A benefit concert co-hosted by actors Kirk Cameron and his sister, Candace Cameron Bure, has raised over $1.6 million for Samaritan’s Purse which has been operating field hospitals in northern Italy and New York City during the COVID-19 crisis.
The siblings were joined by Bishop T.D. Jakes, Franklin Graham, and Gloria Gaynor among other well-known Christian artists and leaders for the online event on Sunday called Hope Rising that drew an estimated 10 million viewers, according to the event’s creator Ryan Higgins of The Tempus Collaborative.
“It’s important to know 100% of the money raised went to Samaritan’s Purse for their ongoing COVID-19 work,” Higgins said in a statement shared with The Christian Post.
“Amazingly we were able to do it entirely free, which has to have set some type of record. We’ve heard that Hope Rising is now the largest streaming Christian concert of all time, a feat none of us thought was even possible just two weeks ago when the planning began,” he added.
Hope Rising livestreamed on Facebook Sunday night to benefit Samaritan’s Purse which set up field hospitals in both New York City and Cremona, Italy, to provide medical support to hospitals caring for patients during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The aim of the event was to uplift, strengthen and comfort those watching online through music and inspirational messages to combat the fear, hopelessness, and anxiety that some are feeling during the lockdown.
Other artists and speakers who participated in the hour-and-a-half event included: Casting Crowns, MercyMe, Newsboys, Natalie Grant, Matthew West, for King and Country, Kirk Franklin, Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes, Danny Gokey, and speakers Kristen Chenoweth, Lysa TerKeurst, and Priscilla Shirer, among others.
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SOURCE: Christian Post, Jeannie Law
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