A tremendous community effort has materialized to help the victims of last weekend’s destructive fire in Marlinton. Donors have filled the Marlinton Municipal Building auditorium with household goods, far beyond the victims’ needs. Relief organizers will sell the excess donations on Friday and Saturday, with proceeds to benefit the Marlinton Fire Department.
Young people are involved in the effort to help their neighbors – among them, music students from High Rocks Academy in Hillsboro. The students presented a benefit concert at McClintic Library in Marlinton Friday evening. A standing-room-only crowd packed the library’s meeting room to hear the young people perform. The music and poetry was original – written by the students to inspire fellowship and hope for recovery from the disaster.
Funds raised during the concert were donated to Kristy Lanier, proprietor of the Dirt Bean Ohana, a popular Main Street coffee shop and restaurant destroyed by the fire. The students had been scheduled to perform a concert at the Dirt Bean on Friday evening.
High Rocks Special Events Coordinator Devin Preston and music teacher Judith Avers organized the concert.
“I think it went really, really well,” said Preston. “The kids were very moved by what happened over the weekend and they really put all of that emotion into the songwriting that they were doing. They wrote songs about hope and strength and community. They were really nervous and excited, but I think they did really well.”
Don’t Let The World Fall Down
by Layla Shinaberry, Lydia Tallman, Shayna Hammons
My building is crashing down
I’m on fire and I’m hittin’ the ground
All of my nightmares are coming true
I have my memories
That’s all I need of you
CHORUS:
I have strength and I have hope
Nothing’s gonna tear me down
I have strength and I have hope
Nothing’s gonna tear me down
I’m gonna stand my ground
Nothing’s gonna bring me down
My life is turning ‘round we go
Where it stops, nobody knows
Even the world could help me through
I know I get through it
With the help of you
CHORUS
CHORUS
Give You Strength
By Rhiannon Cohernour, Marlena Williams, Regan Haney, and Ryan Peters
Even the healthful and the sick
Even the poor and also the rich
Even though we were all affected
Together we can come through the hectic
(humming)
Even though the town is falling down
Someday we’ll turn it all around
CHORUS:
We’ll give you hope, we’ll give you strength
We’ll get there no matter the length
Even the young and the old
Even the shy and also the bold
Your faith will shine like a star
No matter who you are
CHORUS
Spoken: As we see our memories at stake, we know it’s all gonna be okay. ‘Cause all that matters are the steps you take
CHORUS
Your faith will shine like a star
No matter who you are
CHORUS
We’ll Get Through
By Emily Doss, Ally Lane, Canessa Parker, and Maria Workman
When I ride through all these little roads
I feel like a small crow
That means we need to make it all better now
Don’t ever cry
Everything will be alright
Even though it’s getting’ colder
CHORUS:
It’s never gonna be the same
It’s like it all burned away
It may be a small town
But we’ll get through in and out, in and out
It is where the theory of life lies
Through the darkest of the nights
We’re all connected somehow
Don’t shed a tear
We’ll help you through my dear
Even though it’s getting’ colder
CHORUS
When I ride through all these little roads
I feel like a small crow
That means we need to make it all better now
Don’t ever cry
Everything will be alright
Even though it’s getting’ colder
CHORUS
Keep Holding On To Your Faith
By Kearstin Marlowe Bogart and Ida Bibb
CHORUS:
Keep holding on to your faith
Let go of all your sorrows
We’ll be your guide through the dark of the night
We’ll be by your side
Don’t you worry about a thing
You’re gonna be alright
You gotta just keep holding on to your hope
Don’t ever let it go
CHORUS
Even through the toughest times
I’ll be your light through the night
Give me your hand, I’ll lead you through your nightmares
I will always care
CHORUS
Keep holding on to your faith
Let go of all your sorrows
I’ll always be your guide through the dark of the night
Can We Fight Fire?
By Austin Pritt
I woke up and looked outside my window
And I saw smoke
The fire was burning outside my window
Burning and smoking
So I walked to town and looked at the fire
I saw the spraying water and the fire
Coming out the windows
Burning and smoking
So don’t you let it bring you down
The town was full of people standing
And I’m here standing with you now
Re: Strength
By Joey Friel
If ever, ever you hear this
You’ll know that I’m with you
But baby, oh dear sweetheart
You’ll know that I’ll stay true
And always, always I’ll be here
So look into that dawn
But stay strong, oh dearest, don’t fear
I’ll soothe you with this song
Hold me close and hear me say
That we’ll never fall astray
CHORUS:
Somewhere I hear you calling my name
Before the dawn breaks
Often you’ll hear my reply the same
And that’s what brings me home
But hear this, I’ll be here with you
Tomorrow we will stand
Hear this, I’ll be here with you
‘Cause tomorrow never ends
Hold me close and hear me say
That we’ll never fall astray
CHORUS
So don’t fret, call to your lover
I’ll dry up every tear
And hold, hold you so sweetly
And kiss you most sincere
Hold me close and hear me say
That we’ll never fall astray
Somewhere I hear you calling my name
Before the dawn breaks
Often you’ll hear my reply the same
And know that I am home