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The cast of musicians and singers in the Meota fundraiser show. (Submitted photo/Colin Baillargeon)
ER Capital campaign

Meota fundraiser concert for BUH Foundation a big success

Aug 8, 2022 | 5:29 PM

The recent fundraiser concert in Meota saw a great show of support and brought in $17,155 for the Battlefords Union Hospital (BUH) Foundation.

All proceeds benefit the “Every Minute Matters” ER capital campaign.

Meota Music Productions’s Charles Baillargeon who planned the musical entertainment for the show with his wife, Anne, said he was thrilled with the outcome.

“It was a phenomenal success story financially…,” he said. “[And] to see everyone come out, and the emotions from the people who were seated in the audience was just as gratifying. It was unbelievable the reception it received.”

The show ran July 30 and 31 at the Meota Communiplex.

Baillargeon said the event went extremely well.

“We had 450-plus people show up, in adding up the total nights,” he said. “It was just a wonderful performance. Both nights were well attended. There were enthusiastic crowds. It exceeded our expectations.”

The fundraiser was last held in 2019 before everything shut down due to the pandemic restrictions. So the event was also a bit of an opportunity for people to get together as well.

“This was kind of a renewing of friendships, and a community coming out and not having to worry too much about COVID, I suppose,” Baillargeon said. “With the concert theme ‘Love is in the Air,’ it was meant to bring families and communities back out, and to enjoy an evening of entertainment.”

Similar to past years when the show was running, the musicians came out dressed in the fashion of the era when the songs being performed first gained popularity.

As another highlight, a couple of children performed the song “You Are My Sunshine,” and quickly had the audience joining in.

Baillargeon said this is the first time the concert was offered on two nights, back-to-back at the same location.

“In the past we’ve gone over to Battleford and done a second evening at the Alex Dillabough Centre. But we had people [performers] coming from Saskatoon and Calgary, [so] it just makes it difficult for those people to come back to commit to a second performance without basically destroying the entire program. So we thought: Let’s have two nights back-to-back, and people will show up. And sure enough they did.”

Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW