LOS ANGELES, CA (Friday May 12, 2006) People Magazine

Mississippi native Faith Hill and her Louisiana-raised husband, Tim McGraw, have plan to donate proceeds from their summer concert in New Orleans to benefit the Gulf Coast’s Hurricane Katrina relief. “We will not stop, we will not forget, we will not quit, until we see our friends, our families and our neighbors returned to the lives that they once knew,” the pair said in a statement about their July 5 concert at the New Orleans Arena, part of their “Soul2Soul II” tour.

“We hope to give everyone who comes out a few hours to just enjoy,” the stars said. Proceeds from their event will go to their new Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation and other organizations assisting those Mississippi and Louisiana residents still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. In addition, reports the Associated Press, half of the floor seats will be given to Katrina volunteer workers.

In March, when Hill and McGraw were in Nashville to discuss the “Soul2Soul II” tour, they responded emotionally to questions about the cleanup efforts in their home region.

“To me,” McGraw, 39, told ABC News, “there’s a lot of politics being played and a lot of people trying to put people in bad positions to further their agendas.”

McGraw singled out President Bush directly, wondering aloud why the leader of the free world can’t hold someone accountable for the cleanup. Hill, 38, clearly frustrated, broke down at one point, calling the government’s efforts “screwed up.” She said, “It is a huge, huge problem, and it’s embarrassing. I fear for our country if we can’t handle our people (during) a natural disaster.”

The criticism was uncharacteristic of either performer, both of whom usually avoid political discussions, although both have been active in raising money and volunteering for Katrina cleanup efforts.