HOLIDAY ROCKERS
All about charity for S’aints
It’s definitely the season for giving in Windsor-Essex, with local rock supergroup The S’Aints once again raising thousands of dollars for charity at Caesars Windsor.
The festive-minded musicians entertained an eager crowd at The Colosseum on Sunday night with rock versions of Christmas tunes — but not before the announcement of this year’s fundraising tally at $50,000.
Mary Riley, vice-president of marketing at Caesars Windsor, told concertgoers: “It’s because of your attendance to this show tonight that thousands of families and individuals will have a brighter holiday,”
Veteran local singer-songwriter Jody Raffoul led his stellar crew of usual suspects — drummer Jeff Burrows, guitarist Wes Buckley, bassist David Cyrenne, saxophonist Kelly “Mr. Chill” Hoppe, keyboardist Kelly Authier, plus special guests — in lively renditions of such classics as Santa Claus is Coming to Town, We Three Kings, and more.
This year’s accompanying CD, entitled The White Christmas Album, includes interpretations of such holiday favourites as Please Come Home For Christmas, Blue Christmas, and Christmas Time is Here, as well as covers of famous hits like Could You Be Loved, Sowing the Seeds of Love, and Everyday People.
It’s the third year in a row that The S’Aints have played a Christmas show at Caesars Windsor, and the sixth year they’ve recorded a Christmas album for charity.
Proceeds from this year’s concert ticket and music sales are going to a number of local causes, including: The Downtown Mission, the Unemployed Help Centre, Windsor’s Welcome Centre Shelter for Women, the Windsor Essex County Humane Society, Chatham’s Outreach for Hunger, and the St. Clair College student food bank.
Riley said the funds will help fill the shelves of 18 food banks from Windsor to Chatham.
St. Clair College spokesman John Fairley thought the concert was appropriate, given Windsor’s current conditions. “We’ve had the weather, we’ve had the snow. We’ve had the real cold. You know it’s time for a great night.”
Fairley also noted that 2017 is St. Clair College’s 50th anniversary — which he subtly advertised by wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a giant number 50.
“I would never use an opportunity like this to promote the college,” Fairley explained to the audience. “But you know, numbers are very important in life.”
Want to purchase the latest album or past albums by The S’Aints? Visit whitechristmasalbum.ca