Area businesses and organizations are planning A Magical Night of Mystery and Truth fundraising event for July 13 to benefit tornado relief efforts in Apison and Cherokee Valley.
"After we raise money at the event, we will be helping those people who are rebuilding," said Bill Hullander, Hamilton County trustee and event committee member. "One hundred percent of the money will stay in our community for tornado relief."
Tickets are free and can be picked up at the Samaritan Center, Village Market or Hullco Exteriors, but guests are encouraged to provide a love offering that will be donated to those affected by the tornado to aid in rebuilding efforts. According to Hullander, around 977 houses in Hamilton County were damaged by the storms, 250 of which were totally destroyed or severely damaged.
"We're using this as a fundraiser, but we're not asking the people of Apison to be the fundraisers; we're looking for corporate sponsors ... churches, organizations," said Todd Chancey, event chairman and pastor of Apison United Methodist Church.
Hullander said there are 2,600 tickets available.
The event will be held in the Southern Adventist University Iles P.E. Center beginning at 7 p.m., with pre-seating available at 6 p.m.
The evening will start with a performance by Rebecca and Jessica Peck on piano and violin. There will also be a performance by gospel singer Mallory Ledford.
The main event will be a performance by world-renowned illusionist Greg Davidson. Davidson is part of Believe Ministries and performs worldwide. He is a member of The Fellowship of Christian Magicians as well as The Society of American Magicians.
"I have a vision of children going to bed, sleeping and dreaming about happy things other than what happened to our community," Chancey said. "Maybe it will be that night. It's going to be a wonderful celebration. We just hope that people attending our event will be generous and that we can help the neighbors in our community who need help."