By Andrew Tolve The South Hall of Riverside Church rang with sounds of reggae beats, island dancing, and Congo drums Friday night as the site played host to a Caribbean Hurricane Relief Benefit gala. The event showcased four musical performances and a dance group in an attempt to raise $500,000 for the hurricane-ravaged Caribbean. It was organized by the Million Man Marchers and the Social Justice Commission of the Riverside Church in conjunction with Island Radio 930 WPAT-AM. "We are here as an expression of solidarity and support," Reverend James Fitzgerald of Riverside Church said as the evening got underway. "We're going to build roof by roof, and we're starting it right here, right now." For a part of the world conditioned to fierce storm seasons, the Caribbean is perhaps more in need of aid now than ever before. Hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne tore through Grenada, the Cayman Islands, Haiti, and Jamaica this past September, wreaking unparalleled damage in their wake. For example, 90 percent of the buildings in Grenada were destroyed or damaged and over 85 percent of the population was left homeless. The nutmeg industry, estimated at a value of $3 billion, was destroyed. Likewise, 3,000 people died in Haiti and over 200,000 more lost their homes and livelihoods. Despite the serious backdrop, the mood at the gala was festive. Balloons rose from the tables. Audience members, many of whom were born in the Caribbean, clapped and sang throughout the evening. The performers------ranging from the local Opus Dance Theatre to the cultural group Quake USA to the featured band Byron Lee and the Dragonaires--were all decidedly upbeat. As the DJ of the event, D'Spiceman Bob Fredrick of Island Radio, put it, this was about a "Caribbean Rising." In an interview before the concert began, Grenada reggae artist Dennison George echoed this sentiment. He said that the songs he would be performing were written expressly for the hurricane relief effort as a celebration of the resilience in Grenada and throughout the Caribbean. "As a musician, I'm doing what I can," he said. "That's why we're all here tonight, to lend our support. We have to give hope and give help." Like many of the artists in attendance, George's performance at Riverside Church was just one of the ways he is lending a helping hand. He has released a reggae album called "Grenada Will Rise Again" and soon plans to embark on a college-concert tour. The proceeds from both will go directly to Hurricane Ivan disaster-relief funds. The impetus for the benefit gala at Riverside Church, however, came solely from members of the Riverside congregation. Angelo Rose, one of the coordinators, said that she and others like Byron LaBeach, Barrington Wright, and Lorraine Muir were sitting in the pews one Sunday talking about the Caribbean when they decided they had to take action. The gala grew out of an "amateur volunteer effort" in just six weeks. As the evening drew to a close, the volunteers who had organized the event looked like they could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Now they hope their efforts will allow friends and families in the Caribbean to do the same. Reprinted from The Columbia Daily Spectator