U2: Edge Raising Funds For Sandy Relief

U2 guitarist The Edge has launched a new relief fund for people affected by Hurricane Sandy through his Music Rising initiative, according to Rolling Stone. The Music Rising program will donate an initial $250,000 to help with rebuilding music programs in the New York/New Jersey area that were affected by the devastating late October storm. More information about Music Rising and about how to donate can be found at the initiative's official website.

Music Rising was launched in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina, with a mission to rebuild and preserve the music of the Gulf South region in the aftermath of that catastrophic storm and others.

Since then, Music Rising has provided tens of thousands of instruments to musicians, schools, churches and community programs in the region, created a teaching curriculum to permanently preserve the musical heritage of the Gulf South, and provided significant support to musicians and to the Nashville Symphony in the wake of the 2010 Nashville flood.

U2 has been quiet as of late, but the band's manager Paul McGuinness recently hinted that a new album could be on the way for 2013.