Edwin McCain will leave a lasting gift behind in November when he visits Wilmington. The singer-songwriter will perform with the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra to help the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation raise money for a specially designed neonatal/pediatric transport vehicle, event organizers said.

McCain’s performance with the orchestra, conducted by Rudy Shlegel of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, will be 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, in Kenan Auditorium at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Tickets for the concert are $40 for adults and $20 for students.

The vehicle would be the first of its kind in the region. It’s designed to help fragile newborns and children in the seven-county area surrounding NHRMC to travel safely to receive the level of care they need. Intensive care services are available at New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s Betty H. Cameron Women & Children’s Hospital.

The goal of the event is to raise $125,000, said Dr. Damian Brezinski, chairman and organizer.

“By reaching that goal, we will be able to receive a matching grant from the Eshelman Foundation to buy the neonatal/pediatric transport vehicle,” Brezinski said in a prepared statement.

McCain is a platinum-selling recording artist who blends southern soul with acoustic storytelling hits like “I’ll Be,” “Solitude,” and “I Could Not Ask for More.”

McCain took a break from his tour schedule on Aug. 22 to visit the Betty H. Cameron Women’s & Children’s Hospital to provide some cheer to youthful patients. After talking with children in the Pediatric Unit and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, McCain gave a private concert and signed autographs for the children. He also donated $5,000 to the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation toward the purchase of the mobile neonatal/pediatric intensive care unit.

“Having this vehicle could save lives by allowing us to more rapidly respond to emergencies involving newborns and children from eastern North Carolina,” Dr. Fernando Moya, hospital director of neonatology, said in a prepared statement.

Dr. Joseph Pino, hospital director of pediatric specialty services, said in a prepared statement the vehicle “will be the first unit in our region that is solely designed for infants and children and specially equipped to handle the needs of the most critically ill quickly and safely.”