Bridge School Benefit
The Bridge School Benefit was an annual charity concert usually held in Mountain View, California, every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre from 1986 until 2016 with the exception of 1987. The concerts lasted the entire weekend and were organized by musicians Neil Young and Pegi Young. An annual Bay Area highlight, the concerts were billed online as the primary means of funding for The Bridge School; over both days, the reserved seats alone brought in well over a million dollars every year. Partial proceeds benefited the Bridge School, which assists children with severe physical impairments and complex  communication needs. One of the thrusts of the program is the use of advanced augmentative and alternative communication and assistive technology. History. The first concert was in October 1986, and, with the exception of 1987, the concert was held every year until 2016. The benefit was known for having a relatively high-profile lineup and strong performances, primarily due to Young's extensive connections within the music industry. He performed every year, and oftentimes he would opt to do so multiple times throughout the weekend. At times he would bring another artist on stage and do a collaboration of one  of his songs with them. On November 18, 1997, "The Bridge School Concerts, Vol. 1", a compilation CD containing 15 songs, was released by Reprise Records through Amazon. In 2006, a six-volume set entitled "The Bridge School Collection, Vol.1" was released through iTunes. The set contains 80 recordings from the concerts and a digital booklet. Additional volumes from the concerts were released on iTunes annually through 2011. On October 24, 2011, Reprise Records released "The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition", a compilation CD containing 25 songs, with critical acclaim. The last concerts were held in October 2016. On  June 14, 2017, Neil and Pegi Young announced that the Bridge School Concerts would no longer continue.