September 27th, 2011 
“The heat couldn’t stop us. The rain couldn’t stop us. The lightning…it stopped us. As much as we hate poverty, we hate the idea of putting anyone’s safety at risk.”
Those were the words posted on The Robin Hood Foundation’s Tumblr after rain threatened to muddy up a charity concert they were hosting in Central Park this summer. But the show must go on, and Concert 4 NYC will finally take place on the Great Lawn come September 30. The Black Eyed Peas will perform and proceeds from the event will benefit Robin Hood’s programs to fight poverty and homelessness in NYC.
Photo Credit: aceshowbiz.com
Apparently this news sat well with an apologetic Fergie who said, “We felt horrible for all the fans who waited in the rain. We have nothing but love for New York and are thrilled that we found a new date to not only help fight poverty in NYC, but to perform a once in a lifetime show for our fans.”
Band mate will.i.am chimed in to express his gratitude for the rescheduled show and said that, “We were sad beyond words that our last show was canceled and we weren’t able to perform for this city and help people in need.” This is the first live concert for The E.N.D. artists in Central Park and is one of their largest ever.
The show follows a star-studded roster of outdoor performances in Central Park lately, including an appearance by Andrea Boccelli and Tony Bennet earlier this month. To promote Concert 4 NYC, 54,000 tickets were given away through online and radio promotions.
Robin Hood’s Executive Director David Saltzman said that being able to reschedule the concert is a story of not giving up. “We never stopped trying to hold this historic event, because it will raise funds and importantly – awareness – about the extent of poverty in our city,” he said.
Supporting sponsor Calvin Klein has also pledged to donate 10% of the proceeds from its flagship store between September 30th and October 5th to the Robin Hood Foundation.
All of the money raised will help support food pantries, homeless shelters, health clinics and workforce training for 1.8 million New Yorkers living in poverty.
