PRS Guitars is joining the “Giving Tuesday” movement to support gig-economy musicians in their Maryland backyard, as well as award-winning musicians and artists who have been uniquely affected by COVID-19. Giving Tuesday, which takes place on December 1 this year , is a collective effort to transform how people take part in the holiday season. Just as Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become synonymous with holiday shopping, the goal of Giving Tuesday is to be a national day of giving.
Twenty-twenty and the novel coronavirus have had a huge impact on almost every sector, including the earning potential of musicians. The loss of festivals, tours and most live music has put a terrible strain on musicians and the music industry at large. For Giving Tuesday, PRS has chosen two organizations that directly support musicians: MusiCares, a music charity that acts as a safety net for music people in times of need, and the local Annapolis Musicians Fund for Musicians, which works to provide temporary financial relief to Annapolis-area musicians in need. PRS gifted each organization with a substantial cash donation and, where needed, instruments for additional fundraising efforts.
“While our donations may only scratch the surface for musicians in need, the act of giving together with a heartfelt request for others to do the same will hopefully help directly influence the quality of life for as many as possible,” stated PRS managing general partner, Paul Reed Smith. “Please join us in giving to these worthy causes if you can.”
These PRS Giving Tuesday donations are in addition to the annual support that the 35-year-old guitar manufacturer has provided to their flagship charity, the John’s Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center for the last 20 years. Since 2000, PRS Guitars has raised more than $4 million for the Living with Cancer Resource Program at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore MD. The Living with Cancer Resource Program offers supportive care programming and education to cancer patients and families at Johns Hopkins, all free of charge.
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