Fundraiser pulls in $6,700

Jeff Green | Oct 18, 2012

Photo: Oh Susanna in concert

It's always a tricky enterprise organizing a first-time fund raising event.

However by joining forces, Jane Drew, executive director of Central Frontenac Housing, and Marcel Giroux, a board member with the Kingston chapter of the Alzheimer's Society, pulled off an event that combined the buzz of a live auction with the pleasures of two sets of music spanning the 10-year recording career of Oh Susanna.

Both Jane and Marcel made full use of their personal community and family networks to pull the event off - and raise $6,700 to boot.

Jane's husband, Auctioneer Garry Drew, was put to service. He gathered many of the items for the auctions from the local business community, conducted the 19-item live auction in a humorous and effective manner, and even swept up the hall at the end of the night.

Jane did most of the organisational work, and the arm twisting to get everyone on board.

Among the work that Marcel Giroux put into the event was a phone call he made to his son Cam in Toronto. He asked Cam to come up for a weekend in October, and maybe play some drums. He also asked if Cam’s wife Susie would be coming as well.

Susie Ungerleider, who performs as Oh Susanna, is a frequent visitor to Sharbot Lake with Cam and their son Sal.

As she said during a break in her performance, normally when she is in Sharbot Lake on a Friday night, that means dinner at the Legion.

The first part of the evening belonged to Gary Drew, who entertained and cajoled people out of their money in the auction, which included a signed Maple Leafs sweater, a load of gravel, golfing packages and other interesting items, all of which went for good prices.

Then in a relaxed performance, with Burke Carroll on dobro and steel guitar, Cam Giroux on drums and background vocals, and herself on guitar and lead vocals, Oh Susanna performed songs from all of her recordings, including a number from her latest release, Soon the Birds. The songs, as always were powerful and honest, and beautifully performed by the singer-songwriter and her two-man band. Burke Carroll was particularly interesting to watch because not only was he able to provide tasteful backup on some of the softer songs, he was also able to rock out on the heavier numbers, even as he was sitting and playing dobro.

The evening ended with the announcement of the winning bidders from a large and varied number of silent auction items.

Central Frontenac Housing is a five-unit, seniors residence, located on Clement Road near Sharbot Lake. The Alzheimer's Society operates a program out of the Seniors Centre in Sharbot Lake, among other local activities.