FYI

Nissi's Big Give takes place at 2675 North Park Drive, Lafayette, 303-665-2757. The event starts at 5 p.m. Tickets are $100.

You never know what’s going to inspire people to move to action.

Teresa Taylor is the proud co-owner of Nissi’s nightclub, but this year she spent a lot of time viewing Oprah Winfrey’s “Big Give” TV show. The concept of the charitable-minded program stuck with Taylor, and when she learned about the devastating tornado damage in Windsor, Colorado, the local club owner knew it was time to put the TV show’s philosophy into action.

Sunday, Nissi’s will host it’s own “Big Give” night and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the town of Windsor. The monies raised will help the locals recoup from the mammoth storm damage. The star-studded event will feature live music by prominent local musicians, guest comedian/host Sam Adams and a silent auction.

“The whole concept of Nissi’s is about being part of a community,” said Taylor. “Everyone who works here is like one big family and so are our customers – we serve small plates of food and everybody shares them family style. That’s why it really affected me when I saw how bad the tornado damage was, because Windsor is such a nearby community. It really hit home at Nissi’s. People here had friends and family that were affected by the devastation.”

Taylor and her husband T know something about rising up against the odds. The couple has made Nissi’s one of the most successful musical venues in the area, but it took 10 years of hard work to make the dream come true. Now, the Taylors want to give back to the local community – and their first step is to help the people of Windsor.

“It’s a privilege to be part of a community that responds when our neighbors suffer devastating losses – like in Windsor,” explained Taylor. “The area of the tornado still looks like it happened yesterday and so many businesses were affected. After watching Oprah’s ‘Big Give,’ I was moved to have Nissi’s hold its own ‘Big Give.’ We knew this was what we had to do. It’s all about community.”

Taylor has a solid track record booking sold-out shows at Nissi’s, so the club owner went through her contact list to look for the show’s headliners. She started dialing and e-mailing local music celebs to ask them to be part of the charitable event.

The club owner says everyone she called accepted her offer to play a free set at Nissi’s, and the musical line-up reads like a “Who’s Who” of Boulder musical history. Sunday’s roster of acts includes Richie Furay, Acoustic Firefall, etown’s Nick and Helen Forster, the Freddi-Henchi Band and the Johnny O Band.

Nick and Helen Forster host the nationally-syndicated etown radio show which is recorded live in Boulder. The couple was happy to pitch in and perform for the benefit.

“The situation in Windsor is pretty devastating,” said Helen Forster. “etown comes from a platform of service, and this is all about supporting a community in need. We’re happy to participate in this event and help aid these people in need. Teresa at Nissi’s is great and we like collaborating with her when we can.”

Tickets to the event are $100. The price is on the high-end, but Taylor wanted Nissi’s to raise as much money as it could for this one-day benefit. All the money generated at the “Big Give” will go directly to the Windsor Community Foundation. The organization will then distribute the funds to the tornado victims. To raise additional proceeds, Nissi’s will also host a silent auction at the event.

Those attending Nissi’s “Big Give” will be treated to intimate sets with the all-star performers, beer, compliments of Redfish Brewhouse, hors d’oeuvres courtesy of Nissi’s and desserts provided by the Indulge Bakery.

“Everyone I called to participate in this all said yes – they didn’t hesitate for a minute,” said Taylor. “You should see the things we have for the silent auction – a football signed by John Elway and his Colorado Crush team and tickets to concerts by Santana and Willie Nelson. We’re in east Boulder County and they’re our neighbors in Windsor, so we’re all stepping up to the plate. The people in Windsor have so many needs and it’s going to take FEMA nine to 12 months to help out!”

The Elway football came to the auction courtesy of Denver sports columnist and comedian Sam Adams. The enterprising entertainer will act as official host for Sunday’s event and will perform a comedy set.

“I performed in the area the day after the tornado and it’s been on my mind,” said Adams. “I told Teresa I would be happy to be the host for the evening and keep everything moving. Our goal is to raise as much as we can for these people. You see the stories in the news about the floods in Iowa, but when it hits your own backyard, you want to do something to help.”

If all goes well with “Nissi’s Big Give,” Taylor said she would consider hosting other benefits at her venue. The club will be expanding its capacity this year and will be able to hold more customers at its concerts and events.

“I’ve never done anything like this before, but we already had the venue – that’s the big hurdle,” said Taylor. “I also had the relationship with all these musicians and vendors. The hardest part was finding the items for the Silent Auction, but we just got the word out. There’s a real satisfaction in doing this. Maybe it will give people the idea that it’s more blessed to give and it will get them to step up and do something. I’m banking on it.”

Oprah will definitely be proud of Taylor and Nissi’s.