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Kinsmen bringing comic relief to benefit Northern B.C. Friends of Children |
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Written by PATTY STEWART
Citizen columnist
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Wednesday, 01 October 2008 |
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PATTY STEWARTNORTHERN BCLAS VEGASFIRST WORLD WARFIFTH AVENUEWADDLING DUCK
And while the audience laughs, money will be raised for the Northern B.C. Friends of Children Society.
The organization was founded in 1998, inspired by the collective Prince George effort that raised funds for a tiny baby named Diego - Baby Diego, we all called him.
Diego Carpino was born with a life-threatening medical condition. His parents were told that hospitals in the U.S. performed a surgery that could save him.
And then the young parents were told the procedure would not be covered by B.C. Medical. A massive fundraising campaign captured the hearts and wallets of people in Prince George and across B.C. Diego survived the surgery and is now a healthy teenager.
The Kinsmen Club was there from the start, helping to raise funds for Diego’s surgery and then helping to raise funds so that other families in a financial crisis due to a child’s medical emergency could breathe a little easier.
“We’ve helped 800 families in the last 10 years,” says Friends board member and Kinsmen Club vice-president Mike McGuire. “The Friends of Children covers a huge area - the entire top third of the province.”
With help from the Friends, parents can get help to cover extra child-care costs, travel and accommodation expenses as well as expert advice on other resources available to assist the child and family.
But back to the laughs - the Kinsmen will bring a night of food and fun to Prince George Oct. 25 when they host Canadian comedian Paul Myerhaug, winner of the Great Canadian Laugh-Off 2007.
Born and raised in Camrose, Alta., Myerhaug is one of North America’s top young comics and a regular on the Yuk Yuks comedy circuit. The web site YouTube features several of his routines.
McGuire said comedians here in Prince George are currently vying for the opportunity to open for Myerhaug at event later this month. “We had six comedians compete and all six were very funny, but we had to pick three.”
McGuire said the top three will perform and the audience that night will decide which is the best, with the winner receiving a free trip to Las Vegas.
A Kinsmen Club member since 1985, McGuire said his affiliation has not only helped him serve his community, but also get more out of life.
“Compared to what I put into it, I am paid back 100-fold,” says McGuire, noting the fellowship, friendship and camaraderie he experiences through Kinsmen. He says membership has also contributed to his personal organizing and speaking abilities.
McGuire, a former Mr. P.G., also met his wife through his Kinsmen affiliation. You see, even though they’re known as Kinsmen, they do welcome women, with the local club membership standing at about 50/50 men and women.
“It’s the only service club that was founded in Canada,” McGuire says of the organization which has more than 7,400 members in its Kinsmen and Kinette clubs. “It all started by word-of-mouth in 1920 by a guy named Hal Rogers.
“He had come back from serving in the First World War and missed the camaraderie from those days. He tried to join Rotary, but his application was rejected because of their policy that only one person could represent a business. His father had a plumbing business and was already a Rotary member, so Hal was rejected.”
Recognizing the need for another organization, Hal invited a few of his friends to a dinner in Hamilton, Ont., and encouraged them to spread the word of the new Kinsmen organization. With a motto to, “Serve the community’s greatest need,” the Kinsmen movement spread across the country.
Along with their work raising funds and awareness for the Northern B.C. Friends of Children, local Kinsmen are also strong supporters of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, raising thousands of dollars locally to help wipe out the disease.
Tickets for the banquet featuring Paul Myerhaug are $35 each and available at the Kinsmen Hall, Studio 2880 or any Kinsmen Club member.
* * *
Look for a new CD full of sweet and sultry standards from local chanteuse Dawn Boudreau, to debut Saturday at the Waddling Duck. Entitled Love from the Piano Bar, the singer’s new CD features many of the tunes Boudreau has perfected as a mainstay on the local entertainment scene.
The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Waddling Duck on Fifth Avenue and costs $20 per person, which includes Boudreau’s new CD. The show will be held in a new, private wing, allowing a more concert-like feel to the evening. For more information call 250-561-5550.
If you know of someone or something that should be In the Spotlight, contact Patty Stewart at
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 01 October 2008 )
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