Kinkora Palooza

kinkora_palooza

On Oct. 29, 2015, approximately 300 people gathered for an evening of great entertainment and an exciting Silent Auction – all to raise funds for Camp Kinkora’s Camper sponsorship fund. The event was coordinated by Gary White, an alumni of Camp Kinkora. Gary, with Mike Palmer (Foundation of Catholic Community Services), organised a lineup of very talented performers and recording artists, including Shane Murphy, Craig Hodgson, Jenny Donovan, Pamela Khoriaty, The Choirboys (Denis Ducharme, Gary White), 3.5 MEN (Fred Gallo, Ben Griffin, Gary White), The Echohunters (Gord Fleming, Larry Cassini, Kirk Fontaine), and Aurora Chorealis under the direction of John Leblanc and Anna Graham, and Accompanied by Nathalie Khoriaty. Each of these accomplished individuals and groups have come out of, or are currently involved in the Camp Kinkora experience, and have been positively impacted by these unique programs and related leadership opportunities.

Gary and Shane Murphy managed to get a spot on TSN690 to advertise the event , with Shane offering a few tunes for the listening audience.

Silent Auction items were a-plenty, donated generously by individuals, artists, restaurant and business owners in and around Montreal. Among those items were: Dinner for 4 hosted by Chef Chuck Hughes; Dinner for 4 hosted by chef Derek Dammann at Maison Publique; 2 sets of HABS Tickets (by Mike Marjaba, and by TSN690 and Mitch Melnick), Golf Package (by Lino Ferrera); 4 tickets to Cirque du Soleil (by EVENCO); Framed oil painting by local artist, Tony Rettino; Framed photos of Kinkora scenery by Photographer Jocelyn Roy; and a very popular Kinkora Souvenir and Memorabilia package donated by Penny Arns, to name just a few!

During the evening, a letter was read from Montreal Bishop, Thomas Dowd, who was unable to attend but wanted to offer his good wishes and support for the event and the Kinkora Community as a whole.

The well-attended event raised over $6,400, which will help send a minimum of 25 underprivileged campers to Kinkora Summer Camps in 2016 – opening up this often life-changing experience to those who would otherwise not be able to attend. This year Camp Kinkora will offer specialty weeks for underprivileged families, and for those living with the challenge of Mental Illness – all while continuing to support DCA Camps, WIAIH, and other groups supporting the needs of the Intellectually Challenged.

A debt of gratitude goes out to the many volunteers who helped before, during, and after the event to ensure it’s success. This could not be done without the dedication and commitment of the many members of Kinkora’s tight-knit community. We truly are a ‘Community for Life’!
Let’s conclude with parting words from Gary White: “It was a pleasure to help put this event together for a cause so close to my heart. If the stars are aligned, here’s hoping we can do it again next year and take it to a new level.” Here’s hoping indeed!