Aloha Good People

I'm Jason Harris

Help Toby Make His Dream Trip to Widespread Panic in Mexico

Aloha friends,

I’m raising $6,000 to send my good friend Toby Dawhare and his caretaker/handler to Widespread Panic in Mexico — an all-inclusive four-night experience that would mean more than words to him.

Who is Toby?

Toby is a lifelong Widespread Panic fan from the small mountain town of Hazard, Kentucky. He became a paraplegic after an accident in 1995, paralyzed from the chest down. He can move his arms but has no movement in his legs, cannot sweat, and relies on systems that you and I cannot imagine. Life in a chair has brought him tremendous challenges — physical, emotional, and financial.

But Toby also has one of the biggest hearts I’ve ever known. He’s a father and recently became a grandfather. And for almost 30 years, Panic’s music has been a spiritual lifeline for him.

The Moment That Changed Everything

After his accident, Toby fell into a deep depression and didn’t leave the house for years. When he finally attended his first Panic show post-accident, everything shifted.

He was in the front row, head down, unable to shake the pain of no longer being able to walk. The second set opened with “Low Rider.” As he lifted his head, he saw a sea of people dancing — but hardly anyone was moving their legs. It hit him right then:

You don’t need legs to dance.

You just need a beat.

Toby started rocking in his chair, letting the music move him, and his life changed. That moment gave him joy, inspiration, and a reason to keep going.

Why This Trip Matters

Over the years, I’ve brought Toby to many shows. A few years back, through the help of this incredible community, we raised $10,000 to buy him a new wheelchair — “The Love Tractor,” decked out with LED lights and note-eater attachments. We even presented it to him at Red Rocks.

Being part of Toby’s journey has brought huge joy to me and countless others. This trip to Panic in Mexico is something he has dreamed of for YEARS — but financially, it’s completely out of reach for him without help.

This GoFundMe will cover:

• $5,000 – Two full all-inclusive ticket packages

(4 nights, shows, hotel, shuttles, food)

• $1,000 – Two round-trip flights from Louisville, KY to Cancún

Let’s Give Toby the Experience of a Lifetime

Music saved Toby once. Let’s help it lift him up again.

If you can donate, share, or spread the word — it all matters. Every dollar helps get Toby and his caretaker to Paradise.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

— Jason Robert Harris