On Sunday, R&B star Khalid returned to his hometown of El Paso, Texas, to host a benefit concert for the victims of the Aug. 3 mass shooting that left 22 dead and an additional 24 injured.
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Dubbed “Khalid & Friends: A Night for Suncity,” the star-studded affair raised $500,000 for the El Paso Community Fund, according to the “Talk” singer.
“Last night we raised $500,000 for the El Paso Community Foundation!” he tweeted to his 3.8 million followers on Monday. “Thank you so much for all of the support!”
The El Paso Times reports that the concert sold out within minutes of tickets being released on Aug. 14 and was a joint effort between the singer’s The Great Khalid Foundation and his record label’s Right Hand Foundation.
To warm up the crowd, actor Matthew McConaughey kicked off the evening with a rousing speech, informing attendees that “tonight is about healing and spirit filling,” before former U.S. Congressman and current presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke introduced Khalid to the stage.
The 21-year-old singer took it from there, with featured performances throughout the evening from SZA, Rae Sremmurd, and Lil Yachty, in addition to special guest Chris Grant, who threw bottles at the gunman during the mass shooting to try to distract him.
“El Paso, I love you so much,” Khalid told the crowd, reported the El Paso Times. “This isn’t the end; this is just the beginning. We stand together. El Paso Strong.”
To raise additional funds, Khalid is also selling El Paso-themed “Forever of the 915” t-shirts on his website. All proceeds will go toward the El Paso Victims’ Fund.
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