Alternative rockers Pearl Jam raised $3 million for the Robin Hood Foundation by playing a concert in NYC last week. They played a 26-song set at New York’s Beacon Theater, which holds 2,800 people, all to support poverty fighting initiatives in the city.
Some fans paid as much as $2,250 for a ticket, and since the concert was benefiting the Robin Hood Foundation, every cent went toward the cause. The Foundation believes in giving every penny directly to programs to fight poverty, along with identifying and going after poverty at its roots, helping existing programs become more effective, and evaluating programs to ensure everyone is realizing their potential to help.
Pearl Jam announced recently that would be supporting patients fighting health insurance companies for payouts. In fact, Jennifer Jaff (Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness leader) put together a fundraising party for that cause was held the day before the concert.
The band’s guitarist, Mike McCready, brought their attention to the cause because of his battle with Crohn’s disease, which affects the bowel. He says of Jennifer, “It’s super-important for her to fight against the insurance companies that will deny people any kind of coverage for their pre-existing conditions. The work she does is justified, and I love it. We live in the greatest country in the world … but we need to invest our money back into things that look at a broader scope … If people are going to die because some legislation didn’t go through, that, to me, is abhorrent. That’s not what America means to me.”
Well said, Mike – now let’s get those thoughts put to music and bring some more attention to the cause!
Photo courtesy of myrocksite.com
