Tom Jackson spearheading flood relief concert in Winnipeg
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 | 8:58 AM CT
CBC News
Canadian actor and musician Tom Jackson is taking to the mike to help out his former hometown of Winnipeg in the wake of the flood that devastated much of southern Manitoba last month.
Jackson is staging a flood fundraising concert May 13 at the MTS Centre. The event, Rise Again 2009: The Red Cross Manitoba Flood Relief Concert, will feature artists such as Tom Cochrane, Deborah Cox and JD Fortune, as well as local talent like Nathan and Moses Mayes, among others.
Funds raised will benefit the thousands of Manitobans affected by the flood, which peaked in Winnipeg on April 16, reaching a level that made it the second-worst in the past 100 years.
Jackson, 60, also organized relief concerts after the 1997 flood, which was the worst since 1852. That free outdoor concert at The Forks raised about $2 million through donations.
This year's concert will raise the money through the sale of tickets, which are $20 each through Ticketmaster, as well as donations.
Born on the One Arrow Indian Reserve in Saskatchewan, Jackson's family moved to Alberta when he was seven years old and then to Winnipeg when he was 14. He now resides in Calgary with his wife and four children.
A well-known philanthropist, he is also responsible for creating the Singing for Supper Christmas concert series, which features numerous Canadian singers and performers raising money for the Canadian Association of Food Banks.
CBC Manitoba will broadcast concert highlights.
"CBC has been dedicated to providing extensive flood coverage on all our CBC platforms. Our involvement in this great initiative is a natural extension to our commitment to this community," said John Bertrand, CBC Manitoba's managing director for English radio and television.
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