The travails of Claude the Cat some months ago has prompted an outpouring of musical support for the institution that took him in.
The “Clamor For Claude,” a musical fundraiser for the SPCA, set for Saturday, Nov. 16 at Auntie Barb’s Bakery in Cranbrook, features a number of local musicians performing as a fundraiser for the East Kootenay SPCA.
Local musician and impresario Ferdy Belland was motivated to organize the event after reading about Claude.
In August, the EK-SPCA in Cranbrook put out the word that $1,455 in donations was needed in medical expenses for a stray cat staff named Claude, who came to the SPCA with a number of health issues, including a broken sternum. The story moved Belland to take musical action.
“After an initial black wave of hatred for humanity in general, I thought ‘I’m a musician, I know a bunch of musicians, why not hold this fundraiser?'”
Since then, Claude has been nurtured back to health, and a home found for him. But the fundraising dream lived on, and took life.
“Because I’ve always wanted to do a fundraiser for the SPCA — it’s my favorite charity — I put the word out and there was an amazing response. Barb and Tod made Auntie Barb’s Bakery available, and [Fisher Peak Performing Artists Society] lent us their PA.”
More than a dozen local performers will take the stage from 5:30 p.m. to 12 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 16, at Auntie Barb’s Bakery, for a fundraising musical marathon. They include:
Jamie Neve, Split / Shift, Sheva (Van and Shelagh Redecopp), Kevin Honeyman, Keith Larsen, the Tall Timbers (Drew Prinn and Landon Schira), Clayton & Joelle Parsons, Trena Spears, Jessica Gareau, Earl Banman, Joel Gagnon, Ferdy Belland, and Erin Dalton. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
“It’s heartwarming to see the kindness and compassion being shown in an immediate rush from the musical community of Kimberley and Cranbrook,” Belland said. “I’m hoping that rush will also come from the general community in Kimberley and Cranbrook.”
