Tuesday, December 23, 2014 10:00pm ET by  
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Demi Lovato raising money for mental illness this Christmas to honour her late father

Songstress Demi Lovato has teamed up with organisers at Regular Hero to raise money for her Lovato Treatment Scholarship Program this festive season as a way to honour her late father. 

Patrick Lovato died in 2013 and suffered from mental illness, so the 'Skyscraper' beauty wants to celebrate his life by raising funds to help others who are struggling with issues of the same nature.

Speaking to People.com about her plans for the fundraising, the superstar admitted that it's a cause very close to her heart and she wants to do what she can to provide those in need with the adequate support and treatment: "Mental illness can affect anyone, and although help is available, it often goes untreated."

"This holiday season, I'm so excited to raise awareness to a cause that is close to my heart by inspiring others to seek the help that they need and encouraging folks to give back to those who can't afford treatment."

In a video uploaded to Facebook, she continued: "That program came about when I lost my birth father. He suffered from mental illness. I believe that it was actually bipolar-schizophrenic, and he didn't have the resources that he needed to get help. In honour of my dad and other people that couldn't afford mental healthcare, I wanted to create a way for people to help others get the help that they need."

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Watch Lovato singing 'Bang Bang' here: