James “Buddy” Rogers will play a blues concert fundraiser for Easter Seals. (Publicity photo)
A blues concert with the James “Buddy” Rogers Band on June 2 is the first of what Century 21 Premier Properties hopes will become an annual fundraiser for Easter Seals.
The Saturday, June 2 concert takes place in the Vineyard Ballroom at Watermark Beach Resort. Tickets are $35 each.
Money raised through ticket sales and silent auction proceeds will help to send local disabled children to a fully accessible summer camp near Kelowna.
“It costs approximately $2,100 per child and our goal this year is to raise funds to send two deserving children,” said Wendy Brisebois, owner and realtor with Century 21 Premier Properties.
Vancouver-based Rogers took up blues guitar at age 10 and was playing in Vancouver bars as a teenager.
“My dad went to the liquor control board and got a license that he would take to bars so I could legally play there,” Rogers recalls in a bio on his website. “I began playing shows sitting in with all the great blues guys around Vancouver back then.”
At 19, he joined with former B.B. King bass player Russell Jackson to tour for five years, while based in Kansas City. They shared the bill with such musicians as Canned Heat, Sam Taylor, The Holmes Brothers, Elvin Bishop, Kenney Neal, Katie Webster and others.
Rogers is now backed by Mike Wedge on bass and James Badger on Drums. He recently released a CD, By My Side.
Brisebois said the idea of a blues concert as a fundraiser for Easter Seals and the “Kids to Camp Club” was a good fit on several levels.
“We just opened our office in January and we wanted to do something for the community,” said Brisebois.
The agency learned that Century 21 Canada has been a big supporter of Easter Seals through its “Kids to Camp Club.”
“So, we said that is perfect,” said Brisebois. “I actually have a background in caring for disabled and handicapped children, so that was pretty close to my heart anyway. I decided I wanted to do that and the whole office got behind me and said let’s make it an annual event for our office.”
Brisebois, who knows Rogers, said she asked him to come and play.
“I thought summertime blues would be quite fitting for chasing the kids’ blues away and going to summer camp, so that’s why we decided it should be blues,” she said.
In addition to buying concert tickets, people can also contribute by donating a silent auction item or by making a tax-deductible cash donation.
Tickets are available at Century 21 Premier Properties, 8217-A Main Street, Osoyoos. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the music starts at 8 p.m.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
