RALEIGH – Local bands will have an opportunity to be showcased here for a good cause.

And – if selected – they could end up performing in New York City.

The American PABI Heroes Tour, hosted by the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation, will encompass 15 cities nationwide and will make its stop in Raleigh on Wednesday, May 6. A PABI Hero is a musician or group of musicians who have helped or are interested in helping families of children/young adults with Pediatric Acquired Brain Injuries (PABI).

“We’re excited about coming to Raleigh and as a native of eastern North Carolina, I’m hoping we’ll have some of the talented groups in that region participate,” said Jennipher Dickens, the public relations director for both the Tour and the Foundation.

Local groups must submit their entry no later than April 15 to be considered. To enter, musicians should go to www.pabitour.com and click on the city for which they would like to enter. The entry form also asks for a link to a youtube.com video or other musical source featuring the entrant.

The person or group may either submit the name of a PABI family they would like to sponsor or request to be matched with one. Sponsoring a PABI family means that if a group is selected to compete in the local tour, they agree to hold one fundraiser within a calendar year of the tour date to benefit that family.

The entire tour is hosted by the Sarah Jane Brian Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to assist the millions of children and their families affected by PABIs. Pediatric Acquired Brian Injuries are the number one cause of disability and death in children in the United States. More information about the foundation is available at www.thebrainproject.org.

The 15-city tour will also make stops in Boston, Massachusetts (May 3), New York, New York (May 4), Washington, D.C. (May 5), Atlanta, Georgia (May 7), Miami, Florida (May 8), Birmingham, Alabama (May 9), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (May 10), Columbus, Ohio (May 11), Chicago, Illinois (May 12), Dallas, Texas (May 13), Denver, Colorado (May 14), Tempe, Arizona (May 15), Los Angeles, California (May 16) and Seattle, Washington (May 17).

The winner for each city will be selected by a local panel of judges at the conclusion of each tour night and will then be invited to New York City on June 5 to compete against the winners from other each stop on the tour.

“We’re excited about this event and how it can help those families who are dealing with PABIs every day,” Dickens said. “We believe there are lots of musicians out there with good hearts who want to be involved and this will give them that opportunity.”