New York (Top40 Charts/ Canwest Global Communications Corp.) - Canwest Global Communications Corp. announced today that
Jann Arden is lending her sultry, soulful voice to the Raise-a-Reader Concert Series.
Canwest is also pleased to announce that Carlson Hotels Worldwide in Canada, through its Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM brand, has signed on as exclusive sponsor of the Concert Series and as a national sponsor of the Canwest Raise-a-Reader initiative.
Partial proceeds from ticket sales of Arden's upcoming tour promoting her 10th album Free are being donated to Canwest Raise-a-Reader in support of local literacy programs across the country. Tickets for Arden's more than 30 concert dates go on sale this week for the following cities: Nanaimo, Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Sudbury, Toronto, Hamilton, London, Kitchener, Kingston, Windsor, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and Moncton. Go to LiveNation.com for details on dates and venues.
'For me, reading was just so important. I wasn't one of those kids who begrudged having to read The Great Gatsby in high school. I couldn't wait,' says Arden. 'I think I read the Grapes of Wrath five times by the time I was 16. It just really influenced me as a thinker, and certainly my songwriting. I learned how economical words can be and how you can say so much with so little.'
Arden says she was 'the kid under the covers with a flashlight reading until the batteries died' and would love to help instill that same love of reading in others.
Canwest Raise-a-Reader, a year-round initiative that raises funds for family literacy programs across Canada, has raised $15-million since its national launch in 2002. The program has also helped educate Canadians about literacy issues and how improved literacy levels have a positive impact on our country's economy and social wellbeing.
Carlson Hotels Worldwide in Canada represents a number of well-known hotel and travel industry brands, and is featuring Country Inns & Suites By Carlson as Raise-a-Reader's primary partner. For many years, Country Inns & Suites has proudly supported family literacy through its Read It & Return Lending Library. This unique initiative invites guests of all ages to borrow books and return them at any time in the future, at any Country Inns & Suites location in the United States or Canada.
'Through our association with Raise-a-Reader, we are blessed to be able to extend our love of reading to help people across Canada who struggle with literacy,' says Sandy Russell, Senior Director, Revenue Generation, Carlson Hotels Worldwide.
With the announcement of Jann Arden's tour in support of Raise-a-Reader, comes an exciting new opportunity for guests of Country Inns & Suites to win tickets to one of Jann's shows. Guests who stay at a Canadian Country Inns & Suites property between mid-October and December 15 will receive a ballot for the chance to win two tickets to the Jann Arden concert in Toronto, airfare for two to get there, accommodation in the Country Inns & Suites Oakville, Ontario, and limousine transportation to and from the concert.
'Everyone in our Country Inns & Suites locations across Canada is thrilled to be a part of this worthy and exciting Raise-a-Reader concert series,' says Russell. 'We are big Jann Arden fans so the opportunity to sponsor this event and help one of our guests attend the concert in Toronto is something we are really honoured to do.'
As exclusive sponsor of the Concert Series, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson will provide additional funding dedicated to raising awareness of literacy across Canada year round. The Concert Series launched in 2007 with international singing sensation Michael Buble' announcing his support as the first performer to lend his voice to the literacy cause.
Following Buble''s musical and philanthropic cue, the Concert Series has been graciously supported by Anne Murray, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Sam Roberts, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings and now Jann Arden. Truly, music to our ears!
Jann Arden Tour Dates
Nov 16 - Port Theatre, Nanaimo
Tickets available at LiveNation.com/the venue box office, 250.754.8550/ www.porttheatre.com
Nov 17 - Save-On Foods Memorial Centre, Victoria
Tickets available at LiveNation.com/the venue box office, 250.220.7777 or at selectyourtickets.com
Nov 18 & 19 - Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver
Tickets available at LiveNation.com/charge by phone at 604.280.4444 or ticketmaster.ca
Nov 21 - Prospera Place, Kelowna
Tickets available at LiveNation.com/ the venue box office, 250.762.5050 or at selectyourtickets.com
Nov 23 & 24 - Jack Singer Concert Hall, Calgary
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, charge by phone at 403.777.0000 or at ticketmaster.ca
Nov 25 & 26 - Northern Jubilee, Edmonton
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, charge by phone at 780.451.8000 or at ticketmaster.ca
Nov 28 - TCU Place, Saskatoon; Dec 3 - TCU Place, Saskatoon
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, charge by phone at 306.938.7800, or at ticketmaster.ca
Nov 29 - Conexus Arts Centre, Regina
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, the venue box office, 306.525.9999, or at www.conexusartscentre.ca
Nov 30 & Dec 1 - Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, charge by phone at 204.780.3333, or at ticketmaster.ca
Jan 14 - Olympia de Montreal, Montreal
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, www.geg.ca, charge by phone 514.790.1245 or 1.800.361.4595
In person: All admission outlets
January 16 & January 17 - National Arts Centre, Southam Hall, Ottawa
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, NAC Box Office or call 613-755-1111
Jan 19 - Sudbury Arena, Sudbury
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, Sudbury Arena Box Office or call 705-671-3000
January 20 - John Labatt Centre, RBC Theatre, London
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, John Labatt Centre Box Office or call 866-455-2849
January 21 - Hamilton Place Theatre, Hamilton
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or call 416-870-8000.
January 22 - WFCU Centre, Windsor
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, WFCU Centre Box Office or call 866-969-9328
January 24 - Centre In The Square, Kitchener
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, Centre In The Square or call 519-578-1570
January 25 - K-ROCK Centre, Kingston
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, K-ROCK Centre Box Office or call 877-554-8399
January 27 & Thursday, January 28 - Massey Hall, Toronto
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or call 416-870-8000
Feb 3 - Halifax Metro Centre, Halifax
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, www.geg.ca, Ticket Atlantic Box Office at Halifax Metro Centre and participating Atlantic Superstore outlets, 902.451.1221
Feb 4 - Moncton Coliseum, Moncton
Tickets available at LiveNation.com, www.geg.ca, Moncton Coliseum Box Office, 506.857.4100
