Jennifer Nickel knew it would be a long shot to get mega-star Rihanna’s attention, but one worth taking. On Monday afternoon, the call came from Rihanna’s people that the songstress would be donating 225 floor seats to her concert at the South Okanagan Events Centre (in Penticton, Canada) for a group of families bonded together by their adopted children.
“Some of the kids were crying they were so happy. It was a shot in the dark to get these tickets. This was a huge gift and an experience of a lifetime for all of us,” said Nickel after the concert on Monday at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
For the past six years a group of about 300 attend the Harambee Summer Festival in Naramata. Harambee, which means unity, is a way for families who have adoptive children with African heritage to come together and provide support for one another. Nickel said on her blog that the week-long camp means so much to the families. They are surrounded by people who “get being black in a majority white country, get being adopted, get being adopted trans racially and internationally, get multi-racial families and get special needs.”
In May, when the determined parent found out Rihanna, with opening act Ke$ha, would be holding a concert in Penticton, she crossed her fingers that someone would come through and help them get the children there.
“Rihanna is someone that many Harambee kids see themselves reflected in,” wrote Nickel on her blog. “A beautiful, black young woman with amazing talent, even if her history is somewhat complicated. Just like our kids.”
With tickets starting at $95, she knew attendance for the vast majority of the kids coming to the Harambee Camp, and their families, wouldn’t be an option. Nickel put out a plea on her blog to other parents to reach out to anyone they knew to see if they could make the chance to meet Rihanna, attend a rehearsal or even get into the concert a reality.
“I received an email from an adoptive parent who works at MTV USA and they gave me the email of Rihanna’s producer. I emailed and never heard back,” Nickel told the Western News surrounded by smiling kids after the Rihanna concert. “We kind of gave up on that hope, then on Monday afternoon we found out Rihanna had given us 225 tickets and floor seats at that. We gathered everyone around and made the announcement. There was lots of screaming and jumping.”
One of the kids, Jeff Richardson who came to Harambee with his adoptive parents from Delta, was in awe of Rihanna after the concert. He said his favourite song of the night was Umbrella, in which Rihanna stood raised above the crowd on a platform as red ticker tape flew down from the ceiling.
“It was really awesome,” said Richardson. “It was probably the best show I have ever been to. She is really beautiful.”
Source: BCLocalNews.com| Thanks, Giamma!
Rihanna is such a sweet heart for doing that for those children! <3333
Comment by FirexBomb — July 9, 2010 @ 7:27 pm
Nice!!!
Comment by Nenns — July 9, 2010 @ 7:28 pm
EVERYONE READ THIS ARTICLE !!! THIS IS THE REAL REASON WHY LIVE NATION HAD TO CANCEL THOSE TOUR DATES.
http://new.music/yahoo.com/various-artist/news/pollstar-repoerts-concert-tour-revenue-down–62002992
Comment by lilly — July 9, 2010 @ 7:30 pm
IF THE LINK DOESN’T WORK TELL ME!
Comment by lilly — July 9, 2010 @ 7:31 pm
Aaww that was so sweet of Rihanna to do that for teh kids & their families…… :heart: :kissblow:
Comment by Lizzylala — July 9, 2010 @ 7:33 pm
@lilly
the link doesnt work!
i want to read it
Comment by RtA1913 — July 9, 2010 @ 7:41 pm
Lilly that link isn’t working.
Comment by cold case love — July 9, 2010 @ 7:55 pm
@lilly Replace one of the Slashes and it works somehow. SMH.
But this article isn’t worth the info. It’s just numbers and dollar signs in there everywhere over there. And it’s a known problem in everybody’s small regular wallet. But Rihanna and Label didn’t get this working to downsize the show a lil bit and focus a lil more on the music to have everybody being able to pay and watch it. That’s where they end up.
I don’t wanna say more! Foo.
Comment by Hell — July 9, 2010 @ 7:56 pm
from the preview post wow!! i have to say that rihanna looks very soft her skin that is it’s like she is so supple of lately
Comment by tracee — July 9, 2010 @ 8:01 pm
Go Riri! She’s going to continue to be blessed because she does things like this.
Comment by TakeABow2 — July 9, 2010 @ 8:01 pm
http://new.music.yahoo.com/various-artist/news/pollstar-reports-concert-tour-revenue-down–62002992
Comment by lilly — July 9, 2010 @ 8:14 pm
this is amazing everyone is happy ..that rihanna reign aint gon let up how much longer for concert to start
Comment by Caribbean — July 9, 2010 @ 8:23 pm
@lilly thank u for the link but if lad caca and justin beaver can sell tickets and sold out shows then rihanna can also ..but rihanna has never toured the U.S sooo she shud have booked smaller venues as someone suggested yesterday but anyways….she is on her A-game and we gotta support her we were there for her after the fist incident and now we will be here for her..LOVE U RIRI DOO YA THANG AND GIVE US A SPECTACULAR SURPRISE MAY GOD BLESS U RIHANNA I LOVE U SOO MUCH!
Comment by Caribbean — July 9, 2010 @ 8:27 pm
Rihanna is such a sweetie pie
Comment by TeAMoGirl — July 9, 2010 @ 8:33 pm
@ Caribbean what are you talking about she’s toured in the US before
her first tour ever was
Rihanna: Live in Concert Tour (2006)
Good Girl Gone Bad Tour (2007) (2008) (2009)
Glow In the Dark Tour (2008)
A Girls Night Out (The Believe Foundation) (2008)
The Last Girl On Earth (2010)
Comment by lilly — July 9, 2010 @ 8:35 pm
I think Caribbean means that Rih has never headlined her own U.S. tour until now.
Comment by TakeABow2 — July 9, 2010 @ 8:48 pm
well like didn’t she headline the good girl gone bad tour? I mean she had caira open for her.
Comment by lilly — July 9, 2010 @ 8:54 pm
That was in Europe.
Comment by TakeABow2 — July 9, 2010 @ 9:10 pm
@ lilly – that was not in the US
Comment by RiRi Fan — July 9, 2010 @ 9:10 pm
i meant what@takeabow said!!!
Comment by Caribbean — July 9, 2010 @ 9:39 pm
oh!
Comment by lilly — July 9, 2010 @ 9:46 pm
Rihanna is the sweetest ever!!!! always beeing nice and loving to kids :)
I LOVE RIHANNA <3333333333333333333333
Comment by TK-75523 — July 10, 2010 @ 5:25 am
Good Girl Gone Tour was definitely in the US! I went!!!!
Comment by яəCONSTʁUCT THA ⓘNdUSTRYy;; — July 10, 2010 @ 5:39 pm