The Ultimate Online Nova Scotia Kitchen Party will celebrate it's first anniversary later this month with a livestream concert to raise funds for the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia.
The popular Facebook Group, created by Heather Cameron Thomson when the first wave of COVID-19 forced a complete lockdown last spring, connected music lovers around the globe, according to a news release issued Thursday.
The online community has more than 250,000 members.
The fundraising concert will be streamed on Saturday, March 20, at 7 p.m. from the deCoste Performing Arts Centre on Facebook and YouTube. It will be free, with donations accepted for the Mental Health Foundation.
“The connection between music and mental health is unmistakable. When I realized we were fast approaching our one year anniversary, it wasn't even a thought,” Cameron Thomson said in the release. “I knew we were going to celebrate what we’ve accomplished by supporting the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia in their mission to improve lives and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and addiction.”
Starr Cunningham, president and CEO of the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, said they are “deeply moved” to be chosen as the beneficiary.
“The Ultimate Online Nova Scotia Kitchen Party has been an incredible source of support for Nova Scotians at home and abroad throughout a very difficult year, and we couldn’t be more proud to partner with this inspirational community to increase funding to mental health supports and services throughout the province,” Cunningham said in the release.
The Ultimate Online Nova Scotia Kitchen Party became a venue for aspiring and amateur musicians to share their talent after it launched last March. As well as serving as a creative outlet and symbol of hope, it also became a place to share support and mourning during year of tragic events, the news release said.
“On a daily basis we hear stories of our community members who suffer from anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction, isolation, loss, and tragedy, and how the Ultimate Online Nova Scotia Kitchen Party has helped them through their worst days,” Cameron Thomson said. “We have worked hard to build it into a safe and supportive community where people feel comfortable enough to open up and share on their most vulnerable days, and ask for help even though they know it's already there waiting for them. We are using music as a vehicle to spread joy and truly make a difference in each other’s lives.”