Victims of Eastern Kentucky flooding will benefit from telethon held Monday, Facebook fundraiser set Wednesday

A new coalition called Appalachians for Appalachia is holding a virtual fundraiser tomorrow to help support people in Eastern Kentucky who have been affected by recent flooding, which set records in some places. It follows a short telethon on a Lexington's WKYT-TV Monday night that raised more than $1.1 million, $500,000 of it from the founder and CEO of the region's new mega-greenhouse.

"Love Thy Neighbor: An Appalachians for Appalachia Flood Relief Show" is set for 7 p.m. ET March 10 on Facebook Live and will feature performances and readings from Silas House, Senora May, SG Goodman, Robert Gipe, and more. All proceeds will go to the Southeast Kentucky Flood Relief Fund.

House, The Local Honeys and other Kentucky Appalachian artists performed on the telethon, which was arranged by nine organizations, including AppHarvest, the greenhouse firm. Toyota gave $200,000, and $100,000 came from coal company Alliance Resource Partners; CEO Joe Craft and his wife Kelly Knoght Craft, a Republican political figure, made two appearances on the hour-long show.

"Eastern Kentucky is defined by faith and grit," AppHarvest founder and CEO Jonathan Webb told The Lane Report, a Kentucky business publication.  "Our region is home to the hardest working people who have long powered America, and they consistently rise to meet every challenge and move every obstacle created. Seeing how quickly people have banded together to help is a constant reminder why Appalachia is a region unlike any other." To donate to the relief fund, visit appalachiarises.org.