Canadian country artists will converge on Fernie later this month for a charity concert aimed at raising money for a Tier 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
The concert, dubbed ‘A Night for NICU,’ was spearheaded by Bearspaw Contracting Community First Society in collaboration with The Festival Company and the Canadian Country Music Community.
“I work in the country music business, so I went and asked who wanted to be in on this cause and we’re going to come together to raise a bunch of money to build a NICU,” said Billie-Jo Aasen, CEO of The Festival Company.
Funds raised will go to the East Kootenay Foundation for Health’s (EKFH) Warm Embrace campaign.
Once the $1.8 million goal is reached, the money will go towards adding the NICU to Cranbrook’s regional hospital.
The lack of service means parents have to travel outside of the region if their babies are born prematurely.
“When families are air-lifted out, it’s scary and extremely costly to live in hotels,” said Aasen.
“A lot of the time, the dad will stay behind while the mom goes. It’s a really rough way to start your family.”
Once completed, the NICU could significantly cut down on medical trips for families with premature babies.
The conder will bring together Meghan Patrick, JoJo Mason, Aaron Pritchett, Kelly Prescott, Jason Blaine, Chad Brownlee, and other surprise guests for a night of Canadian country music to support a local cause.
The event will go ahead on June 15 at Fernie’s Demolition Grounds from 2 p.m to 11 p.m.
“Everybody loves live music, and as people in the music business, we have access to megaphones that some organizations don’t,” said Aasen.
“We’re able to use the power of live country music to shine a light on these charities and get them funded.”
The EKFH is looking for volunteers to help with the concert, including bartending, parking, set-up, security and stage assistant positions.
You can contact ekfoundation@interiorhealth.ca for volunteer information.
Tickets to A Night for NICU can be purchased here.
Something going on in your part of the Kootenays you think people should know about? Send us a news tip by emailing news@myeastkootenaynow.com.
