Contributed by: Jackie Davis with contributions from Brayden Ransom
In 2019, a man by the name of Kenny Mercer called MHC to discuss the possibility of hosting a fundraiser. Kenny’s close friend, Alex Jamison had recently died by suicide and Kenny has since wanted to host a fundraiser to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention. He did his research to find a worthy charity and came across MHC. After a few meetings, Kenny was so impressed by what we do, he committed to giving 100% of the profits from his fundraiser to support MHC and our mission.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenny’s plans for a May 2020 event were postponed, yet he did not let it stop his plans. He did pop-up shows and mini events to continue to raise money and book new talent for what he called “Tour For Life,” a concert series featuring hip-hop and funk artists from across the country to perform and spread awareness. By 2021 he lined up a 4 stop tour across the north east including New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. Headliners included Rakim, Cappadonna of Wu Tang Clan, Brother Ali, and Rittz.
From August 26 – 29, Kenny and his crew saw his plans come together as Tour For Life hit the various stages from Shakers Pub to the Klein Theater.
“It was amazing traveling state to state for 4 days, hearing the stories, connecting with people who desperately supported and needed TourForLife now more than ever, and performing for large crowds in the name of this cause,” said Kenny. “Almost everyone I spoke with commended us for the promo, and confirmed that everyone they know have seen our posts, have heard about the tour, and whether they actually came out to the shows or not, we are raising awareness. The atmosphere of the shows was the most supportive, caring environment I’ve ever been in, and my team was phenomenal – from the crew to the performers and we impressed venue staff and attendees daily.”
I had the honor of being Kenny’s first contact at MHC and attended the final show in Bridgeport, CT. After giving him a huge hug and congratulating him for pulling this all together, we looked around at the crowd of people dancing, enjoying music, and supporting his vision. He did it! “These cities and demographics all really need what we are doing right now, and I sincerely hope we can continue this together,” said Kenny.
Thank you Kenny for putting together such a wonderful experience for our community and across the northeast! Additional thanks to Suzi Craig, Amy Smith, and Sean Smedley for hosting an MHC table at the CT event and spreading awareness through art, information, and their kind hearts. The group hosted a community art project as part of the table where attendees of the show could add to 2 easels throughout the day.
Follow along with Tour for Life on social media @FullBlastBooking.
The AJJ Foundation started to honor the name of Alex Jamieson and provides instruments and music lessons to kids/teens who are struggling with their mental health or tough times. To learn more about The AJJ Foundation and how you can support their mission, visit https://www.ajjfoundation.org.
Rest in peace to Alex Jamieson.
