Two weeks after Hurricane Irma gripped the state, emergency responders, city workers and volunteers who worked through the storm got to enjoy a night off with free music and food in Delray Beach.
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“This was a great morale booster,” said Pamela Williams, who is an executive assistant for the city of Delray Beach’s Environmental Services department. “This is what we all needed.”
“I think it’s important to thank people for what they do because we’re all volunteers, and we do it because we want to help others,” said Lillian Gallego, who volunteers for Delray Beach’s Community Emergency Response Team.
Old School Square Pavilion hosted the free event.
“Things came around really quickly, thrilled about that,” said Old School Square CEO/President Rob Steele, speaking about the time it took the city to bounce back after Irma. “I just said it’s time to say thank you to everybody.”
Three members of The Long Run music group performed, followed up by band String Theory.
“This is nothing compared to what they deserve,” said Gary Wayne of The Long Run.
“Music calms everybody down. Everybody likes music,” said Shane Bushman of String Theory.
Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein said the city is still working to fully recover from Hurricane Irma. The city has 17 trucks picking up debris.
“A lot of people are on storm fatigue,” he said. “It’s a beautiful night, so it’s a way to thank a lot of people who put in a lot of extra time for the city.”