Juno Award lands in thrift shop
Canadian music trophy from 1989 shows up as Goodwill donation
A local thrift store is singing the praises of an unusual donation.
Staff going through donation bins at Goodwill Industries in Niagara Falls in late October came across a Juno Award.
The award, for best R& B soul recording, was presented to Vern and Deborah Zoller in 1989 for Errol Starr Francis’s song Angel, from his album Temple of Love.
“You never know what you’re going to find,” said Bob Romeo, director of marketing at Goodwill Niagara.
“Some people think we’re just used clothing but there’s household items, electronics and things like this.”
Presented annually by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Juno Awards celebrate the country’s musical achievements in more than 40 categories, representing multiple genres.
The 28- year- old Juno is now part of the Portage Road thrift store’s auction items. All funds raised from the auctions, as well as sales at its six thrift stores across Niagara, supports work opportunities and skill development for people with barriers to employment or independence, and affordable housing for seniors.
As of Monday, bidding for the Juno was at a little more than $ 300.
“All the money goes back in to the community so if we can get a little more money for an item we put it up for auction,” Romeo said.
As with most auction items, the Juno was posted on Goodwill Niagara’s Twitter and Facebook feeds.
It didn’t take long before someone sent a Facebook message to Francis, who lives in the Hamilton area.
“Someone says, ‘ Hey, did you know your Juno is on auction at the Goodwill in Niagara Falls?’ and I had to go and double- check to make sure mine was still sitting on my mantle,” the musician quipped.
It turns out that when an artist receives a Juno, there’s several other people who also receive the award including investors.
Vern Zoller was a principal investor on Francis’s Temple of Love album.
Francis said he is not aware of any connection to Niagara Falls as Zoller lived in Mississauga at the time of the album’s release.
“I think it’s a great idea if it can help raise funds for Goodwill and help someone else out,” he said of the auction.
Romeo said staff never know what they are going to find within the donations.
“We’ve had a Rolex watch and we’ve had autographed NHL jerseys and plaques and things like that,” he said. “But, this is our first music award.”
Meanwhile, Francis continues to be active in the music industry and also offers music workshops for youth at a community centre in Oakville.
The 47th annual Juno Awards will be held in Vancouver in March.