Crossfield’s rising country star Robert Adam recently announced he’ll be hosting and performing a charity concert on Dec. 10 in Calgary to support Inn from the Cold.
“I really resonate with their core values as an organization,” Robert said. “They once told me on any given night in Calgary, there are 5,000 people that don’t have a place to sleep at night. That blew my mind.”
Statistics like that hit home for Adam, as that is nearly the population of his hometown of Bonnyville, Alta.
“Organizations like this are super important,” he said of Inn from the Cold.
Adam said he teamed up with the organization through his love for not only music, but the holidays. He said with there being so many kids who don’t receive Christmas presents, he wanted to put something together that could change that.
“There are obviously worse things in the world, but to me, that’s awful,” he said. “Every kid in the area should get a Christmas present they can enjoy, and they love. There are so many kids that don’t get that special feeling.”
In collaboration with artist Amy Nelson, Adam said they came up with an idea to host a toy drive concert, which will take place at the legendary King Eddy venue (formerly the King Edward Hotel) in downtown Calgary.
According to Adam, tickets can be purchased at a discounted rate if a toy is brought to the show.
The day after the concert, Adam said Inn from the Cold representatives will wrap all the donated presents and distribute them around the Calgary area.
“We want to collect as many toys as possible,” he said.
“We wanted to do something during the holidays to make sure Santa gets to everybody.”
Adam said he feels a joy as small as getting a Christmas present they weren’t expecting could make a kid’s whole year.
He also said the opportunity to work with Nelson has made the entire initiative even more special.
“She’s originally from Grande Prairie and makes real honky-tonk-style country that reflects an era of country that is so important historically for women,” he said. “She is just an insanely amazing artist.”
For people who may be interested in attending the show or donate to the cause, Adam said they are looking to gather presents for youth aged 11 to 17 – a demographic Adam said is often overlooked when it comes to donations, according to Inn from the Cold.
“They said they have a lot of trouble gathering gifts for pre-teen and teenagers, just because people don’t necessarily think of them,” he said. “That would help out this organization a lot.”
The show is also a part of Project WILD, a music competition Adam was recently named a top-12 finalist of, which will grant the eventual winner $100,000.
“Part of the program is instilling it in us to work with charities regularly, not just a one-time deal,” he said. “I’ve worked with this organization prior to Project WILD, but I really like that this is part of the competition, because I feel like it not only pushes us to be better artists, but better people as well.”
According to innfromthecold.org, the organization focuses on supporting the mental, social, and physical well-being of children and families who are experiencing homelessness. The organization runs three main programs, including the homeless prevention and diversion program, an emergency shelter program, and a housing program.
More information on the work it does can be found by visiting bit.ly/3cMgvv
Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @jaystrickz
