The New Westminster Hospice Society is raising funds for its future endeavours with a little help from its friends.
This weekend’s Life Aid concert featuring musicians performing musk by some of the most influential acts in rock including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and U2. Life Aid takes place on Saturday, March 3 from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Columbia Theatre, 530 Columbia St.
“It’s raising funds for the hospice society, specifically to go forward with our Compassionate Cities program,” said Dale Darychuk, a member of the society’s board of directors. “That is to train people to assist other people who are going though bereavement or are in that situation.”
New West resident Michael Dunn has previously produced Great Gig in New West shows at venues around town. He said this weekend’s show has an ensemble cast that features four outstanding vocalists: Diego Viramontes (star of last year’s two highly successful Great Gig in New West shows); Josh Wyper (from the Pompadoors); George T. Montebruno (founder and vocalist for New Westminster’s 2 Days and Counting); and Cathy St. Germain (one of B.C.’s most in-demand female vocalists).
In addition to supporting the hospice society, Darychuk said attendees will enjoy a great night out.
“Musically, it’s going to be a wonderful night,” said Darychuk, who attended one of the Great Gig in New West shows. “The one I went to at Anvil Centre, the music was terrific. Very accomplished instrumentalists and vocalists.”
The New West Hospice Society has also partnered with the Arts Council of New Westminster on an exhibition that aims to normalize conversation and messages about dying, death and grief. From Life to Death, a juried exhibition, runs at the Anvil Centre Community Art Space from March 31 to June 1, with an official opening on April 5.
It’s a busy time for the New West Hospice Society, which was founded in 2016 and aims to build a grassroots hospice initiative based on the Compassionate City model, which provides a framework to address social changes/sectors to normalize dying, death and loss. The society recently hired Laura Cherrille as its program director.
“It has been a volunteer board up until now,” Darychuk said. “She is going to take over the programs that we are setting up. She is going to be involved with having people trained to do a Compassionate City. She is going to be the face of the hospice society in New Westminster. She has lots of experience.”
For more information, visit www.newwesthospice.ca. For tickets ($35) to the Life Aid Concert, go to www.eventbrite.ca.
