Céline Dion, Hayley Wickenheiser, David Suzuki, Buffy Sainte-Marie set for Stronger Together pandemic benefit
Cross-network event to honour front-line workers fighting COVID-19, raise money for Food Banks Canada
Céline Dion, Shania Twain, Bryan Adams, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Alessia Cara are among the top Canadian performers joining together for Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble, a Canadian pandemic charity benefit set for next weekend.
A joint project from networks Bell Media, CBC/Radio-Canada, Corus Entertainment, Groupe V Média and Rogers Sports & Media, the show will salute Canadian front-line staff across various industries working in the fight against the coronavirus.
The upcoming one-hour, commercial-free event is also a fundraiser for Food Banks Canada, which supports the local food banks across the nation that are seeing an uptake in demand at the same time as needed volunteers dwindle amid the pandemic.
"Frontline workers, across so many sectors including food banking, have been drastically impacted by COVID-19," Chris Hatch, CEO of Food Banks Canada, said in a statement.
"They need our support and we are thankful for Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble for helping our most vulnerable neighbours."
Participants thus far — spanning artists, athletes, activists, authors and more — include:
- Alessia Cara.
- Arkells.
- Barenaked Ladies.
- Bianca Andreescu.
- Bryan Adams.
- Buffy Sainte-Marie.
- Céline Dion.
- Chris Hadfield.
- Connor McDavid
- David Suzuki.
- Eric McCormack.
- Hayley Wickenheiser.
- Howie Mandel.
- Jann Arden.
- Jason Priestley.
- Margaret Atwood.
- Marie-Mai.
- Michael Bublé.
- Penny Oleksiak.
- Rick Hansen.
- Rick Mercer.
- Russell Peters.
- Sarah McLachlan.
- Shania Twain.
- Sofia Reyes.
- Tessa Virtue.
- Will Arnett.
- William Prince.
The show, slated for next Sunday beginning at 7 p.m. (7:30 p.m. NT), will be broadcast across two dozen TV, radio and streaming platforms on Bell Media, CBC/Radio Canada, Corus, Rogers Media and Group V.
News of the Canadian effort comes amid a wave of pandemic charity benefit events, including this past weekend's global One World: Together at Home show.
WATCH | One World: Together at Home benefit raises more than $127 million US for fight against COVID-19
