CHRISTMAS VARIETY SHOW IS A JOY TO WORK ON EACH DECEMBER

It’s arguably not a Christmas tradition yet. It’s not really a Christmas pageant in keeping with those great old community events of the past but it’s in the same spirit of “coming together.” We in the Currie family think this is pretty important......because it’s what this community needs right now. A reason to come together and stop grumbling about road construction, taxes and election results, and put good neighborliness where it belongs. On Saturday, December 18, at the Gravenhurst Opera House, our boys Andrew and Robert, with the help of their mentor Fred Schulz, and Master of Ceremonies once again, will be doing their best to notch one more event onward to establish their Christmas Variety Show as a full-fledged town tradition, and making a huge attempt to fundraise for the Salvation Army Food Bank.....experiencing many new demands since this recession took hold.

Andrew and Robert, business partners in the main street music shop and studio, have been preparing their students for this Variety Show, “A Night Before Christmas” for the past six months, and many more musical friends have been volunteering to join the festivities including some talented dancers from the “Just 4 Kicks” studio in Gravenhurst.....which has really helped diversify the show’s appeal....to encourage even more folks to join a budding tradition of pre-Christmas celebration.

As an update, we are continuing to receive donations from businesses to sponsor the event, helping to defray costs of renting the Opera House. In the past it has been almost possible, under normal rental circumstances, to have much money to donate after all the required bills have been paid. This time we have opted not to have tickets for sale but to open the concert to all comers, with the request of a food item(s) or cash donation at the door, to assist our friends at the Food Bank, who work so hard to help our community 12 months each year. With donations presently, (you are welcome to join our sponsorship list for a small donation) we hope to be able to handle all concert costs before the event is held, which overall means we can submit a larger donation of food and money collected than years past. “We wanted to have our Christmas show in this elegant, historic building, but costs were hurting our capability to make it to the point we could offer much of a donation.....and as taxpayers and members of the business community, there is no way we will ask for a reduction of rental fees.....because we do understand the need to make money as well. We know we have to pay our way and we’re not in the habit of haggling for a better price. But we had to be creative in our approach, and we think we’ve found a workable solution,” says Robert. “If we can count once again, on the generosity of the citizens to help us......help the Food Bank, it will work out for everyone. And we get to carry on with a tradition at the Opera House and in the middle of the construction zone.....which should make the BIA happy we didn’t re-locate it away from the centre of town, as we have been forced to in the past.”

Our music industry friends have always been there to lend a hand, and mentor our students, and while this Christmas event will be a work of folk art more than a Rembrandt, it’s a reflection of honest goodwill, that we should come together as a community at this festive time of the year, to help our neighbors have a warm and festive season as well.

If you could offer a small donation or a non-perishable food item, you can do so in advance, by dropping in to Andrew’s Music and Collectibles,” across the road from the Opera House. And a Merry Christmas to you. Hope you can join us on December 18th.