With a full entertainment lineup and dozens of volunteers and hundreds of performers, including students, will be taking the stage at the Weyburn Legion tomorrow for the 43rd annual Weyburn Communithon.
Raven Daer is the Communications Specialist with Envision Counselling and Support Centre, one of the eight member agencies taking part in the annual telethon. She is also the Communithon Committee's Communications Chair and Secretary.
Daer said the lineup this year has been changed up a bit, with some of the school performances happening in the morning, and some into the afternoon.
"Change is good, to keep it fresh for all of the folks out there within our community," she said. "This is a long-standing annual event, so we just want to make sure that we are bringing some new faces and switching up the schedule in terms of entertainment a little bit so that we are fully enjoying the event."
The morning will feature students from Assiniboia Park Elementary School, St. Michael School, and the Weyburn Comprehensive School's choirs and bands. Students from Legacy Park Elementary School will be performing throughout the early afternoon.
An important note for those attending just to see their kids perform:
"We are closing the doors and we're having the children actually exit the doors that the parents normally enter and exit," Daer said. "We are not allowing anyone to leave in while someone's actually performing. So it will be a little bit different. I'm not sure how it's going to look, but it's always crazy so I think we're just trying to eliminate like jarring the performance time."
"We recognize that you've got to come in and go as you're probably just sneaking it out on a quick break you're probably not supposed to even have during the day, but we did have some kids getting shoved down the stairs last year, which is absolutely shocking to think that there are some people that are in that much of a rush that they would be acting in that manner, but maybe just a gentle reminder that you know it's a lot and the kids come first, so be patient and it's once a year."
Other singing acts range from solo performers to church choirs and Variations Choir..
"We have a wonderful special performance and presentation from one of our long-standing and near and dear to our hearts, Communithon member Katherine Groshong," noted Daer.
Since Groshong turned 98 years old this year, she was the inspiration behind the fundraising goal set for this year's event of $98,000.
"She has had some sort of involvement every year, whether it's been behind the scenes or performing, and just being a proud supporter of us as well."
Dance acts will also get their chance to shine, from the Wheatland Senior Centre to Indian Bollywood dancers.
The Monster Mash is a favourite interactive dancing portion of Communithon with costumed children welcome to join the fun at the Legion.
The lineup isn't all about song and dance, however.
"Our Ambassadors have some wonderful entertainment lined up for everyone this year, including some Office Olympics, some 'Minute to Win It', as well as some Air Band competitions," said Daer. "So we are so excited for all of the fun things that these youth ambassadors have been working up for us this year."
The event goes live at 8 a.m. and concludes with the final total reveal at 11 p.m. this Friday, October 25th.
Read full stories about how each of the eight community agencies will benefit from the annual telethon: CMHA Weyburn Branch, Big Brothers Big Sisters Weyburn, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Weyburn Care-A-Van Society, Southeast Advocates, Envision Counselling & Support Centre, Inclusion Weyburn, and Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan.
Follow the Weyburn Communithon on Facebook, and find out more on the Communithon website.
