Fourth Annual Concert to Feed the Need in Durham on Sunday December 12, musicians from across the Durham Region gathered at the historic Regent Theatre in Oshawa to help feed their neighbours in the fourth annual Concert to Feed the Need in Durham. Congratulations and a big thank you to coordinator Joe Solway (Rotary Club of Bowmanville), the many volunteers and talented musicians for donating their time and staging the Concert to Feed the Need in Durham. Please Read more....
On Sunday December 12, musicians from across the Durham Region will be gathered at the historic Regent Theatre in Oshawa to help feed their neighbours in the fourth annual Concert to Feed the Need in Durham. As in past years, the event will showcase an award-winning line-up of performers from a cross-section of genres – pop, country, R&B, gospel, folk, classical and more.
The inaugural concert was presented in December 2018 by the Bowmanville Rotary Club and staged live, with two shows in the auditorium of the Bowmanville High School, for which the club received District 7070’s Tibor Gregor Community Service Award. That was followed in 2019 by a live event in the BHS aud., but last year, due to Covid, the concert was on line – as a telethon. This year, with the easing of restrictions, the show will be a hybrid -- in-person (with vaccination requirements), along with a virtual option.
The event’s scope has grown over the years, becoming a Durham-wide Rotary event, with 8 Rotary clubs in the Region so far joining as co-presenters. “It’s so gratifying to see the power of Rotary, and what we can do working together.” said the concert’s producer, Bowmanville Rotarian Joe Solway. “Since Feed the Need in the Durham operates across the Region, my dream was always to have multiple clubs getting together to put this on. And since it’s now a regional show, we’re staging it at the Regent Theatre in Oshawa -- a wonderful venue and a cultural hub of Durham.”
As always, all net proceeds from the show go to Feed the Need in Durham – and the need has never been greater. The agency collects and distributes food and other essential items to more than 60 emergency food providers across Durham, including food banks, shelters, meal and snack programs and other social service agencies.
Donations to FTND are hard-working. For every dollar donated directly, or through concert tickets or sponsorships, Feed the Need can distribute 7 dollars worth of food. That means, with the money raised by last year’s concert, the agency was able to distribute more than $140,00 in food, and more $300,00 in the first three years of the concert.
This year’s show showcased an array of outstanding talent, including gospel singer Nicole Sinclair-Anderson of the Juno-award-winning Toronto Mass Choir; Juno nominee Kalista Wilson; OMA songwriter-of-the-year Tania Joy, celebrated music educator Artemis Chartier with Pierre Chartier and Dale Russell of the Guess Who; Bluegrass singer of the year Alicia Robicheau; rising stars Cale Crowe, Hunter Sheridan and country music’s Leah Daniels and Kris Barclay; Glendale One; Cheryl Ireland & The Autumn Smoke; and the Classical/Contemporary choir Resound.
A big shout out to our stage and stage crew -- Colin Hughes, Dale Wakefield of the Regent, and volunteers David Smith, Mike MacGilliray and Rotarian Rob McArthur who made the show look and sound great, and run so smoothly. Thanks also to Regent General Manager Kevin Arbour whose support and guidance was crucial to making the concert a success!
Thank-you!!
Watch many of the acts on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ConcertToFeedTheNeedInDurham
