A Nov. 13 launch party will kick off the sale of a children's music CD to benefit Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. The CD features family-friendly songs contributed by 17 local bands or performers. Twelve of the donated songs have never been released until now. Revenues generated from the disc will cover the cost of medical and surgical care for children who are uninsured or who need care that isn't covered by their insurance.

Minnesota singer/songwriter Adam Levy co-produced the disc and found broad support from artists: "It seems most people in this state have had a Children's experience with their own kids, or they know families who have received care there. I was really happy with the way my colleagues rallied around the cause." The CD -- a new fundraising tactic for Children's -- borrows from the success of the popular Cities 97 Sampler, which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities each year. The 23rd Sampler disc, which will be released Nov. 17 and will sell for $25.97, could generate $800,000 for charity. Fundraising goals for the Children's CD weren't immediately available Monday afternoon. The Children's disc will sell for $18, and will be available Nov. 14 at Creative Kidstuff and via iTunes and Amazon. Tickets for the release party, which takes place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, are $10 for adults and $5 for children three and older. The need for fundraising might seem odd given how Children's is expanding its Minneapolis and St. Paul hospitals, and is a very high-profile advertiser in the Twin Cities. But the hospital spends millions every year to cover the cost of medical care to needy patients. It reported nearly $71 million in community benefit spending in 2009, including $8 million in charitable care and $26 million in unreimbursed costs for serving state Medicaid patients.