By Sarah Wallace

Grandmothers helping grandmothers through fundraising concert

Apr 21, 2016 | 11:59 AM

A Prince Albert volunteer group is putting on a concert to help grandmothers overseas.

Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers (G4G) is an organization made up of local grandmothers who have been fundraising for grandmothers in Africa over the last nine years.  

Bea Fisher, the co-chair for G4G, said their primary job is to build awareness and solidarity for their “sister grannies” in sub-Saharan Africa who are raising their grandchildren who have been orphaned by HIV and AIDS.

“How we support them is not by giving money directly them, but by fundraising and donating what we raise to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Unlike a lot of other foundations, this one guarantees that over 80 cents of every dollar flows directly to a community based organization in the communities where the grannies live, where they know what their needs are, some of whom belong to these organizations and kind of act as field workers for other grannies,” Fisher explained.

Local group Arioso, made up of Pamela Cochet, Linda Jensen and Eunice Mooney will perform at the concert on Sunday at Plaza 88.

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Along with Arioso there will also be a six-piece band made up of local musicians Peter Laflamme, Dean Bernier, Dean Dynna, Candice Sinitoski, Craig Williams and David Gitner.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students/kids.

Tickets are available at Canadian Tire, Beth’s Yarn Shop or at the door on Sunday.

All the proceeds from the show will be donated to G4G.

“One of the good things about this concert is, and I’ve attended five of them, and of course Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers we’re all kind of excited about it, but what I do notice is people in the audience kind of start moving their feet as if they want to get up and dance. When they leave they are all wearing wonderful smiles and very happy,” Fisher said.

She said they will also be selling “granny cookies” as part of the concert, she said it will be a dozen cookies for $3.50 or three dozen for $10.

There will also be a raffle for a handmade queen size quilt, a handmade mink teddy bear, hand knitted scarf, toque and bag from Beth’s Yarn Shop.

Fisher got involved with G4G after retiring in 2013.

“I do appreciate that we have many people in Canada that could use the funds that we raise for the grannies in Africa. But the difference is that here we have some social programs that can help out, in Africa they have absolutely nothing. And we do know in the last nine years the incidents of HIV and AIDS has lessened, however the effects of that lessening aren’t going to be felt for another generation because the children who either have HIV themselves, or are children of HIV/AIDS parents who have died, need to stay in school and get marketable skills, be on their way towards having a strong family of their own and forming a good future, and that’s why the work we’re doing isn’t nearly done yet.”

swallace@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahthesquid