Demi Lovato joins We Day Vancouver at Rogers Arena

Entertainer Demi Lovato and Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu are among a roster of celebrities and entertainers taking part in We Day in Vancouver next month.

We Day is the signature event of Free the Children, the international charity and educational partner founded in 1995 by activist Craig Kielburger. A spectacle that takes place in a stadium setting, We Day is meant to connect speakers and performers with young people. About 20,000 are expected to take part in the event at Rogers Arena on Oct. 18.

From September 2011 to June 2012, Free the Children raised $3.5 million for international causes and $2.5 million for local initiatives, according to Free the Children.

Also in the We Day Vancouver lineup are Dr. Holly Branson, Free The Children ambassador and daughter of Sir Richard Branson; One Drop, a Cirque du soleil initiative; former National Basketball Association star Magic Johnson; Me to We motivational speaker Spencer West; Premier Christy Clark; and singers and per-formers Shawn Desman, My Name is Kay, OneRepublic, and Tyler Shaw.

We Day Toronto takes place Sept. 28 at Air Canada Centre. Speakers and per-formers include retired lieu-tenant-general Romeo Dallaire, singer Nelly Furtado, Nobel Laureate Al Gore, actor Martin Sheen and politician Justin Trudeau. We Day aims to shine a spotlight on a wide spectrum of issues including bullying, the environment, domestic and international poverty, and health care, the news release said.

Attendance to We Day is free of charge, but young people are required to commit to take action on at least one local and one global issue through Free The Children's year-long engagement programs.

Free the Children says its international projects have brought more than 650 schools and school rooms to youth and provided clean water and sanitation, health care and food security to one million people around the world, freeing children and their families from the cycle of poverty.

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