Cochrane’s St. Andrew’s United Church will be holding its annual Christmas concert on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. at 128 First St E.
Admission will be in the form of a donation to the Cochrane Activettes, either in cash or a food bank item.
The concert has been running for 20 years thanks to Martin Russell, Arlene Hopland, Edith Wearmouth, and Brooks Tower – the self-proclaimed “Coffee Cuppers.”
Russell, the concert’s main organizer, says when he initially moved to Cochrane, the “positive spirit and attitude” of the area “hit him” and he wanted to find a way to “give back” to the community. Being musically inclined, he decided to put on a Christmas concert at his church, St. Andrew’s, and through the guidance of Rev. Dan Koots, he decided to use it as a platform to collect donations for the Cochrane Activettes.
The concert is unique in that it provides a fun way for people to donate to a good cause.
“Martin organizes (this) as a way for people to be involved in giving to the Activettes,” said Wearmouth. “It’s a fun way for us to do that, rather than just buying a bag of groceries (and) dropping them off at the Activettes.”
According to Russell, this year’s production will feature “at least 10 different acts” of all different genres, some of which are volunteers and some are professionals.
One of the “integral parts” of the night is St. Andrew’s United Church’s Instrumental Ensemble’s (SAUCIE) performance, which will be playing classical Christmas music.
Overall, the intent for the night is to have some fun with friends and family while supporting a good cause.
“It is so much fun to get up on that stage with my friends and just smile,” said Hopland.
