*NSYNC Performs At Miami Benefit Concert
(11/12/01)

*NSYNC performed a free benefit concert in the South Beach section of Miami Beach, Florida, on Sunday (November 11), exactly two months after the September 11 terrorist attacks on America. City officials estimated that more than 150,000 people turned out for the event, which raised funds for the families of victims of the attacks, as well as for the Miami Recovery Fund of the United Way, which helps local displaced workers who have lost jobs since September 11. Money was raised from the sale of 1,500 VIP tickets at $125 each as well as concession sales from the concert, while other performing artists such as Mpress, Dante Thomas, Tito Puente Jr., Willa Ford, and Deborah Cox waived their usual fees for the charity event.

*NSYNC singer Chris Kirkpatrick recalled for LAUNCH what the group's reaction was upon hearing news of the tragedy on the morning of September 11. "We were stunned," he said. "We'd been on the road probably for about eight or nine months and the last thing we did was on the weekend, we had this show we did down in the islands, and we flew back on the Monday night, so we all got home Monday night and woke up Tuesday morning. And I know a lot of people got stuck and their plans were pushed back and changed from when they were supposed to fly out, and we were really blessed that we got home the night before everything happened."

Kirkpatrick added that *NSYNC, like much of the nation, spent the next several hours contacting friends and loved ones. "Just like everybody, we were on the cell phone and pagers trying to get a hold of everybody we knew in New York, making sure everybody was OK, and then (we were) letting everybody else know that our hearts and our prayers went out to everybody that was affected in the tragedies," he said.

Also on Sunday, *NSYNC presented a $1 million check to New York City relief efforts at a press conference at the Loews Hotel in South Beach. The donation represented anticipated proceeds from limited edition *NSYNC "bobblehead" toys that will be sold exclusively at Best Buy stores nationwide this holiday season.