by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
Local employees and volunteers at Red Cross of Northeast Florida and the United Way will be singing along to the tunes of Neil Diamond at his O ct. 24 concert in Jacksonville.
Diamond has been giving tickets to the Red Cross and United Way in different cities where he is playing on his Neil Diamond Live World Tour for their efforts in helping Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita victims.
Jack Morgan, chief executive officer at the Red Cross of Northeast Florida, was contacted by Neil Diamond’s agent, Lisa Smith, to help coordinate the ticket distribution among his staff members.
“We were given an allotment of tickets for all of the staff and volunteers who were involved with helping Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims,” said Morgan.
Morgan was given 100 tickets for his employees at the Red Cross as well as employees and volunteers at the United Way. Each person was able to get a maximum of two tickets. Morgan said at the Red Cross there were about 50 individuals over the last 45 days who went out to help victims in Louisiana and Mississippi.
“It was a first-come, first-serve type of thing,” he said. “They had to show interest and if they wanted to go, they had to sign up to receive two tickets.”
Morgan said he doesn’t know of other performers who have done something like this for the Red Cross of Northeast Florida, but he has heard of other performers who have done similar things for other organizations.
Diamond’s agent contacted Morgan about two weeks ago and told them what Diamond has been doing for Red Cross and United Way employees and volunteers throughout the United States. Morgan said he was thrilled.
“I thought it was a great idea,” he said. “We had a lot of staff and volunteers working around the clock the past 45 days to help hurricane victims.”
Morgan said his employees and volunteers were very appreciative that Diamond was able to give them tickets to his show.
“They (the employees and volunteers) are very excited and looking forward to going to the event,” he said. “And it is great that Neil Diamond recognized their hard work and time that they put into it (helping the victims).”
Diamond will be making a one night stop in Jacksonville on his “Neil Diamond Live World Tour” at the Veterans Memorial Arena on Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. His tour kicked off in March with shows in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He began his tour in the United States in July.