Humanitarian of the Week: Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan

Known for her beautiful mezzo-soprano voice and her emotionally-charged songs, Sarah McLachlan has established herself as one of the most talented and popular performers of her generation. Born in 1968 and adopted in Nova Scotia, McLachlan showed in interest in singing and in music as a child. By the age of seventeen, she’d already started her own rock band and was considered by her schoolmates as the person in their class most likely to be a star. She met their expectations. Her albums have been critical and sales successes since 1991.

With all of her success, and the daily work of raising her two young daughters, you’d think that Sarah McLachlan would have little time for much else; however, she’s always been interested in ensuring the ethical treatment of both people and animals.

In 1997, McLachlan responded to her concerns that female performing artists weren’t receiving equal airtime and promotion by establishing Lilith Fair—a concert festival which showcased female artists and helped launch the career of many performers.

McLachlan has also lent her support to the AIDS research as well as to the American initiative to raise funds for those who were affected by the 2005 tsunami. She performed on the U.S. telethon for tsunami relief as well as worked to establish a similar concert in Canada. Along with her manager, she launched One World: The Concert for Tsunami Relief which raised $3.6 million for the cause.

Additionally, McLachlan is a passionate advocate for animal rights and works closely with the ASPCA. Her two-minute commercial for the ASPCA, set to her hit song “Angel” was so effective that it encouraged the organization to produce more with McLachlan, raising $30 million in donations for the ASPCA since 2006.

McLachlan also offers her support to organizations searching to end world famine and debt and to bring attention and aid to the people of Africa. Through her philanthropic efforts, she has raised millions of dollars for these organizations.

For all of her varied efforts and her king and generous spirit, Sarah McLachlan is our “Humanitarian of the Week.”