Toronto, ON – Multiple CCMA and CMA award-winning country star Gord Bamford, has raised over $143,000 in support of the The Gord Bamford Foundation via his Kick COVID in the A** Tour Part 1. With Gord’s leadership and connections, funds raised for the Foundation benefit youth in communities across Canada through initiatives and programs that support education, music, health care, sports and multi-use community facilities. Over the past 15 years, the Gord Bamford Charitable Foundation has raised a total of over $5 million to benefit Canadian youth.
The Kick COVID In The A** Tour Part 1 had stops across Alberta and Saskatchewan, and was made possible with incredible partners including Kubota Canada Ltd. and Peavey Industries LP. It is important to Gord that any funds raised from the tour through the support of fans, friends, and corporate partners are donated in the area they were collected in, and then spread throughout the region. Funds raised from the tour are supporting 13 community groups across Alberta and Saskatchewan.
“It has always been important to me to never forget how it all began. This small town tour is exactly that, grassroots. The excitement and connection from the fans have been incredible. The timing for the tour was the latter part of the pandemic, and this allowed me to continue to do what I love to do, play music, especially during a time when it was needed the most,” said Gord Bamford. “The added bonus was the give-back component for local community groups. We helped them to raise considerable funds to reinvest into their programs during a time of high need.”
Despite the global pandemic, the Foundation found creative ways to host several fundraising events over the last couple of years, including the CCMA-nominated Father’s Day Special, sold-out Drive-In Tour and the 15th Annual Gord Bamford Charity Golf Classic generating $367,000 to be distributed back into communities by the Gord Bamford Foundation. Gord’s incredible Wild Rose Co-op Fuel Good Community Concert also raised a total of $44,000 and supported 14 organizations in Camrose, AB.
“After a long wait for our Wild Rose Co-op Fuel Good Community Concert, we were able to have a great night in Camrose and were able to help raise $44,000. These monies will be distributed out to fourteen local community groups in the Camrose area. For a first-time event, this is a substantial amount, and we couldn’t have done it without the efforts and support of many, including key partners, business sponsors, volunteers and of course, all of the folks that purchased tickets,” said Gord Bamford.
Industry peers widely respect Gord’s philanthropy efforts. He has been recognized for his work with honours including the MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award (MIMAA) presented by The Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation, the 4-H Canada Distinguished Alumni Award and the CCMA Humanitarian of The Year Award.
The follow-up Kick COVID In The A** Tour Part 2 will begin later this fall, and will continue to raise funds to support communities across Canada. Any community organizations interested in participating should contact Corinne Szepesi at the Gord Bamford Charitable Foundation: 780-914-9175, corinne@gordbamford.com.
For more information on Gord and his upcoming tour dates, visit gordbamford.com/tour/.
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About Gord Bamford Charitable Foundation Operating across Canada for the past 15 years, The Gord Bamford Foundation is passionate about supporting youth. The Foundation is headed up by award winning country music artist, Gord Bamford. Through his leadership and connections, the Foundation has been able to raise over $5 million to support initiatives that include or involve music, education, health care, sports, and multi-use facilities that benefit youth across Canada.
About Gord Bamford Australian-born and Alberta-raised, Gord Bamford stands as one of the most awarded artists in Canadian country music history, with an impressive 26 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Award wins including Album of the Year, Single of the Year and Male Artist of the Year.
He has also received multiple JUNO nominations and is a two-time winner of the CMA Global Country Artist Award. With over 85 million streams and 5 billion audience impressions on radio globally, Gord has had 28 Top 10 singles in Canada including No. 1 hits “When Your Lips Are So Close,” “Country Junkie” and “Dive Bar,” which was certified gold status in Canada.
Gord proudly released his 10th studio album, Diamonds In A Whiskey Glass, in the early summer of 2021, followed by the Diamonds In A Whiskey Glass (Deluxe Diamond Edition) in May of 2022, which has been sitting as a top seller in Canada for the past three weeks. He was also named the inaugural host of Anthem Entertainment’s first-of-its-kind audio/visual music-focused broadcast and podcast series Real Country Livin’ in partnership with SiriusXM Canada. Most recently, Gord was nominated for 2022 CCMA Awards for Ford F-150 Album of the Year for Diamonds in a Whiskey Glass and Video of The Year for “Heaven On Dirt”.
