Our (or should we say "your") 2008 Foothill Blues Festival was a roaring success! All monies raised have been personally delivered to those in need. Our 2008 wrap-up news and pictures will soon be posted... stay tuned!

The foothills will have the blues on Saturday August 06, 2008 06:34:00 PM Leticia Gutierrez/Appeal-Democrat Jeff Watson Band, Delta Wires among performers at festival planned in Loma Rica Music will fill the Yuba County hills Saturday during the third annual "Blues in the Foothills," sponsored by the Foothill Lions Club. Featuring five groups — the Backyard Blues Band, Blue Haven Band, Jeramy Norris Band, Jeff Watson Band and the Delta Wires — the daylong event starts a 11 a.m. at the Loma Rica/Foothills Lions Clubhouse, 5667 Fruitland Road. It's "nice weather, nice atmosphere (and) good music," said organizer Debbie Burlingame. "It couldn't be better." The event includes a barbecue prepared by members of the Beale Air Force Base reserves. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children 6 to 12 years old, with this year's event benefiting Greensburg, Kan., a small farming town that was destroyed by a tornado in May 2007. The money raised goes directly to the Lions Club in Greensburg to help with rebuilding the town. "What I like about the festival is it's broken down (the) geographic separation" between Lions clubs, Burlingame said. The local fundraising efforts instead enforce the intention of Lions International. Funds collected in the first two annual music events went directly to the Biloxi Lions Club in Mississippi, which distributed the funds to people affected by Hurricane Katrina in that area. The event raised $2,000 in 2006 and $10,000 in 2007. It's been much easier to organize this third event, Burlingame said. "People I don't even know who came last year want to help (with the fundraiser) this year," Burlingame said. Because the event takes many months to organize, the Foothills Lions Club board selected this year's fundraiser recipient by January after evaluating several disasters and causes, Burlingame said. "It is very difficult (in selecting the cause) because there are so many that need help," she said. Recent disasters that have happened locally will be considered for next year's fundraiser, she added. Tickets may be purchased at the Lions' clubhouse, online at www.foothillblues.com, at the gate, or by calling Burlingame at 740-3297. This year's blues festival will be preceded earlier in the day by "Blues and Bikes in the Foothills," a poker run inspired by last year's blues festival motorcycle-riding attendees. Registration for the poker run is from 8 to 10 a.m. at Gary's Place bar and grill at Ninth and B streets in Marysville. The ride ends at the blues festival. Tickets are $25 for the first rider, plus $15 for a passenger. The ticket also pays for admission into the festival. Contact Toby Housley at 517-0116 for more information. The poker run is also sponsored by the Foothill Lions Club. The blues festival is one of several annual events hosted by the Foothill Lions Club, including Wildhog Glory Daze, a chili cook-off, a car show, the Lions and Lioness crab feed, and Kids Summer Bingo. Blues in the Foothills When: 11 a.m. Saturday Where: Loma Rica/Foothill Lions Clubhouse, 5667 Fruitland Road, Loma Rica Donation: $20 adults; $10 children Call: Debbie Burlingame, 740-3297 Blues and Bikes in the Foothills When: Registration 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday Where: Gary’s Place, Ninth and B streets, Marysville; ends at Blues in the Foothills Cost: $25 for first rider; $15 for passenger Call: Toby Housley, 517-0116

