Musicians Lend Voices to Hospice Care
An excerpt from the Hamilton Spectator as it appeared – “Songs In the Key of Giving: Musicians lend voices to hospice care” – June 21, 2012
Musicians Lend Voices to Hospice Care
An enthusiastic soldout crowd of 400 were on hand at Hamilton’s Carmen’s Banquet Centre on June 11 for a musical evening with Jim Cuddy, John McDermott & Friends.
The event was hosted by Blair McKeil, chairman & CEO of McKeil Marine, and his wife Kathy, who are passionate about the valuable role that hospice care plays in our communities. Their friend, well-known tenor, John McDermott, shares a similar passion for hospice care and together they collaborated to raise awareness and funds for The Carpenter Hospice, Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice, McNally House, Hospice Niagara and McDermott House Canada.
On hand was Canadian and international recording artist Jim Cuddy. Songs in the Key of Giving was an exciting evening of great music and a live auction. When the last note was sung, $300,000 had been raised.
McDermott House Canada’s (mcdermotthousecanada.org) first project will be located in K Wing in the Veterans Centre at Sunnybrook Hospital. MHC has committed to raising the money to expand and renovate the palliative care unit, which will provide a warm, homelike environment to veterans, military, first responders and community patients as they face their final challenge.
Personally committed to veterans and all those who serve, McDermott has been awarded the prestigious Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Award in Ottawa.
John McDermott backed up by band member bassist George Koller sings to the sold-out crowd of 400 during the Songs in the Key of Giving hospices fundraiser.
Receiving framed posters for the Songs in the Key of Giving fundraiser are from left: Trudy Eagan (McDermott House Canada), Jan Nichols (Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice), Leslie Hirst (The Carpenter House Hospice), Blair McKeil, Pamela Blackwood (McNally House Hospice), John McDermott and Margaret Jarrell (Hospice Niagara).
The dynamic duo behind the Songs in the Key of Giving hospices fundraiser Blair and wife Kathy McKeil with performers John McDermott (second from left) and Jim Cuddy (far right).