Almost 4,000 generous music lovers packed the hill at Seacliff Park on Saturday, August 30 as supergroup The S’aints took to the Sunset Amphitheatre stage to fight hunger with another free-to-attend concert.
Leamington Councillor Bill Dunn joined emcee Corey Robertson on the stage just prior to the concert to announce the chosen charity this year is St. John’s Anglican Church and to ask folks to dig as deep as they can to help attain the evening’s goal of raising $8,000.
A total of $8,753.35 was raised from cash donations in addition to several hoppers of non-perishable goods that were brought to the park.
That total joins the totals from 2022 ($2,500), 2023 ($4,400) and 2024 ($4,750) that have gone to local food-related charities.
The fourth annual S’aints Rock Seacliff event was presented by LiUNA!625 in partnership with the Municipality of Leamington, with all proceeds being donated locally — this time to St. John’s and their weekly meals program.
The stage was alive and electric from the get-go as the 10-member group got rocking early and continued for over two hours as volunteers from The Bank Theatre made their way through the crowd seeking monetary donations.
Led by Leamington’s own Jody Raffoul on lead vocals and Windsor’s Jeff Burrows on drums, the supergroup counts this show as a highlight of their season, along with the show they put on at Christmas at Caesars Windsor.
The powerful vocals of Kelly Howell, Liz Robinson and Stephanie Baker brought a strong female vibe to many of the songs performed on Saturday.
They were complimented by the instrumental excellence of Wes Buckley, David Cyrenne, Kelly Hoppe, Marty Bak and Jim O’Neil.
After the band wowed the crowd with several originals and cover songs, the night ended with the announcement that they surpassed the fundraising goal.
For Reverend Deborah Wilson-Safa, Deacon of St. John’s Anglican Church and Community Meal and Outreach Coordinator, the added funds are welcomed with open arms.
“The concert was amazing! We’re humbled and blessed,” she said. “We are so thankful for our Leamington community, for the volunteers, sponsors, The Bank Theatre and The S’aints for the support of our food and outreach ministries. This donation allows us the opportunity to continue providing nutritious meals to those facing food insecurity within our community. The words thank you really do not express what I am feeling. Just know many happy tears were shed.”
Kelly Howell shares her powerful vocals with back-up help from Liz Robinson and Stephanie Baker.
SUN photo by Mark Ribble
