Benefit will help Siren to rebuild
6 bands will play concert at Float-Rite park Friday
by Kevin Harter - staff writer

"Siren's Song," a benefit for tornado-ravaged Siren, will be staged at Float-Rite Park Friday. "What do you do when the wind blows through?" opens the song written by Steve Peterson of the band Bogdan, followed by the refrain, "You blow right back." The benefit, featuring six bands, will run from 6 p.m. to midnight on the concert grounds at 711 Spring St. Admission is $10. All labor and supplies are being donated for the benefit. All proceeds will go to Siren, which was hit by a tornado June 18th. CDs of "Siren's Song" also will be on sale, with the proceeds donated to Siren and the surrounding communities affected by the tornado.

Siren took the biggest hit from the storm, which killed three people and cut a swath about 25 miles long and a half-mile wide. About one-third of the village's 400 homes were damaged or destroyed. "This could have just as easily been us," said Ross Gabrick of Float-Rite Park. "And people were asking, 'what can we do to help?' ". "So , for the last two weeks, volunteers have done what it would normally take a year to do," he said of staging the benefit, which takes its name from the song. Organizers expect a crowd of more than 5,000. In addition to Bogdan, Checks, the Dweebs, Nora Adore, Maximum Security and Red Pepper will play.

The Minnesota Twins, Timberwolves, Wild and Vikings and the Green Bay Packers all have donated goods, which will be raffled off to raise money. Several funds have been set up at area banks, Gabrick said, including at the S&C Bank of Somerset. Those who can't attend the benefit but would like to contribute can do so by sending a check to the Siren Relief Fund, c/o S&C Bank, 115 Parent St. Somerset, Wis., 54025.

Meanwhile, as the cleanup continues, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has given the all-clear for Crooked Lake near Siren. There was concern that tornado-driven winds may have blown debris, including chemicals from farms and other sources spilled during the storm, into the lake. Tests for a host of bacteria and contaminants completed this week, however, found the lake to be free of any pollution or problems. Those using the lake, however, are urged to keep an eye out for debris.

FYI

Admission to the concert is $10. You can also help by sending a check to the Siren Relief Fund, c/o S&C Bank, 115 Parent St. Somerset, Wis., 54025.