MOOSE JAW — This year’s “Name That Tune” fundraiser, hosted by The Friendly City Optimist Club, wrapped up with Cherie and Stu Esson claiming victory on behalf of the Holy Trinity Catholic School Division (HTCSD) — and earning all the bragging rights that came with it.
The third annual fundraiser was held at the Moose Jaw Public Library’s theatre and featured six community-based teams of two who competed to identify songs played live on the piano by Optimist Club member Greg Gower.
“It was a fun evening and everybody left feeling quite happy about the entertainment as well as doing (this) for a good cause like Hunger in Moose Jaw,” said Gayle Jones, an Optimist Club member and event organizer.
The fundraiser focused on addressing food insecurity among Moose Jaw’s younger residents. All proceeds from the event will support both Hunger in Moose Jaw and the Moose Jaw & District Food Bank.
“Our goal was (to raise) $2,000, but we’ve earned more than that,” Jones said. “That is great. Thanks to… all the support from the community and the different local businesses that participated.”
Hunger in Moose Jaw was selected as the primary recipient as it closely matched the mission of the Optimist Club.
“Our goal is to support youth in our community, and we thought this was an extremely good way to (achieve this),” she said. The food bank, she added, was included because of its complementary work in the community. “Of course, they do such a good job, especially with the rising cost of food for families. It’s just another way to support children.”
Six teams sought to name a series of tunes while Optimist Club member Glenn Hagel kept the audience engaged with music trivia and commentary throughout. These teams included the HTCSD, Prairie South School Division, Hunger in Moose Jaw, Moose Jaw Centre for Arts and Culture, Rotary Club of Moose Jaw Wakamow, and the Hillcrest Dental Clinic.
Jones said the competition was close. “As usual, any team could have won. It was competitive,” she noted. The runners-up included Fiorina Hauck and Donna Winterton, representing the Hillcrest Dental Clinic.
Despite no planned changes this year, the audience added a little touch of their own.
“This year we had a little bit of audience participation, so we added that to the lineup,” she recalled. “Greg Gower played some songs, and audience members would stand up and guess the tunes. That sort of added a little bit more fun to the evening and let the audience participate a bit.”
The Optimist Club is now preparing to host several summer barbecue events and its next big project will be the returning Greeting Card Lane along Langdon Crescent later in the fall.
“(Name That Tune) was a great success, so we’ll probably do it again (next year),” Jones added.
“(I want to say) thanks to the Moose Jaw Express and the Moose Jaw Co-op as our sponsors, all the teams that participated, (and all) the people that came (out to the event). It was a team success…,” she concluded.
The Friendly City Optimist Club focuses on “Bringing out the best in kids” and is a youth-centred organization involved in several community service projects throughout the year. For more information visit MooseJawOptimistClub.Wordpress.com or ‘Friendly City Optimist Club of Moose Jaw’ on Facebook.
To learn more about Hunger in Moose Jaw call 306-692-1916 or visit HungerInMooseJaw.org or 'Hunger in Moose Jaw' on Facebook.
