An anticipated live music fundraiser is swelling with support, both on and off the stage.
Whether you’re a visitor or a resident of the Comox Valley, be sure to check out the Cumberland Hotel this Saturday. And be sure to get there early.
With limited capacity, crowds eager to see Mother Mother’s Ryan Guldemond and Jasmin Parkin are abuzz at the opportunity to see some of Canada’s most notorious musicians in the intimacy provided by the quaint atmosphere at the Cumberland Hotel.
Local hip-hop fans will be treated to a solo performance of Sweatshop Union’s Mos Eisley, a Comox Valley resident who crafts spoken word that is sure to challenge all concepts of normality.
Victoria’s Meat Draw, a five-piece indie-gospel band with a full complement of brass, are sure to keep those lucky enough to have gotten in on the dance floor, for a good old-fashioned harvest season boot-stomper.
The night will be closed with a DJ set from The Naked DJs’ DubTecha, whose work continues to evolve and redefine musical boundaries.
The first 35 attendees will not only be entered into an exclusive band merchandise prize-pack draw, but will also be amongst the lucky few to be treated to the folk-garage soul of Clint Nottingham, a Victoria-based musician whose band Clunt & The Scrunts is proliferating in that city’s burgeoning scene.
For those who have missed the Valley-wide poster, social media, and print campaign, this incredible event has been organized on the behalf of Hayley McDougall, a Vernon resident who suffers from New Daily Persistent Headache, an unpredictable, rare and largely untreatable condition.
Hayley, now a member of an experimental treatment group at the prestigious Mayo Clinic, has recently undergone a second experimental procedure to try and treat her debilitating pain.
As the first person in Canada to have ever undergone such procedures, Hayley has now had a battery pack implanted in her pelvic region. Wires tunnelling both along her spine and up her abdomen lead to contact points strategically positioned to send electricity into her nervous system in the hopes of deflecting the pain signals from being received.
She is the first person in North America to have 16 contact points implanted.
The story has touched many in the Comox Valley, and the response of local business has been incredible. Donations have poured in. Thanks to the support of The Cumberland Hotel, Crystal’s Place, Sure Copy and the diverse collections of performers, fundraising efforts have been channelled into an astounding event.
Business donations has allowed for a remarkable raffle. Grand prize draws include a Yoga and Surf Retreat from OmTown Yoga, and a Custom Snowboard from Kindred Snowboards. Dozens of other prizes worth close to $3,000 give any attendee great odds of winning prizes donated by generous local businesses.
The arts community is the Comox Valley is also in for a special treat. A piece by Montreal-based painter Scott Bertram has been generously donated for silent auction. Scott’s works have been displayed across the country in RBC’s 2010 National Painting Competition, in which he was a semi-finalist.
Without question, this event will be one of the most intriguing collections of talent to descend in the Valley for a single-night performance. Music, prizes, art, and all the proceeds go to relieve the suffering of a decade-long struggle.
For more information on local fundraising events, such as performer and prize info, or to learn about Hayley and her rare condition visit Hope for Hayley McDougall on Facebook.
