FUNDRAISER
Free song download will help Loaves and Fishes.
A song written 30 years ago is being given new life as a free download that allows listeners to donate money to Loaves and Fishes.
It’s all part of the preparation for this year’s Cape Breton Guitar Night fundraiser and according to Pretty Archie member Colin Gillis, it’s a great way for the popular group to give something back to the community.
“We’ve been with the Guitar Night fundraiser since the beginning, three years ago, and this year we had this song that Brian’s uncle wrote a while back, 30 years ago, and it was never really used or anything,” said Gillis.
“We wanted to put it out because we love the song, we love playing it at parties and stuff but it doesn’t really fit our new record that we’re getting ready to make.
“So we thought what’s a better cause than raise a few bucks for Loaves and Fishes and keep going with the Cape Breton Guitar Night?”
The song, “Cape Breton You Belong To Me,” was written by band member Brian Cathcart’s uncle Gerard Thomas and features Cathcart’s mother Carol Ann Bates singing harmony as well as the fiddle playing of Kyle MacDonald.
The song is about carrying love for Cape Breton with you no matter where you are and
it’s slower than the usual harddriving Canadiana sounds of the popular band.
Gillis says the initial goal is to raise $1,000 for Loaves and Fishes, located in north end Sydney, but it does look like it may do even better than expected.
“We just put it up (Monday) so it’s new — and I think we’re already at half our goal total of money raised for it — it’s definitely off to a good start,” said Gillis. “Thousand bucks is what we were hoping but hopefully we’ll get more.”
It’s music to the ears of Jerry Holland, who, along with his wife Sara Holland, organizes Cape Breton Guitar Night.
It’s the third year for the annual event which will be held this year at 7:30 p.m., March 31 at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre.
This year’s event will feature J.P. Cormier and the Elliott Brothers, Pretty Archie, Jordan Musycsyn Band, the Curtis Matheson Band, Glenn Parker MacNeil and Joe Waye Jr.
The Hollands began working on the concert last September and Jerry Holland says each year they try to expand on the previous year.
“We’re just trying to build it every year to raise more money for Loaves and Fishes,” said
Holland, adding that the goal this year is $10,000.
The first year raised $4,305 and the second year raised $8,375, despite setbacks each year. The first concert took place during the second last Saturday of a big-jackpot Chase the Ace, which meant a smaller crowd, and the second concert saw the event moved at the last minute from Centre 200 to Membertou Trade and Convention Centre because of a water main problem.
“Hopefully this year, we’re good to go,” said Holland.
Even though the event is still six weeks away, about 150 tickets at $35 each have already sold and he’s confident the remaining tickets will sell quickly.
In addition to ticket sales and the money raised from the song, two restaurants, Alexandra’s Pizza and Flavour Downtown are donating a portion of sales from Kitchen Sink Pizza and Here Fishy Fishy Burgers respectively, to the campaign. Breton Brewing is donating the $5 donations at the door during Thursdays in March when they hold their trivia nights. The Cape Breton Highlanders are donating proceeds from their Friday, March 30 50/50 draw. As well, concert participant J.P. Cormier will be holding a guitar workshop on the day of the event.
“We’re off to a good start,” said Gillis.
“We’ve been with the Guitar Night fundraiser since the beginning, three years ago, and this year we had this song that Brian’s uncle wrote a while back, 30 years ago, and it was never really used or anything.” Colin Gillis