Doc Walker’s help is music to our ears

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/11/2011 (5274 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Canadian country music stars Doc Walker have decided to spend a few weeks working for pennies.

This weekend at the Manitoba Art Expo, a few dozen artists who are not starving will help people who are.

And it’s all because our Pennies from Heaven campaign is rolling into its 17th year of helping our local hungry during the holiday season.

Yes, it’s time once again for me to strap on the white feathered wings to encourage Winnipeggers and Manitobans, from young to old, to donate pennies, other coins, bills and cheques to our campaign.

It’s extra special this year because the three members of Doc Walker — Chris Thorsteinson, Dave Wasyliw and Murray Pulver — are also putting on the wings to help us raise funds.

It’s music to my ears.

We had our campaign launch this past Wednesday at the Free Press News Café, and the lucky people there were treated to a couple of songs from the Juno Award-winning artists, some words about why the campaign is important and the thrill of getting autographs and photographs with Doc Walker.

As always, the Pennies campaign helps the Christmas Cheer Board pack a hamper, including a turkey and presents, for people who might not otherwise get a proper Christmas.

And, because hunger doesn’t take a holiday, we also help Winnipeg Harvest provide food for individuals and families after the holiday season.

The need is great. Statistics released earlier this week revealed that in Manitoba, more than 18,000 households are helped by food banks.

Put another way, more than 55,000 people need food banks to survive each month.

And sadly, more than half — 50.4 per cent — are children under the age of 18.

But hunger also hits people on the other end of the age scale: 10.2 per cent of people helped by food banks are senior citizens.

As well, 4.4 per cent are disabled while 12.4 per cent actually have jobs but they just don’t earn enough to make ends meet each month.

You can help right away by going to the Manitoba Art Expo at Assiniboia Downs today and Sunday.

All the money donated to a special raffle for art will go to our campaign. As well, a portion of the sale of artwork designated especially for Pennies will also go to us.

What a beautiful picture: You get something for your wall, the hungry get something for their stomachs.

In the weeks ahead we will offer some fundraising fun with your chance to win concert tickets and CDs from Doc Walker, as well as an autographed guitar, plus a piece of jewelry and a signed hockey jersey.

We’ll even make a special appearance with Doc Walker at their Dec. 3 concert at Pantages Playhouse Theatre.

We’ll have more on all that in the days ahead.

You will also find out where your donations go and learn what some people, including children, are doing to help the cause.

You’ll also learn how philanthropic the entire student body, teachers and administration are in the Louis Riel School Division — they traditionally raise about one-quarter of our total through their own Pennies campaign.

If you want to keep up with how the campaign is going, you can sign onto my Twitter account — @KevinRollason.

The Free Press‘s Pennies campaign originated when now-retired editor Mike Ward saw that with only a week to Christmas, the Cheer Board was hurting for donations.

Quickly dreaming up Pennies from Heaven, Ward was stunned when about $4,500 worth of copper coins, bills and cheques rolled in.

A fundraiser was born. Last year, somebody’s donated penny put us over $1 million raised.

The wings have been worn in the years since by Gordon Sinclair Jr. and Lindor Reynolds until I donned them four years ago.

Now it’s up to you.

Just start collecting those pennies so we can help our hungry have, as Doc Walker sing, a Beautiful Life.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca