Musician’s respond to help 10 year old orphan

A bright-eyed girl of 10 has given Curtis and Elizabeth Muldoon a new purpose in life.

Hanna McGraw, who is Elizabeth’s niece, is the inspiration for a musical benefit this Sunday at Casa’s Nightclub, 2477 Dougall Ave.

Hanna’s late mother, Heather, was Elizabeth’s younger sister. Just 36 and a single mom, she died of complications from surgery in February.

Hanna and her maternal grandmother moved in with the Muldoons, who have custody of the child and are raising her as their own.

“We’re more than happy to step up,” Muldoon said, who at 41 is experiencing for the first time the pressures of being a father.

Elizabeth has an adult son from an earlier marriage.

“This whole situation sort of came out of left field,” said Muldoon. “But Hanna’s a great kid, an A-student with lots of friends. ”

Muldoon, a resident of McGregor, is well-known in the area as a musician and guitar technician.

He ran Muldoon’s Music Supply at on Tecumseh Road East near Howard for seven years, before deciding to work from home about three years ago.

He has countless contacts within the local musical community.

In fact, when word got out Muldoon was thinking of a benefit concert to pay for his sister-in-law’s outstanding funeral expenses and an education fund for Hanna, local musicians began lining up to help.

“I had offers from about 36 different bands,” he said.

There were so many, in fact, Muldoon divided up the participants into two groups — 13 acts for this Sunday’s rock ‘n’ roll show at Casa’s; and a dozen or so others at an acoustic benefit at Windsor’s Canusa Bar & Grill on May 16.

He’s even thinking about a third one in the fall. “The response has been overwhelming. I’m just so grateful for the support we’re getting.”

Several people have also contributed door and raffle prizes. There’s a Gibson guitar, Muldoon said, worth about US$2,500.

Muldoon’s own band, Driver, will open Sunday’s show at noon, followed by a different act every hour through midnight.

Other bands confirmed include M.A.R.S., No Better Way, Sinister, The Suspects, The Original Buzzard Band, The Formula, The Sellouts, King’s Hiway, Local Honey, The Source, Strain and 80’s Inc.

The show is all-ages up to 10 p.m., so Hanna will be on hand most of the day, Muldoon said.

“It’s important that she be there. This is for her.”

For more details about Sunday’s benefit, call the club at 519-972-0006.

Source: http://www.windsorstar.com/