On Tuesday, May 5, local musicians will be virtually rocking the stage in support of Habitat for Humanity Sault Ste. Marie & Area for Giving Tuesday Now.

Due to their many upcoming fundraising events, such as a Shane Chisholm concert, being cancelled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, HFHSSMA faced some obstacles for fundraising and keeping the community engaged.

“We’ve had to cancel a number of events as well as close our ReStore to the public, which are our two main sources of revenue for building homes in the community. We’re unsure of when things will get back to normal, so we’ve had to adapt,” states Katie Blunt, Executive Director.

Inspired by similar initiatives, such as the viral #TogetherAtHome concert project and the MusicTogether livestream concert series curated by Cultural Industries Ontario North, HFHSSMA decided to put together something of their own to overcome these obstacles and bring music to the community.

Aptly scheduled on (an earlier-than-usual) Giving Tuesday, HFHSSMA is partnering with The Borderline, a local online radio station, to host a virtual concert featuring local artists Shane Chisholm, Fluid 5ive, Jay Case, Colin Nelson, Nathan Albadone, Frank Deresti, Boneyard, Bearded Lounge, and Michael Yurich.

Each band or artist has pre-recorded special performances for the concert which will be streamed on both Facebook and on The Borderline’s website. While virtual attendance is free, donations are encouraged in the spirit of Giving Tuesday and will even be matched by Habitat for Humanity Canada, with help from BigSteelBox.

#GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020 as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19.

The global day of action will rally people around the world to tap into the power of human connection and strengthen communities at the grassroots level. We invite all Canadians to join us in demonstrating the power of kindness and generosity.