Kick Ash Bash to benefit firefighters and first-responders boasts all-star lineup
The tents are up and the stage is set for One805’s Kick Ash Bash on Sunday at the Bella Vista Polo Club in Summerland.
The event will host 2,300 first responders while raising funds for emergency services, equipment and survivor relief following the damaging Thomas Fire and the deadly Montecito mudslides.
The event features a star-studded line-up of music including Alan Parsons and Friends: David Foster, Katharine McPhee, Dishwalla, The Sisterhood Band, Glen Phillips, Steve Vai, Richard Marx, Wilson Phillips, and Kenny Loggins. Comedian Dennis Miller is the event emcee.
The Kick Ash Bash is sold out and has already raised $1.8 million through sponsorships.
The party will go into the night with the “After Bash” party.
David Crosby and the Sky Trails will be joined by Iration, Robby Krieger of The Doors, The Caverns, The Feal, plus DJ Zeke Monarrez, DJ Suzanne Boisvert, DJ Matt Moore, other special guests and complimentary food and bar.
Tickets for the “After Bash” are still available here.
All the money raised will go to the Santa Barbara Firefighters Alliance. A beneficiary committee made up of first responders from Santa Barbara City Fire, County Fire, Montecito Fire, City Police, and the Sheriff’s Department will decide how to spend the funds and what equipment to purchase.
Firefighters were put to the test during the fire and the mudslide. Santa Barbara Fire Chief Pat McElroy said during the flood response, “We learned what type of equipment we would need if anything like this happened again.”
He said the last few months have been a “challenging time” for first responders both physically and mentally and many of the men and women may need emotional support.
“We are looking at is PTSD,” he said. “We are dealing with a lot of emotional damage that came with this experience.”
Direct Relief, a humanitarian organization based in Santa Barbara, will determine funds for survivor relief and the At-Ease Program which provides counseling for first responders.
