Sam Moon humbled by friend’s GoFundMe campaign

Cape Breton singer-songwriter and entertainer Sam Moon is currently in a Halifax hospital undergoing rehab amid some serious health challenges he has faced recently. Photo by CONTRIBUTEDArticle contentA GoFundMe campaign is currently underway to raise funds to help veteran Cape Breton entertainer Sam Moon while he recuperates from some health challenges of late.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentArticle contentJane Bolivar, a close friend of Moon, organized the GoFundMe campaign on June 12 when she learned the longtime Maritime singer-songwriter, now 75, suffered a serious fall and would be spending several months recuperating at a Halifax hospital.Article contentArticle content“Unfortunately, the time in hospital and the time for recovery is taking him out of circulation for the many gigs and festivals he was to perform at this summer,” Bolivar wrote on her GoFundMe campaign page.Article content“We will all be missing Sam on stage. His songs, his stories and his message of optimism with lots of laughter thrown in.”Article contentREHAB CENTREArticle contentBolivar — whose husband, Doug MacKay, has played drums in Moon’s band for more than 30 years — initially set a fundraising goal of $16,000. To date, after 162 donations, the campaign has raised close to $15,000, or 94 per cent of its goal.Article contentMoon was set to perform a late-May show at The Carleton, a live music venue in downtown Halifax, when, according to Bolivar, he “fractured his lower spine, and that ended up causing him to fall, which happened to be at the Carleton before his gig.”Article content Jane Bolivar, close friend of Sam Moon: “We will all be missing Sam on stage. His songs, his stories and his message of optimism with lots of laughter thrown in.” Photo by CONTRIBUTEDArticle content“He’s now at Nova Scotia rehab (the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation and Arthritis Centre in Halifax), and he’s going to be there for a couple months while they’re doing physio and getting him up and moving around,” she said. “My husband, Doug, and I visited Sam (on Saturday), and he’s doing well.Article contentArticle content“He’s just there for the summer, and he’s undergoing intensive therapy. But the rehab centre is amazing — he’s got all the right people on it.”Article contentArticle contentBIRTHDAY CELEBRATION TOURArticle contentUp until that point, Moon had been spending much of this year on the road celebrating his 75th birthday — which included a set at the Red Farm in Howie Centre this past April. He was scheduled to return to Sydney this August with his reunion band to open for longtime musical pal Matt Minglewood — whom he’s known since the late 1960s — on the second night of the three-night Rock the Fiddle musicfest.Article contentBolivar said while some of the GoFundMe donations have come from musicians and performers, loyal Moon fans have also been making monetary contributions, which she said shows strong interest in wanting to see him return to the stage.Article content“I don’t know how many fundraisers he’s played at and helped to raise money for any cause over the last 50 years or so,” Bolivar said. “So it’s nice to see people want to help them out, right? And people do, some in small amounts, but it all makes a big difference.”