The concert Cape Elizabeth High School sophomore Hudson Eakin had envisioned to benefit hurricane relief was larger than what occurred on Sunday.
“KatStock” was held Sunday at Fort Williams Park, but the crowd never grew to more than a few hundred people.
A thermometer drawn on a piece of posterboard tracked the amount of money raised and would be donated to the American Red Cross. The organizers’ goal was $4,000, but the line never rose above $2,500.
“I’m a bit disappointed,” Eakin said. “But you take what you can get. … Having limited publicity, it was great,” he said.
Despite being not allowed to publicize the event, the concert passed by word of mouth and students from Waynflete, South Portland and Cheverus joined Cape students for food, music and dancing.
A “huge amount” of volunteers made the event possible, said Katie Lisa, a social worker at the high school and adviser for the Volunteer Club there.
Lisa said the students in the Volunteer Club were still selling T-shirts and hoped to increase the amount raised to $3,500 by the time they’re done. Their intent is to donate the money through Shaw’s Supermarket, whose parent company has pledged to match any donations up to $1 million.
“I’m excited for these kids,” said high school English teacher Hannah Jones, one of the teachers who worked with the students to organize the event. “They pulled off an amazing feat.” She added that some people’s fears there would be problems with underage drinking or drugs were “clearly not founded,” she said.
Six-year-old Eliza Connolly and six-year-old Declan McCormick set up their lemonade shop at Fort Williams Park on Sunday during a benefit concert for hurricane relief.
Hudson Eakin, left, and his band Arsenic and Lace, perform Sunday at KatStock, a concert to benefit hurricane relief.
From left, Elsa Mullin, Nora Daly and Rosie Wennberg sell KatStock T-shirts to raise money for the American Red Cross Sunday at Fort Williams Park.
Natasha Barritt works the sound board as the local ska band El Grande gets ready to perform at KatStock, a concert to benefit hurricane relief.
Cape Elizabeth high schoolers dance in front of the stage during local ska band El Grande’s set at KatStock, a concert to benefit hurricane relief, at Fort Williams Park Sunday.
Jeff Witherell works the soundboard as Natasha Barritt looks on at KatStock, a concert to benefit hurricane relief, Sunday at Fort Williams Park.
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