The Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project, a “grassroots abortion fund and reproductive justice advocacy organization” is hosting their annual Bowl-a-thon on Wednesday, April 16th at Holiday Bowl.
The Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project, a “grassroots abortion fund and reproductive justice advocacy organization” is hosting their annual Bowl-a-thon on Wednesday, April 16th at Holiday Bowl. One of the teams, “Team Kate Bush,” is taking super creative fundraising strides by hosting a release party for the 28-song Kate Bush cover album they’re distributing. Listen to it here.
So how did this compilation come to fruition? “We were throwing a fundraising party last year, and there was this show happening of this [California-based] musician C.J. Boyd – from the compilation – and then another musician, Molly McDermott, and they came to our party after their show,” said Gabi Scardust, last year’s team captain and current Team Kate Bush member. “We got to talking and they were inspired by what we were doing and basically contacted 28 different artists to put together this mix.”
Scardust explained that Boyd and McDermott obtained rights, put out a call for artists, and created the compilation under the label Bush League. “A year [after we discussed the project], they hit us up and were like, ‘oh we’re done, by the way. And here’s the website, and here’s all the musicians, and here’s the art,’” said Scardust.
The Bush League are trying to raise national funds for abortion rights via the Bandcamp.
Team Kate Bush will be holding a release party this Sunday, March 9th, at Helen’s. Dave Watkins, a local musician featured on the compilation, will be playing and you can purchase a download card at the party for $25. All proceeds from this purchase will go straight to the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project.
If you don’t know who Kate Bush is, let me take you on a walk down Weird Lady Lane. Bush is a strange English singer with a cult following who kinda came out of nowhere in the late 70s when she was still a teenager. The Song “Wuthering Heights” was her first single and it was a huge hit in the UK and it is so very weird.
She made a whole bunch of records in the 80s and was kind of like the Tori Amos of that era, but way weirder. She slowed way down with her career in the 90s but did two albums (one re-recording old songs, one of all new material) in 2011. Definitely the type of musician that’s popular with the fans of Bjork, Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Sinead O’Connor, etc, but she’s a bit more Goth.
She probably could have been mad famous except she refused to give into the rules of the pop machine. Therefore, Kate Bush has reached permanent bad bitch status and will forever be acclaimed as an icon of left-of-center ladies.
She has this famous song, “Running Up that Hill,” which is basically about switching gender roles with her lover because she just wants to run up that hill! And she knows she can do it but society isn’t letting her! Girl power! Down with the man! Etc! It’s freaking weird and awesome and it serves as the title of the Bush League’s cover compilation.
Anywho, the RRFP does the bowl-a-thon every year to raise money for reproductive rights, which we at RVA Mag think is super important and necessary.
“The RRFP is an all volunteer, not-for-profit abortion fund,” said Scardust. “The RRFP provides practical support, so they provide rides, hotel costs, transportation, and will try to find clients places to stay if they’re traveling long distances… They help folks throughout the state, and also help outside the state, too.”
RRFP’s monthly budget currently clocks in at around $2,500. They fund between 10 and 20 people a month and their call line for women in need of their services is open twice a month.
All of RRFP’s funds are raised through grassroots fundraising, the biggest and most lucrative being the bowl-a-thon. “In 2010, the RRFP raised $18,000 through the bowl-a-thon, and in 2013, they raised $43,000,” said Scardust. “So that’s a big jump.”
