A nor’easter that battered New York over the weekend forced organizers to cancel the star-studded Global Citizen Festival in Central Park — but the storm’s fallout ended up feeding critically ill New Yorkers instead of going to waste.
Tons of food prepared to cater Saturday’s concert, which was set to be hosted by Hugh Jackman with performances from Lenny Kravitz, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, was donated to God’s Love We Deliver, a charity that provides free medically tailored meals to New Yorkers too sick to cook or shop for themselves.
Greg Williamson, founder of the annual Love Rocks NYC benefit concert, told The Post he got a call Friday morning from David Beame, one of the Global Citizen Festival’s producers.
“He said that they had food for thousands of people, and the last thing they wanted was for any of it to go to waste,” Williamson said. “He asked me about God’s Love and if they could help.”
Williamson contacted God’s Love We Deliver, and the charity moved quickly to rescue the food. What it couldn’t use itself was handed off to other food organizations serving hungry New Yorkers.
God’s Love We Deliver was founded in 1985 at the height of the AIDS pandemic. It delivers free meals to thousands of New Yorkers who are too ill to prepare their own food.
Love Rocks NYC, the concert Williamson co-founded, has raised more than $70 million for the charity over the years. This year’s lineup at the Beacon Theater included Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Mary J. Blige, Linda Perry, Nile Rodgers & CHIC and Susanna Hoffs.
The Global Citizen Festival, launched in 2012, is held annually in Central Park each September alongside the United Nations General Assembly, raising money and awareness for climate change and global poverty.
“It was a very cool moment where great people and great organizations came together to help New York City,” Williamson said.
