Ninety-four-year-old Vancouver music legend Dal Richards is swinging into New Westminster on Friday, June 8 to perform at the Columbia Theatre to help raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Canada.
The event will honour the legacy of Eva Markvoort, a New Westminster woman who died from cystic fibrosis at the age of 25. Markvoort had a blog called 65_Redroses, which is also the name of a documentary film about her. Sixty-five roses is what some children with cystic fibrosis call their disease because the words are easier for them to pronounce, according to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation website.
"It's been a long time coming," Richards said in a media release about the upcoming fundraiser.
Severin Morin is producing the show.
Morin wanted not only to bring Richards back to New Westminster, but was moved by the story of Markvoort. In honour of her memory, 65 red roses from Charlie's Chocolate Factory will be given to the first 65 ticket purchasers, and the net proceeds of the concert will be donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Canada.
As for Richards, he is still one of the hardest-working professionals in the music scene and is always eager to support great causes and events, the release states.
And the 94-year-old doesn't show any sign of slowing down - he keeps his Facebook page up to date on future gigs.
"I'm still having fun leading the band and entertaining British Columbians, and I plan to keep going as long as I can," Richards said in the release.
Tickets for Fridays fundraiser are available online from www.thecolumbia.ca or by calling the Columbia at 604-522-4500. Optional dinner packages are also available by reservation only. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $20.