Hills woman is a Lion of aid June 22, 2008 10:24:00 PM By Andrea Koskey/Appeal-Democrat She’s raising funds for Kansas town hit by tornado, girl with leukemia In an attempt to keep true to the humanitarian ideals of Lions Clubs International, Debbie Burlingame has organized two events this summer to help those in need. As event chairwoman, Burlingame has organized the Foothill Blues Festival to help victims of natural disasters through a "Lions to Lions" club donation effort. Next month, she plans to help raise funds for a local girl's leukemia treatments. "What's really cool is you establish a relationship across the country. We trust Lions and we know the money will go to good use," said Burlingame, who belongs to the Loma Rica Foothill Lions Club. For the past two years, the blues festival, which was known as Biloxi Blues, was organized to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. This year, though, she and the 40 active members of the club decided to expand and help victims of any disaster. The members decided to send 100 percent of the proceeds from this year's Foothill Blues Festival to the victims of a tornado that ripped through the tiny Kansas town of Greensburg last year. "We are proud they chose us and we will put the money to good use," Greensburg Lions Club member Steve Dawson said. "We know the past few years they've donated to Katrina, and so have we. It's nice to get the help." Dawson said the money and donations from all Lions Clubs are immediately filtered back into the community. Greensburg was hit by an EF5 tornado on the night of May 4, 2007. The twister destroyed 95 percent of the town. An EF5 rating indicates the tornado was "enhanced" and had wind speeds in excess of 205 mph. "I'd never seen anything like it," Dawson said. "I've seen tornados, but nothing like this." The 1.5-mile-wide twister went right through the center of town, Dawson said. Eleven people were killed and another 60 were injured. Dawson said it took more than three hours before he knew his family was OK. Nearly every home was destroyed, according to Dawson. Three days later, townspeople returned home to put their lives back together. "It was rough," Dawson said. "But we immediately began picking up the pieces. What else can you do?" Before the catastrophe, Greensburg had a population of 1,500. Now, Dawson said, the town, which is 110 miles west of Wichita, is at 800 and continues to grow slowly. From clothing and toys to funding utility bills for volunteers, Dawson said aid money is going back into the community. "I do know we've paid for a lot of eyeglasses," Dawson said. "Glasses are just as important as anything else. You've got to be able to see what you're doing to be able to do anything." Although Dawson did not know the dollar amount of donations received, he said Lions Clubs have donated a "substantial" amount to recovery efforts. Burlingame said Yuba foothills residents want to help in anyway they can. "We aren't raising enough to rebuild an entire home or purchase a new car. Instead, we are able to say, 'Merry Christmas,' buy your kids a new bicycle,'" she said. Burlingame said that the Foothills Blues Festival has raised $12,000 the past two years to send to Biloxi, Miss. That is an amount she hopes will grow. Closer to home, Burlingame has organized a spaghetti feed to help Elizabeth Sutton, a 10-year-old Browns Valley girl diagnosed with leukemia. The event is a combined effort of the Lions Club and the owners of Browns Valley Bar to help pay for travel expenses. Burlingame said every little bit helps. "This money could go toward hotels for her mom while she gets treatments," Burlingame said. "We don't want to limit the use, but this is all toward her treatments."

LESSON FROM GREENSBURG By Stan Finger, The Wichita Eagle - March 2, 2008 The disastrous night of May 4, 2007, was a learning experience as well. When meteorologists and emergency management officials have nightmares, they're often about tornadoes bearing down on cities at night.  It was already so dark on May 4, 2007, that storm chasers had to rely on lightning flashes and snapping power lines to track a large tornado -- a "wedge" -- as it bore down on Greensburg... To read the rest of the story, click here!

The Story Behind This Year's Blues Festival... Yet another year has passed and several towns/states have again endured natural disasters, and here I go again.....This year's benefit proceeds will be donated (100%) to the Lions Club in Greensburg, Kansas to assist the townspeople in rebuilding their lives. A massive tornado struck Kansas in May of 2007. It was a weekend of violent storms that killed at least 12 people statewide. Little remains standing in Greensburg, a town of 1,700 residents. The tornado demolished every business on the main street, City Hall and the high school. Churches lost their steeples, trees were stripped of their branches and neighborhoods were flattened. Officials estimate as much as 95 percent of the town was destroyed and most of the city's residents had to be evacuated to shelters in schools and other facilities in nearby towns. As of February 2008 the town continues to have a MASH unit for a hospital (with evening/morning temperatures in the low single digits), is beginning to rebuild homes, just opened a small restaurant, and still utilizes a trailer for a grocery store. This year promises to be an exciting day in the foothills supporting those in need! Musicians from multiple states are coming to support our 2008 cause, and to give Northern California a sweet taste of the blues. Please consider coming out on August 9th to this fantastic event and enjoy the day with the Foothill Lions. Your donation will make it possible for us to make a difference to the people who truly need a helping hand. Signed, Debbie Burlingame, Foothill Blues Coordinator Loma Rica Foothill Lions