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Tonye’s love affair with community organizing began through music as one of the co-founders of #GroundUp, a mutual aid initiative powered by live music, hosted in one of the city's most vibrant and celebrated live performance venues - Guilt & Co.

#GroundUp was started as a way to honour the legacy of beloved fallen comrade Randy Ponzio, and to continue his tradition of connecting music to a deeper meaning, and using gatherings to celebrate those who have typically been marginalized or criminalized. This soulful and creative initiative has raised over $200,000 to support grassroots campaigns and service-based organizations in the DTES since its inception, and continues to do so as it celebrates its tenth year in 2022.