It was announced in April that several artists would be selling face masks to benefit coronavirus-related charities. The Weeknd was among those artists, and the “XO” masks have sold well. The Weeknd has personally matched the money raised by the masks, so it has been announced the he has donated half a million dollars to his hometown Scarborough Health Network (SHN), and another half million to MusiCares.
The Weeknd said in a press release, “I was raised in Scarborough and felt it was important to give back to the community that raised me during the hard times of this pandemic.”
SHN’s Dr. Elaine Yeung also said, “Like The Weeknd, many of my fellow frontline workers either come from Scarborough or call this community home. It is amazing to see one of our own on the world stage, giving back during our community’s time of need; generous support like this inspires us to keep going. This gift represents Scarborough’s incredible spirit and collective passion for shaping a brighter, healthier future.”
Meanwhile, The Weeknd’s After Hours was recently named to the longlist for this year’s Polaris Prize, one of Canada’s top honors in music. He also recently unveiled a new set of rescheduled tour dates.