By Jim Boyd, Executive Director of The Cook County Chamber of Commerce - December 4, 2020

Out of concern for the wellbeing of Cook County’s large and diverse musician community, members of which have suffered a severe loss of income over the many months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a community fund has been created to help sustain them, Staci Drouillard of WTIP and Jim Boyd of the Cook County Chamber announced Friday.

The fund is called The Tip Jar. It brings together WTIP and the Cook County Business and Civic Partnership, which is the charitable arm of the Cook County Chamber. A donations page has been established on the Chamber’s website: https://cookcountychamber.org/musicians_fund

Donations may be made on that web page using Paypal or a credit card. Or donations may be sent to The TIP Jar, P.O. Box 805, Grand Marais, MN 55604. All proceeds will benefit local musicians in need. All donations are tax deductible.

Using fund already contributed by an anonymous but very generous donor, the TIP Jar oversight committee will be making initial holiday grants to musicians in the coming weeks.

In the new  year, financial assistance will be extended from the TIP Jar using ongoing donations from the community. To celebrate local music in Cook County and encourage donations, The TIP Jar will include a series of live, virtual performances on WTIP North Shore Community Radio in January.