The Great North American Rush Off is on. Bands needed to cover Rush songs for the Neil Peart memorial project.

Shred and Ragan, the morning show at 97 Rock in Buffalo, have plans to raise money for the Neil Peart memorial in Lakeside Park, Port Dalousie, Ontario. It’s a nice little bit of cross-border cooperation in this time of weirdness.

Here’s the backstory:

“In 2020, the St. Catharines City Council, with overwhelming community support, voted to name the newly rebuilt pavilion at Lakeside Park after Neil Peart. However, the vision for this memorial extends beyond the pavilion. Plans are in place to erect two larger-than-life bronze sculptures of Neil Peart, connected by a pathway featuring experiential and interpretive elements that celebrate his personal and professional legacies, including his time with Rush.

“The Great North American Rush Off is designed to spark conversations about the urgent need to raise funds —$500,000— to kickstart the construction of The Neil Peart Memorial. Unfortunately, momentum has slowed since the project’s announcement prior to the pandemic.”

There’s now a call out to all bands from Canada and the US to submit a Rush cover song. A select few will appear on a curated digital and physical compilation. All proceeds will go to the memorial.

Interested? Contact Tom Ragan for more.