Musicians are a charitable lot, especially in smaller scenes like that in Pittsburgh. So it's no surprise that when local music-scene-types found out that uber-sound-artist genius Rick Gribenas was in a position of need due to health problems. Rick, whom I've known for some years now, is a Pittsburgher who's gotten some seriously acclaim in the international art world for his sound, visual and installation art. He also is afflicted with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and is unable to work and has no health insurance; insurance, given a pre-existing condition the like of what Rick has, is exorbitant. The medical bills in his house have piled up, and he and his wife and her son are in dire straits as a result.

Here's where the fellow musicians -- and you -- come in. Folks over at the nevertellmetheodds message board, which hosts discussion that's occasionally pertinent to the local DIY scene, took it upon themselves to set up a Paypal fund to help out the Hamilton/Gribenas family. If you click here, you can find a slightly more detailed account of the issue, and a link to donate to the fund. It's a tough time for a lot of us, but every little bit helps, and it's definitely tougher for this family than most. They sure don't deserve the hand they've been dealt, and it's nice to be able to do some small part to help out.