Concert series raises money for Cape Breton flood victims

Cape Breton's music community isstepping upto help victims of the Thanksgiving Day flood.

Organizers have arrangeda series of concertscalled Floodsgiving, whichwill take place across the Island in the next few weeks.

• LISTEN LIVE | Cape Breton flooding special starting at 8:12 a.m. AT Monday on CBC Radio 1 & 2

Nigel Kearnsis one of thoseorganizers. Hesaidthe proceeds will go to people who have suffered losses and are struggling with the basic necessities.

'This usually takes 18 months in the planning'

"This is an Island wide thing," said Kearns,"So many communities have been impacted and devastated by it,
so we're just subcommitteeing a whole army of different people to take this all on."

"Something like this usually takes 18 months in the planning.We're doing it live on the fly over the next six weeks."

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Breton Brewery held the first event Saturday, a ten-hour live music extravaganza organized byCassie Gilmore.

"I was driving around on Tuesday and one of the first places I saw was the Southend Community Centre. Immediately I knewI had to do something to help," she said."So I did the only thing I knew how--pour beer and organize live music."

'Got tocome together on this'

Garrett Taylor is one of the musicians who signed on immediately.

"Myself I [have] been affected you know, a foot of water. I know a lot of people with a couple of feet of water," said Taylor."But you see homes in downtown Sydney that people lost their whole entire home. We [have]got tocome together on this and we'll get through it."

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Once Kearnsposted the idea of a concert series on social media there was a flurry of interest. A committee was put together in 24 hours, he said.

Major concert planned for Centre 200

The concerts are still being organized butsoon after Floodsgiving was announced, people behind events that were already planned for other causescontacted Kearnsoffering to share their profits.

"I'm just real excited," he said. "It's unfortunate that this situation took place but things like this bring people together and the Island unity that's taking placeis quite overwhelming."

Floodsgiving will wrap up with a major concert at Centre 200 tentatively scheduled forNov.27.