THANKS AGAIN TO ALL THE SUPPORTERS OF “A NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”

Yesterday we were able to drop off about 25 bags of groceries, and a few loaded boxes, to the Salvation Army Food Bank, in Gravenhurst, donated by patrons of Saturday evening’s Christmas Show, at the historic and wonderfully accommodating Opera House. On Wednesday, we will also have an $800 cheque to present to the Food Bank, which surpasses last year’s amount......and hopefully this is the sign of upward momentum of an exciting trend, an increasing awareness, and generosity to help the less fortunate in our community.

It is important to recognize that “A Night Before Christmas” was successful because of partnerships......many of them. It was a collaboration of musicians, dancers, technical volunteers, business co-operation, and the literal kindness of strangers......many we had not known previously who offered to help out in aid of the Food Bank.

We couldn’t have arrived at this donation without assistance from the Probus Club of Gravenhurst, Chamberlain’s Timb-r Mart, Peter’s Players, Gravenhurst Car Wash, SellaVision, Just 4 Kicks Music Studio, Andrew Currie’s Music and Collectibles, Robert Currie’s Music, and Birch Hollow Antiques. We heartily thank folks like Fred Schulz our permanent Master of Ceremonies, Doug Chamberlain, our superhero stage manager, Greg Allen, Josh Hill, James Lucibello in the “tech deck,” our good friends Kelly (Duggan) and Jane for beverage sales and organization, Lori Wallace, who managed the flow of performers from downstairs to the stage, and to Papa Larry’s Pizza, of Muskoka Road, Gravenhurst, for kindly providing some after-show food for a delighted group of weary performers and helpers. It was all greatly appreciated.......each and every contribution throughout the event, including the guests who donated to our food bank drive with bags of groceries.

There are moments in any event, when the show organizers pause to reflect, (and it can be frequent) and sometimes there’s that fear and trembling which creeps into the thought process......as one hopes to get to the end without a major disruption. And it can be said that this in itself often keeps promoters from a true enjoyment of the “actuality” of their event. Worry. Anticipation. Expectation. Impatience. We’re pretty big, in our family, about not wishing away precious time, so I begged them to drop their guard a tad, and take-in all the poignant, important moments, to celebrate what they had helped create, in their midst,......and let history account for itself in the long-run. Coming from a lengthy history in the antique field, we call this “patina.” The aged, seasoned hue of time and use on the finish of a treasured relic. In time and memory a show, even with inconsistencies, will rekindle as an inspiring, gentle, warm reminiscence of a life spent entertaining others. This time, while not dismissing the possibility that something or other would or could go wrong, my boys, Andrew and Robert, were so comfortable with their musician and dancer friends, the dedication of their volunteer brigade, and the jovial mood of the audience, that they actually enjoyed the whole show, and were understandably a tad disappointed when it was all over for another year. But alas, one show down, another in the wings. The boys have already begun thinking about a summer-time festival to celebrate the good graces of our hometown.....of which they are enormously proud. Possibly a national showcase, with hometown talent, to celebrate Canada Day? Let us know what you think? A cause you think we should throw some support?

Please accept our thanks for helping out this important community cause. I’m afraid that we are facing a serious new reality here in Ontario, possibly Canada, even when a recovery from the recession is mounted, where Food Banks become essential services.....not just sites generously set up by wonderful organizations such as the Salvation Army,...... but by the necessity of government services to deal with growing economic inequalities, that even abundant faith and good citizenship alone can’t cover in total. We need to be aware that without the Salvation Army heading this food bank, in our town,.....well, we wouldn’t have one at all. Can we rightly expect that the Salvation Army will always be there to help us out? We need to be more realistic about how precarious it is, 12 months each year, to keep food on the shelves. In my own opinion, it needs to be an agenda item for the new four year term of Gravenhurst Council. They simply can’t avoid the issue that the family count being served by the local food bank is expanding not diminishing each year.......and they need to be working much closer with the Salvation Army to examine ways to assist. Not just financially. It wouldn’t hurt at all for council to ask for a meeting with Salvation Army administration, to get the accurate statistics regarding their client volume and needs, in order to better understand the social / welfare implications of the town they’re governing. That’s my wish list for 2011.

Merry Christmas and have a safe and Happy New Year from the Currie’s of Birch Hollow!