Dust in the Wind

As the dust settles on one of the first major events to be hosted in Phuket in many months, we take stock of an awesome, albeit hot day of music, and find out what is on the horizon in terms of the next fundraising event for the ongoing food relief programs.

The Lean On Me Live Fest brought a large part of our expat community back together under the auspices of enjoying a full range of music from the many talented musicians that Phuket has on offer. Understanding the plight that they were all there to serve and whilst enjoying the music, the many patrons that attended the festival dug deep, and contributed immensely in a collection-box effort run by some very dedicated members of One Phuket.

Combined with the B92,000 raised in VIP Ticket and Table sales, the additional B172,361 raised on the day, pushed the event’s fundraising effort to an impressive B264,361. This total was further added to last week by “Blue Tree Phuket’s friends and employees” in a brief statement after donating an additional B50,000, where they explained that “We are all in this together – ONE amazing Phuket!”. This brought the total Lean On Me Live Fest fundraising effort to a close on a whopping B314,361 – a truly great effort by the entire Phuket community, and that has already translated into many, many families receiving food aid in and around Phuket.

Whilst the success of the event was wholly about a community uniting behind an urgent cause, the day would not have been possible without a full spectrum of musicians, young and old, that donated their time and talent for free to ensure that there was in fact an event at all. Many of these musicians are of the hardest hit by the pandemic, but never wavered when called upon to contribute when they were needed. The 12 bands that played on the day were all spectacular in their own right, delivering a great blend of both original and cover music in genres that spanned Blues, Rock, Soul, Reggae, Modern and Traditional Pop, and even Disco. Phuket is indeed a diverse island with a diverse array of very talented musicians.

Never resting on their laurels, the organizers of the Lean On Me Live Fest are already hard at work assembling the cast and planning the next musical fundraising event for One Phuket to be staged in the coming months. Details are scarce right now, other than that we have been told that it will be decedent, indulgent and a LOT of fun.  We cannot wait to see what comes next!