By John Sinclair

A little-heralded disease titled Hepatitis C is wreaking havoc among our citizenry, infecting millions of Americans and spreading undetected - often for years - until it's too late to save its victims from an early demise.

A New Orleans singer and songwriter called Timothea, recently diagnosed as a Hepatitis C victim herself, has undertaken a vigorous and effective informational campaign to make the public aware of this deadly epidemic.

Designating herself "A Siren to Wail," the diminutive entertainer has dedicated countless hours of her time and creative energy to drawing attention to the dangers of Hepatitis C. She has recorded and broadcast a series of Hepatitis C Awareness public service announcements on local radio stations, included extensive information about the disease in her recent CD release, No Nonsense (Blue Soul Records), and produced a highly successful benefit concert featuring an all-star cast of New Orleans singers and musicians.

The Hep-C ALERT benefit show, held April 7th at the Howlin' Wolf club in New Orleans, enlisted the talents of Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Eddie Bo, Cyril Neville, Luther Kent, Les Getrex, Leslie Smith, Nancy Buchan & Cindy Chen, Bamboula 2000, the Deacon John orchestra and Timothea herself to produce an exciting evening of entertainment augmented by informational presentations by medical professionals and members of the Hep-C Support Group.

The benefit was sponsored by Hep-C ALERT, Ochsner Clinic and Tulane Medical Center with the support of many community businesses, restaurants, artists and photographers who donated items that were auctioned off to augment the funds raised by ticket sales to provide public education and HCV screening programs for the people of Louisiana.

The overwhelming success of the Howlin' Wolf concert has inspired Timothea to attempt to take the show on the road as a means of attracting widespread attention to this important public health issue. A regional tour of the South and Southeast by Timothea and the "Siren to Wail All-Stars" would help alert people in several key cities to the perils of Hepatitis C and the crucial measures now being taken to counteract its tragic impact.

Timothea and Hep-C ALERT are actively seeking sponsors to support the Proposed "Siren to Wail" tour and have prepared the attached prospectus to provide information concerning the project with respect to scope, artistic and production personnel, staff and promotional support, and associated costs.

It's high time to stop the spread of Hepatitis C and bring some much-needed relief to the victims of this epidemic. Timothea Beckerman has found an effective means of raising public awareness on this troubling issue, and her imaginative plan merits careful attention.

-New Orleans
May 12, 2000