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Originally created as a one-night event to take place July 14, 2007,
"Dispatch: Zimbabwe," has grown into a three-night event. Set for July 13, 14t and 15, the Boston based three-piece, Dispatch, will reunite in order to raise money and awareness for the alarming situation in Zimbabwe.
Dispatch will donate 100% of the proceeds towards fighting disease, famine, and social injustice in the African country . In an effort to bring the fight to their own country, Dispatch will make monetary contributions to local charities they have long supported, and have involved themselves with Books for Kids, Rock For A Remedy and Musicians on Call who will organize book, food and CD drives during the Madison Square Garden run. The three nights, which sold out in 30 minutes each, has already made history, making Dispatch the first independent band to headline, and more importantly, sell out Madison Square Garden.
Since Dispatch's farewell show in 2004, Brad Corrigan, Pete Francis and Chad Urmston have focused their efforts on tragedy and devastation in all parts of the globe: the tsunamis in Southeast Asia, the hurricanes in the United States and the genocide in Darfur. As individuals, each of the guys has done work to try and make a difference. As Dispatch, they feel like they can do more.
The economic crises in Zimbabwe are worsening at an alarming rate. At the beginning of 2007, Zimbabwe's inflation rose to 1,281.1%, the highest in the world. Unemployment is over 85%, poverty over 90%, and foreign reserves are almost depleted. Over four million persons are in desperate need of food.
One in four citizens are HIV positive. Coupled with severe malnutrition, thousands are dying every month. To do something as simple as buying a loaf of bread is near impossible for most Zimbabwean families. Combined with a consistent lack of potable water, power, perpetual regional drought, over all environmental degradation and the recent displacement of hundreds of thousands desperately poor from urban areas, the country is on the brink of ruin.
The band will take the next six months to decide which specific organizations it will donate the proceeds to. Dispatch will visit the African country in May.
For almost ten years, the three members of Dispatch have made a strong impact on the American music industry, releasing album after album on their own label and rising up without the assistance of a major record company.
They became pioneers in the music industry, playing to capacity at major venues across the country and selling more than 600,000 albums. All created by an incredible word of mouth popularity that was built off of file sharing, Napster, in the early 90's and active touring. In 2004 Dispatch decided to call it quits and celebrated an amazing eight-year run by performing a free farewell show in Boston, MA. More than 110,000 fans from 25 countries showed up, making it the largest independent music event in history. Now Dispatch is back, coming together for a cause that's greater than anything that drew them apart.
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