The Maritime music community is coming together in Halifax to raise funds for Scott Jones – a young man who has captured the hearts of many people across the region and around the world.

Jones, 27, was out with some friends in downtown New Glasgow over the Thanksgiving weekend when he was stabbed in the back, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

His family and friends believe Jones, who is openly gay, may have been targeted because of his sexual orientation.

Since the attack, thousands of people have supported Jones through online donations, fundraisers and social media campaigns.

An ambitious one-night music festival fundraiser is taking place at multiple venues along Gottingen Street Thursday evening.

“Gottingen Street for Scott Jones is about a community rallying behind someone who is facing a horrific situation,” says Rose Allen, who helped to organize the event.

The event features seven venues and over 40 artists, all performing in support of Jones and his inspiring message of hope and positivity.

“He has the most warmest heart out of anyone I’ve ever met and kind of the most positive spirit,” says Katie Roux, who has known Jones for years.

Thursday also marks the grand opening of her café, The Nook, on Gottingen Street and she plans to keep it open late for the festival.

“I’m expecting a lot of people I guess because there’s a lot of close friends to Scott who are in that circle because they either work here or they play music and they’re planning on attending tonight,” says Roux.

Down the street at the Marquee Ballroom, East Coast indie pop band Paper Lions will perform – a gig drummer David Cyrus MacDonald and the rest of the band couldn’t refuse.

“Scott is closer friends with my wife but he’s friends with me too and Scott and my wife Morgan have been doing some Facebooking and his positivity is just great because there’s so much attention on him right now and there’s so much opportunity to move his message forward with this,” says MacDonald.

Seamstress Carly Beamish also wanted to show her support and sewed 100 bandanas that say “Gottingen Street for Scott Jones” to be sold at Thursday’s music festival.

“I really hope that these bandanas will stand as a reminder that we won’t tolerate hate and violence against anyone,” says Beamish.

According to the event’s Facebook page, more than 1,000 people plan to attend the music festival. Tickets can be purchased online.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Alyse Hand