MANSFIELD — A local group dubbed “Art 4 a Cause” (A4C) is conducting a fundraiser on Saturday at Relax, It’s Just Coffee in downtown Mansfield to benefit those impacted by the Flint, Michigan water crisis.
“The Flint Event” will showcase local talent with live performances, poetry, visual art and more. It will take place Saturday, June 11 from 3 to 8 p.m.
Event organizer Shay Harris said the goal is to raise $3,500 and collect 500 cases of water for the residents of Flint. Admission costs $10, or $5 plus one case of water, or just three cases of water.
“We look to bring light to our community and light to the kids who are actually trying to do something here,” Harris said in reference to A4C at the Mansfield City Council meeting on Tuesday.
According to group member Tracy Montgomery, A4C is in the process of becoming a nonprofit. One of the ways A4C aims to make a positive impact on the community is by teaching youth about how to use their artistic talents to benefit others.
“A lot of young artists just want to be Drake (a rapper) and they forget that there’s a lot of hard work and humility involved, so our goal is to teach them there’s more to what they’re doing, Montgomery said. “It’s better to be part of the community and help others in the process of helping themselves.”
Harris said that they hope to show people that Mansfield is more than its crime rates and police calls.
“I hear a lot of people promoting the bad,” she said.
To counter that, Harris and her group hope to shine a light on the good.
“We look to bring light to the community, as well as make a difference in the world,” she said.
