More than 200 elementary and high school students from Moose Jaw’s public schools used their musical talents to help raise funds for the refurbishment of A.E. Peacock’s 88-year-old Centennial Auditorium.
Peacock Collegiate hosted a musical celebration in its famed auditorium on June 4, as part of its ongoing efforts to raise $250,000 for the $500,000 project. The Centennial Auditorium is a venue that is one of the largest theatre spaces in the province. It has supported tens of thousands of performers, bands, choirs, dancers, and speakers over the last eight decades, while more than 500,000 people have sat in those seats for those performances.
The Prairie South School Division intends to match all funds raised up to $250,000.
Some of the musical groups that serenaded the audience during this particular evening included the combined Grade 7/8 band, featuring students from all four elementary schools; the concert choirs and jazz bands from Peacock and Central Collegiate; the vocal choir from Peacock; the Oxford Street Singers; and a mass choir.
A silver collection was taken up, with individuals asked to contribute $10 and families asked to give $25. The goal for the evening was $3,000.
“We’re making some progress,” Dustin Swanson, principal of Peacock, said about the $250,000 goal. “We’re close to $40,000 from donations.”
Money has been generated by selling seat sponsorships, through donations from alumni, and from accepting donations from community businesses. Insurance salesman Greg Marcyniuk presented a cheque to the project during the musical performance.
However, the fundraising committee is still searching for more community partnerships.
“So there is a lot of work yet to be done,” said Swanson. “We have a reasonable start here. We’re continuing to spread the message and reach out to all the alumni from all the high schools and encourage them to get involved and connect with what we’re doing.”
More information about the Centennial Auditorium Renewal Project can be found at https://newseats.ca.
