Putting on shows to raise funds for great causes
Pure play is something that I haven’t always had a lot of time to enjoy. Raising five children kept me very busy, especially when they were little. And in the 62 years I’ve lived in the Comox Valley, I’ve been involved in the time-consuming work of starting and running several not-for-profits.
One thing I’ve always loved is music. When I was growing up in Manitoba, my siblings and I would always sing together at every family gathering and camping trip. As an adult, music became one of my ways to play.
As all parents know, having children means you participate in a lot of fundraisers: 50/50s, raffles, chocolate or meat sales, and events. My kids and their father were often invited to participate in fundraising shows; he would play guitar and they would all sing, and often I would sing with them. We participated in a lot of concerts and telethons over the years. It was fun and always for a good cause.
Play for a purpose
I got even deeper into this type of “play for a purpose” after I met Ken and Cheryl MacLeod in 2006. They had just moved here from Langley, and he started teaching singing lessons for karaoke enthusiasts at the Evergreen Club in the Florence Filberg Centre. The lessons became quite popular—two hours a month where we could choose the songs we wanted to learn or practice. They were great for those of us who were shy about singing in public. After about six months, Ken started putting on country and western shows at the Filberg Centre to raise money for the Comox Valley Food Bank, and I got involved with those.
I was a big fan of Kitty Wells, who became famous with her 1952 hit “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” Ken encouraged me to learn her songs to perform at our shows—he used to call me “the Kitty Wells of the Comox Valley.” I loved channelling her energy when I sang her songs. She really was the queen of country music.
Ken put on many successful events over the years in Courtenay; these Filberg fundraisers happened twice a year. We’d get a packed house for every show, and each one raised more than $1,000 for organizations like the Food Bank and the Sonshine Lunch Club. He became ill with cancer and passed away in 2018, and Cheryl died less than a year later. They are both dearly missed by all their many friends.
British Columbia Old Time Fiddlers
These days, I get to sing my Kitty Wells songs as part of the British Columbia Old Time Fiddlers Branch #17 (North Island). I’ve been a member of this group for many years, although I don’t play fiddle myself. We perform at all the seniors’ homes in the Comox Valley, do fundraising shows, and also host dances at the Fallen Alders Hall once a month.
I love being part of the band—all very nice people who care about our shut-in folks who can’t get out to enjoy music—and it makes me feel good to contribute to the community by singing. But I’ve also had so much fun along the way! That’s the best part about play for a purpose: while you’re doing it for yourself, it also helps others.
