OTTUMWA — Contemporary folk artist Christine Lavin will perform at a free benefit concert sponsored by Bridge View Center.

The concert will be at 7:30 p.m. June 28 in the Bridge View theater. It is being held as a benefit for Iowans affected by the recent floods.

The concert is free although donations are encouraged.

Lavin has been following the story of the flooding and felt strongly that she wanted to help in some way. By offering to present this concert, she hopes to help raise money to assist those who have suffered during this difficult time, Bridge View promoters said.

The Southern Prairie Chapter of the American Red Cross will receive all of the net proceeds from the concert.

Tickets for the show are free and available exclusively at the Bridge View Center Box Office and may be picked up from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Donations will be accepted at those times — $10 per person is suggested, but all donations will be appreciated. Tickets are limited.

Lavin has been called a female Mark Twain because human nature, whether on the street or in the headlines, inspires her music. Her songs are about relationships — “I Was in Love with A Difficult Man;” aging, “Making Friends with My Gray Hair;” or looking at age in a different way, “You Look Pretty Good for Your Age.”

She has been named one of the 100 most influential independent musicians of the last 15 years by The Performing Songwriter Magazine and also hosts her own radio show on XM satellite radio.

Bring your knitting needles and join Christine an hour before show time for a knitting circle in Bridge View Center’s Carpenter Lobby.

For more information, contact Bridge View Center at (641) 684-7000.