by Jeroslyn JoVonn
November 7, 2023
Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind, & Fire is using his Music Is Unity Foundation to launch a fundraiser for National Adoption Month.
Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind, & Fire is using his Music Is Unity Foundation to launch a fundraiser for foster youth in honor of National Adoption Month.
The renowned singer, songwriter, and percussionist, hailed as an early member and one of the two lead singers of the Grammy award-winning band Earth, Wind & Fire, launched Music Is Unity (MIU) in 2007 to focus on youth aging out of the foster care system. Since its launch, MIU has offered supportive services to over 23,000 youth who are emancipated from the U.S. Foster Care system each year.
With his latest fundraiser, participants with a donation over $50 were given a chance to win an experience at The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas and watch Earth, Wind, & Fire perform live and attend a meet and greet. In addition to attending the performance by the iconic group, the winner will also receive a complimentary two-night stay at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
It’s a labor of love for Bailey, who launched the foundation with his daughter as a way to help the often- overlooked youth who age out of foster care.
“Not all the stories are horrific, but too many of them to ignore. And so we support organizations that are helping foster youth when they age out,” Bailey told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“They need everything from basic necessities to just anything that anyone would need at, at that age, 18 years old. So, a portion of our proceeds our ticket sales, go to Music Is Unity.”
The foundation provides grants to non-profit, community-based organizations and agencies that service foster youth. This time around, MIU partnered with the Drum Workshop, Inc., The Purple Project, and The Felix Organization to provide music services along with free “TED Talk-style” workshops about future-planning, careers, safety and health, self-care, and relationships.
“Well, of course, we want people to donate so that we have funds to help organizations that are helping foster youth as they age out,” he said.
“But we’re also hoping that people become more aware of foster youth and their plights in their own community and help those organizations that are helping kids who find themselves in situations by no fault of their own.”
Bailey has been able to build close bonds with some of the youth who’ve benefited from MIU’s services. There’s even one alumni who has gone on to open for Earth, Wind, & Fire on tour.
“Well, it’s been it’s been fun to get to make relationships with former foster youth such as Gian,” he shared. “He was a foster former foster youth. And he’s now a father, a husband, a producer, a writer and a performer. And we met him on one on doing this. And so the last couple of tours, he’s open for us in several markets.”
RELATED CONTENT: Earth, Wind & Fire’s Andrew Woolfolk Passes Away At The Age Of 71
