AUSTIN, Texas – If Austin wants to keep its title as the "Live Music Capital of the World," it's important the city keeps its musicians healthy. That's the mission of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM).

• 250 performances scheduled
• Mayor declared September 24 as HAAM Day
• More than $500,000 raised in 2018

The organization's biggest fundraiser of the year, "HAAM Day," kicked off Tuesday featuring hundreds of mini concerts in the Greater Austin area.

In one day, local businesses and music venues are hosting live music showcases and donating a percentage of their daily sales to support local musicians.

There's around 250 performances scheduled, featuring music from all genres. Many of the shows are free of charge, but donations are welcome. Thousands of Austin's working musicians can't afford health care, and that's where HAAM steps in.

The all-day event kicked off at Whole Foods downtown with a proclamation read by Mayor Steve Adler declaring Sept. 24, 2019 as "HAAM Day."

“Our musicians bring in billions of dollars through live performances each year, and it is important for us, as a community, to ensure they are alive and well, and able to keep playing that music we all love," said HAAM Day committee chair Olga Campos Benz.

The organization's goal is to help these low-income and underinsured musicians get access to affordable healthcare like dental, medical, and mental health services.

In 2018, more than $565,000 was raised on HAAM Day for Austin musicians. Overall, the organization has helped 5,000 working musicians since it started in 2005.

Executive Director of HAAM, Reenie Collins, said music is the universal language, and the lifeblood of Austin. She said every musician deserves to be able to focus on the music instead of worrying about paying for health care.

"Health care becomes a luxury to them instead of something that they have access to like a lot of other people. Because they also work in the gig economy, their income sometimes goes up and down and so HAAM is about stepping in and providing them with access to those services in an affordable way," Collins said.

This year, HAAM hopes to raise $610,000 to continue to expand services and meet the needs of Austin’s working musicians so the live music scene can continue to thrive.

"A great thing about HAAM Day is that it's super family friendly and it allows people who maybe don't get out to see shows in the regular club scene to see music all over town. In grocery stores, office buildings, bank lobbies, street corners, everywhere you can think of. We've got shows all over the city. There's something for everyone," Collins said.

If you're interested in checking out a live performance, visit the HAAM Day website.