The good news? Serena Ryder is coming to Toronto on May 29. The really good news? She’s performing for FREE in Dundas Square, along with Jully Black. And the really, really good news? She’s doing it all to celebrate Canada’s initiative to protect maternal health and prevent the unnecessary deaths of mothers and infants around the world. The event, put on through a collaboration between Save the Children, Plan Canada, Sick Kids and others (as part of the Canadian Network for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health), is meant to be a joyous occasion spreading the good news about Canada’s work to save millions of mothers and babies. Maternal and infant health is an important indicator of how far women have come, and it’s one of the most challenging problems that women still face globally. According to the World Health Organization, about 800 women die preventable deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth every day. We love Serena, and we love that this is a mother-celebrating, family-welcoming event. Serena has a heart of gold, and she knows how to use her musical talents for great things. In fact, we talked to her about the power of music for our upcoming August issue. Check out Serena at 7 p.m. on May 29 at Yonge and Dundas, and in our August issue. And read up on the devastating problem of maternal mortality to help Serena spread the word about the problem, and what's being done. (Photography: Wikicommons/Kirk Stauffer)