Helping those in need is a way of life for two of Fredericton’s non-profit helplines, but in order to continue to do so, they need a little help from the community.

The Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre and Chimo Helpline are collaborating for the first time to bring the city its very own music competition, showcasing some of the province’s most talented artists.

“In the line of work we do, we sometimes forget to have fun, so this is a way to have fun, raise awareness and support the community,” says Jill Fraser, Chimo’s executive director.

The concert is set for March 12 at 8:00 p.m. at the Fredericton Playhouse, where 12 acts will vie for the title of solo artist and band of the year.

While the event is only in its first year. Jill says she hopes to make Music for Change an annual event for the Fredericton community.

“It’s always nice to have something for people to love and look forward to, so it would really nice to have it as an annual fundraiser to promote awareness for the two organizations,” she says.

Co-coordinator for Music for Change, Kristen (whose last name cannot be published for confidentiality reasons) is both a staff member at Chimo and a volunteer for the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre. She says both organizations were planning on holding a music fundraiser, so she decided to have them join forces to make an even more memorable event.

“While I was working with Chimo over the summer we were looking to do some kind of a fundraiser that would put a lot of awareness out there about Chimo and its services, and when I started volunteering with the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre, they were also thinking of doing something along the same lines,” she says. “So it made sense to bring both organizations together.”

Kristen says with the current state of the economy, fundraising has become increasingly important to ensure both organizations continue to help the Fredericton community.

“If we lose funding this year, we could lose more next year and then some of our programs and initiatives won’t be able to happen,” she says. “There have been cutbacks because of the economy, so we’re just trying to stay running.”

Because the event is only in its first year, Kristen says there is no fundraising goal. Instead, herself and fellow organizers are aiming to bring as many people as possible to the concert to ensure it will become an annual event.

“We’re just trying to get the event going this year, so what we’re really hoping is to have enough support to do it every year and to have people recognize it as an annual thing for Fredericton.”

Kristen and her colleagues have received 32 submissions from New Brunswick musicians since October, and will be narrowing them down to six bands and six solo artists in the coming weeks.

On the night of the event, all 12 acts will perform once for the audience and judging panel, after which one soloist and one band will be chosen as the winners.

Judges for this year’s competition include local rapper Saa Andrew, 8 Track Mind lead singer Sherri Chenard, music writer Ben Conoley and restauranteur and hip hop artist DJ Nasty Naz.

Kristen says she is amazed by the level of talent among the submissions, and promises concert-goers will be treated to only the best the province has to offer. While the majority of acts are from Fredericton, organizers have received submissions from Saint John, Moncton and Woodstock.

“A few people that have applied already have albums recorded and they’re fairly established artists,” she says. “I was going through the applications the other day and I was blown away by the level of talent we have. It’s going to be a tough choice.”

Chimo is a non-profit, 24-hour crisis helpline, which receives roughly 17,000 calls from across New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island each year. The Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre provides a 24-hour crisis helpline and counselling services for victims of sexual assault and performs educational workshops and seminars on sexual assault within local schools and community centres.

“Chimo and the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre have really good services, but have very few staff, so we depend heavily on volunteers and donations from the community,” Kristen says. “So we’re hoping this event raises awareness and encourages more people to volunteer and help out.”

Tickets for Music for Change are available at The Playhouse box office or online at www.theplayhouse.nb.ca. For more information, contact Kristen at infomusicforchange@gmail.com.