AUSTIN, Texas — Multiple organizations within Austin hosted their annual Safer Together concert to raise money and awareness for drug overdoses in Central Texas.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, the Red River Cultural District and the SIMS Foundation put on the admission-free benefit concert at Mohawk in Downtown Austin on Thursday.
The concert was created last year as a partnership between the three organizations as part of the Travis County DA office's "ongoing strategy to reduce the number of overdose-related deaths in the area," the release states. The goal of Safer Together is to help spread awareness about overdose death prevention while raising funds for the SIMS Foundation.
The money raised at the concert will be used as donations to offer Substance Use Disorder (SUD) training for the Central Texas music community in addition to the nonprofit organization Communities for Recovery.
Garza, in addition to the other organizations, held a press conference right outside of Mohawk between Eighth and 10th Street, near Red River Street on Thursday.
After the conference, the free concert had performances from six local music artists throughout the indoor and outdoor stages. The festival began with opening remarks from Garza, Travis County Judge Andy Brown and SIMS Foundation Executive Director Patsy Bouressa.
Outside Stage:
- Night Drive
- Trouble in the Streets
- Holy Wire
Inside Stage:
- The Pinky Rings
- Hotmom
- Sad Cell