 City Restaurants Pledge Percentage of Evening Sales to Relief Effort –

A diverse group of Peekskill residents are leveraging the city’s reputation as the cultural and dining hub of the region to provide much needed relief to the people of Haiti - devastated by one of the worst natural disasters to ever hit the western hemisphere. To Haiti with Hope is a collaborative effort of local artists, community leaders, restaurants, and the city’s faith community to provide both support and funding for relief efforts. This city-wide fundraising initiative will take place on Friday, February 12 and culminate with a benefit concert at historic St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in downtown Peekskill.

The City’s best restaurants will be donating ten percent of all proceeds from patrons who plan to attend the benefit concert. Participating restaurants include The Division Street Grill, Reuben’s Mexican Café, 12 Grapes Music and Wine Bar, The BeanRunner Café, and Trattoria Valentia.

A cross-genre, who’s who of the area’s burgeoning music scene will be performing at the benefit concert. Serving as Master of Ceremonies is Dutchess-Di, who demonstrated her diva-bona-fides when she rocked the City at its Third Annual Jazz and Blues Festival this past summer. The evening’s other diva, jazz vocalist Alexis Cole, will be performing with her father, pianist/vocalist Mark Finkin, who’s coming all the way from Saratoga Springs to support the event. Representing the classical side of things will be the Chamber Players of Croton, whose recent standing room only concert in Croton won the group much acclaim. Peekskill stalwart Brotha Doug will be playing piano and singing inspirational gospel songs, while Newburg keyboardist/electronic musician Neil Alexander, who often performs with his group NAIL at the Bean Runner Café, will be doing an electronic ambient improvisation using keyboards and laptop, and will also be joined by Cole on a jazz selection. Regional coffee house favorite, bassist Fred Gillen Jr. will also be singing his originals with his band.

“When human suffering of this magnitude shows itself, it’s our duty as citizens of the world to do something about it,” said Alexis Cole, an award-winning jazz vocalist who resides in Peekskill. “What better way than to bring the talents we are so fortunate to be given and use them to provide some hope?”

The benefit concert will be held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church at 8pm, Friday February 12. The church, built in 1892 with a capacity for 350, is a neo-gothic architectural landmark in the City and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. St. Peter’s has a strong reputation for social action, hosting both a monthly community feeding program as well as the City’s only choice food pantry.

“The City of Peekskill has a reputation for the arts and St. Peter’s has a mission to care for our brothers and sisters in Peekskill and beyond,” said Rev. Carlye J. Hughes, Rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. “It’s make perfect sense for us to come together in this time of great need.”

The benefit concert at St. Peter’s is a free-will offering and attendees are asked to make contributions to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. All proceeds will go to the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund, which as a partner with the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, is already engaged in immediate and long-term relief efforts in Haiti.

Restaurant patrons who plan to attend the concert need to self-identify to their server letting them know they plan to attend the benefit. Diners are encouraged to make reservations early enough to ensure they can find seating at 8pm at St. Peter’s Church.