MUSICOUNTS ANNOUNCES $100,000 CONTRIBUTION FROM THE GORD BAMFORD FOUNDATION
SASKATOON, SK – Today, Canada’s leading music education charity MusiCounts, celebrated the start of Country Music Week, with an announcement that the Gord Bamford Foundation is renewing its commitment to MusiCounts with a $100,000 donation. The Gord Bamford Foundation had previously made a generous donation of $100,000 in 2014. A non-profit organization, the Gord Bamford Foundation is passionate about supporting youth and through the ongoing partnership, MusiCounts will be able to provide musical instruments to children who need them most for years to come.
“I believe that keeping music education alive in schools is important on so many levels. As an activity it builds confidence and can often spark a lifelong passion for a child to pursue. A natural fit for the Gord Bamford Foundation, I’m so very proud to announce this donation today,” said Gord Bamford.
“Thanks to the renewed and amazing support from the Gord Bamford Foundation, MusiCounts is able to give more Canadian youth access to the transformational power of music,” said Kristy Fletcher, Director of MusiCounts. “We are honoured to have the continued support of the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) and the country music community.”
Bamford will speak on behalf of MusiCounts at the CCMA Awards Gala & Dinner on September 9, and JUNO Award-winner and three-time CCMA Award-winner Jess Moskaluke will speak on behalf of MusiCounts during the CCMA Awards broadcast on September 10. Moskaluke was also on hand to kick off the opening of the 2017-2018 MusiCounts Band Aid Program applications on September 8, with a special celebration at École canadienne-française in Saskatoon.
Via the CCMA’s generous support of the MusiCounts Band Aid Program, the school received a $10,000 grant this year that went towards the purchase of many needed band instruments. Since 2013, the CCMA has contributed over $60,000 to MusiCounts, helping to put instruments into the hands of kids who need them most. The 2017 CCMA Award Nominee for “Female Artist of the Year’ and “Single of the Year’, Moskaluke surprised school students with instruments and a special performance of her chart topping hits “Kiss Me Quiet” and “Drive Me Away”. She also spoke about the impact music education had on her own life and music career.
“Today was an incredible day for me. To be able to share my love of music with these amazing students and MusiCounts, while in my home province of Saskatchewan was the perfect way to kick off this weekend,” said Jess Moskaluke.
Schools who would like to apply for the MusiCounts Band Aid Program to receive instruments for their school music program should visit musicounts.ca for more details.
**To download hi-res images from the MusiCounts Band Aid Program celebration click here. (Photo credit: Barry Roden).
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For more information please contact:
Laura Steen
Strut Entertainment
laura@strutentertainment.com
416.300.9254
About MusiCounts
MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with CARAS and the JUNO Awards is keeping music alive in schools and communities across Canada by putting musical instruments into the hands of children that need them most. MusiCounts’ mission is to ensure that youth in Canada have access to music programs through their schools and communities. MusiCounts celebrates musical excellence and achieves its mission through its Band Aid Program, the MusiCounts TD Community Music Program, the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, Scholarships and other music education initiatives. MusiCounts is funded by many of Canada’s most dedicated corporate citizens including and especially the Canadian Country Music Association,TD Bank Group, Bell Media, SiriusXM Canada, the Slaight Family Foundation, Music Canada, Vista Radio, and The Hot Topic Foundation. MusiCounts has been supported since inception by Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., Universal Music Canada, Warner Music Canada Ltd., JUNO Songwriters’ Circle and JUNO Cup. MusiCounts was established in 1997, and has awarded over $10,000,000 in support of music education in Canada. These funds have benefitted over 950 schools and communities, supported over 350 post-secondary music program graduates, and honoured 12 extraordinary music teachers and one MusiCounts ambassador.
For more information, visit www.musicounts.ca
