Downtown Raleigh festival thrown to help tornado victims

Gwendolyn Igbinovia says she remembers the sound of the tornado as it passed over her house on April 16.

“All I could hear was like the earth was splitting. I thought the world was coming to an end,” she said.

Like so many homes, trees crashed through her roof and rain poured in and ruined everything she had. Charities helped provide the basics for victims, but three months later, many families are still hurting.

Mary Jane Clark, an organizer of the ComeUnityNow Festival, said she hopes the money raised can help people who are in a bad situation.

“They are the nuts and bolts, the hammers and nails that will put these people as close to home as they can, so they don't fall through the safety net,” she said.

Igbinovia said things are looking up for her and her five grandchildren. Last week, The Green Chair provided her family with new couches, beds and a kitchen table. They had been living without furniture and eating dinner and sleeping on the floor.

Igbinovia said she will never forget the kindness of charities that were there to help right after the tornado, when she needed it most.

“They give. They give kindly, and they see your needs, and they meet your needs,” she said.

The ComeUnityNow Festival will run until 10 p.m. Saturday at City Plaza on Fayetteville Street. Thirty musical acts will perform, along with dancers and artists. The festival is free, but visitors can buy $10 VIP tickets to get closer to the stages.

The group is hoping to raise $100,000 through the sale of VIP tickets, on-site donations and a live art auction. WRAL News is a media sponsor of the festival.