New car for reporter Brandi Smith

Houston television news reporter and anchor Brandi Smith (who is also RIFF's senior reporter) has always been a dogged, tireless journalist. When Hurricane Harvey set its sights on Texas, she volunteered to stay behind and provide the people of Houston with up-to-the minute coverage with her cameraman. For several days, while her station lost power and flooded, the two of them stayed on the air. At night, they slept in their news van, unable to get to their homes or to the station to rest. It's well-documented how the two of them spotted a trapped semi truck driver trapped on a flooded road, flagged down a a sheriff's deputy and eventually saved the man's life.

When Brandi was was finally able to return to the station, she found her car to be a total loss. She remained in good spirits, because she and her friends and colelagues were safe. But we want to do more and help her pay off that car so she could buy another. If that goal is reached, we'll continue trying to get enough to finance a new car. Anything extra will be donated to Music Rising's Hurricane Harvey Relief fund, which helps musicians and artists who have suffered losses during natural disasters.