Doolin fundraiser for tornado victims

DEEPLY affected by the devastation caused by last month’s Joplin tornado, including the destruction of her sister’s house, a Doolin resident has decided to organise a fundraiser for the relief effort.

Rebecca Flanagan, who moved from Joplin, Missouri, to Doolin in 1998, is hosting a benefit night in Hotel Doolin this Thursday at 9pm to raise money for the Joplin Schools Relief Fund.
Her sister, Nicole Brannon, lost everything in the tornado, including her best friend Rachel Markham who was pregnant.
Nicole is now living with her mother, Mary Schillaci in nearby Carl Junction, which wasn’t affected by what has been described at the worst tornado to hit the United States in 60 years.  The death toll hit 153 with over 900 injured. After graduating from Joplin High School, Rebecca went to college in Missouri where she studied biology. While on a college trip, she met future husband, John, in 1998 and transferred to NUIG where she completed Marine Science.
She told The Clare Champion that up to $150million is needed to reconstruct schools in the area.
“I was devastated and heartbroken when I  heard about the tornado and kept seeing things on the news. Joplin has a population of about 50,000, which swells to about 250,000 during the day as a result of commuters,” she said.
Buck Taylor, Ireland’s soul man entertainer of the year for three years-in-a-row, will perform at the gig.