The 24th annual In From The Cold benefit concert has raised almost $23,174.05 — its highest amount ever — for YES Shelter for Youth and Families.
The two in-person concerts were held over two nights on December 8 and 9 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough, with the second night also livestreamed.
This year’s total breaks last year’s record of $19,963.43 and brings the 24-year total raised or YES Shelter for Youth and Families to over $190,000. Along with proceeds raised from ticket sales and individual donations, local businesses and organizations contributed the highest amount in monetary donations ever for this year’s concert.
“The dramatic increase in funds raised over the past two years is primarily due to the generosity of our ever-growing number of community sponsors who, this year, contributed a record $16,000 in cash along with a variety of valuable in-kind sponsorships,” wrote John Hoffman on Facebook.
Hoffman, who first organized In From The Cold in 2000 with fellow musicians Susan Newman, Rob Fortin, and Curtis Driedger, also recognized the efforts of Brooke Erickson, fundraising and communications manager for YES, for the record fundraising totals in the past two years.
“Brooke’s diligent and effective work has more than doubled both the number of sponsors and the dollar amount of their contributions since 2021,” Hoffman wrote.
Advocate-level sponsors for this year’s In From The Cold concert were kawarthaNOW, McInroy and Associates, and Wild Rock Outfitters, with patron-level sponsors Finley Custom Stair & Rail, Herod Financial Services, Jo Pillon, Realtor, LLF Lawyers, Manitoulin Transport, PartTime CFO Services, and Artspace.
Supporter-level sponsors were Ashburnham Ale House, Ashburnham Funeral Home and Reception Centre, Black Honey Bakery and Cafe, Camp Ponacka, Charlotte Paint and Wallpaper, Dayle and Reid Finlay, Kawartha Credit Union, Long and McQuade, McDougall Insurance, Rolling Grape, Sandbagger, Sam’s Place, Sparq, Teachers for Kids, The EL (P), and The Living Vine.
This year’s concert once again saw Hoffman, Newman, and Fortin performing as Carried Away, along with with multi-instrumentalist Michael Ketemer and Celtic harpist Tanah Haney, as well as the 30-voice Convivio Chorus led by Newman and Driedger with his youth performers The Claveer Cousins.
Highlights from this year’s concert included the Convivio Chorus performing eight songs, four of which were the New Hebrides hymn “The Christ Child’s Lullaby,” “Star Of Wonder” written by Terre Roche of The Roches, the Peter, Paul and Mary standard “A Soalin’,” and the Swedish carol “Jul Jul Stralanded Jul.”
In addition, the Driedger-led Claveers sang “Christmas Maybe” and Hoffman, joined by Haney, performed an instrumental medley of two Swedish songs traditionally sung to mark St. Lucia’s Day on December 13th.
If you missed this year’s In From The Cold concert, you can listen to Trent Radio’s broadcast of the recorded concert throughout Christmas Day on 92.7 FM and at www.trentradio.ca/stream.htm.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a long-time sponsor of In From The Cold.
