Dear Editor:
On Saturday, June 22, we had a fantastic turnout in Memorial Park in Summerland for the Big Band Extravaganza. People came out by the dozens with their folding chairs.
For the past several years, a handful of big bands throughout the region have been keeping in touch. They plan to get together annually to play for each other and, of course, to schmooze.
However, the bands readily took up the torch to make these annual get-togethers a fundraiser, each band taking its turn to host an event in or near their home cities. This year, it was the Penticton-based Thursday Night Jazz Band that organized and hosted the event in Summerland.
Summerland Community Centre was the beneficiary of this fundraiser, and we could not be more grateful. During the four performances, listeners contributed more than $1,000. If the donations reflect the performances, we have to assume that everyone really loved the music that the bands played.
All band members technically paid for the privilege of playing for the community. They paid for their own transportation, chipped in to pay the district to rent the band shell, and they also paid for their own pizza party afterwards.
The Summerland Community Centre Association’s board of directors thanks the attending public for their generosity, and deeply thanks the Okanagan Valley Big Band (Vernon), the Lake Country Big Band (Lake Country), the South Okanagan Big Band (Summerland), and the Thursday Night Jazz Band for initiating this fundraiser.
Summerland Community Centre board
Summerland