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The “All of Me” singer is teaming up with Northwell Health to put on a rockin’ Memorial Day weekend show for a great cause.
Northwell Health is hosting its fourth annual Side By Side: A Celebration of Service, which is a two-day festival. The highlight is a huge benefit concert by Grammy award-winning performer John Legend at the new UBS Arena in Elmont on Sunday, May 29.
There will also be a special performance by singer-songwriter Jason Derulo.
The Side By Side festival kicks off Saturday, May 28, a day before Legend’s appearance on Long Island — during New York City’s Fleet Week — with a block party in Flatiron Plaza.
The block party will be hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro with special appearances by Questlove, Broadway stars, the Northwell Health Nurse Choir and more.
Timed for Memorial Day and the return of Fleet Week to NYC, the event celebrates active-duty military, veterans and their families.
“Memorial Day weekend is a dedicated time every year to reflect on the sacrifices so many Americans have made in our country’s history,” said Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell. “We should never take for granted the freedoms we enjoy in this country or forget our heroes in the armed forces who will stop at nothing to protect those freedoms.”
“We are honored to host Side by Side: A Celebration of Service for those very reasons – to honor our service members,” he continued.
Northwell Health first launched the event on Memorial Day weekend in 2019 and since then, “Side By Side” has helped raise more than $2 million to benefit Northwell Health’s Military Liaison Services, which strives to change the perception of those who served, the way they are treated at home and medically cared for.
The initiative also offers medical and behavioral services, employment opportunities and other assistance programs.
“We are so excited to host this fun-filled event with a live audience both in the streets of New York City and on the stage of UBS Arena with John Legend and Jason Derulo,” said Juan Serrano, vice president of the health system’s Military Liaison Services and a U.S. Marine. “This is a two-day celebration of our country’s military service members, but it also signifies Northwell’s commitment to our veterans for the other 363 days of the year.”
“We will always stand by our heroes in uniform and their families,” Serrano added. “We owe them our full support and a debt of gratitude.”
Visit SideBySideNYC.com for tickets and more information.
Photo: John Legend performs at the World Cup at Orlando stadium in Soweto, South Africa. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
