Parkdale Food Bank Update #4

So this is where we stand. I've talked to someone from St. Francis Table who assures me that they don't have the administrative resources to deal with the monthly auto withdrawal donations. As I understand it, St. Francis Table is a volunteer run organization and they also handle the administrative side of the Parkdale Food Bank (another volunteer run organization).

So, it looks like their are only three ways to donate. 1) Drop a donation off in person. 2) Send a cheque to St. Francis Table 1322 Queen Street West Toronto, Ontario M6K 1L4 or 3) The very most fun way
Come to the Parkdale Food Bank Fundraiser at the Cadillac Lounge

MUSIC MARATHON AT THE CADILLAC LOUNGE IN SUPPORT OF THE PARKDALE FOOD BANK: 

SUNDAY DECEMBER 16 1:00 - 8:00 p.m.


In response to the threatened closure of St. Phillips Pantry in Parkdale, a diverse group of Toronto musicians have organized a seven-hour music marathon to raise money for this essential food bank.  The marathon will feature a line-up of musicians representing both the Parkdale area and Toronto’s broader musical community, encompassing a broad range of genres and styles - from pop to jazz to avant-garde music.  

The event is scheduled to happen at the Parkdale landmark the Cadillac Lounge (1296 Queen St.West) on Sunday, December 16th from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The operating cost of the food bank isn’t great - just $33 000 a year to feed 600 families in the Parkdale area.  But this expense is too much for the Holy Family Parish to keep up and, while local representatives from all levels of government have donated $2,000 to keep it open another month, the food bank will be forced to close after two decades of operation unless a permanent funding solution is found soon.

The musicians involved in this fundraiser are setting out to accomplish two things: first, to raise money to give the food bank more time to raise funding and, second, to promote awareness of this extremely important issue.  

By this grassroots-level response, they hope to highlight the failure of government and business to make this fundamental service a priority: with the massive social and cultural changes that have taken place in Parkdale in recent years, there’s a definite sentiment that poverty has become something to be ‘swept under the rug’ in order to facilitate development.  Economic development at the expense of social responsibility is not progress at all - it’s moral decay.

The fundraiser came about through collaboration between local activist Justin Beach and Benjamin Mueller-Heaslip, the band leader of the acclaimed Parkdale Revolutionary Orchestra.  When Beach learned about the crisis facing the food bank, he began organizing an Facebook-based relief fund and invited Mueller-Heaslip to take part.  The urgent need to do something to get the whole community aware of and involved in this issue led to the idea of holding a music marathon fundraiser at the Cadillac Lounge - the venue responded with immediate enthusiasm.

Mueller-Heaslip, a well-respected member of numerous facets of Toronto’s music scene, sent out a call to musicians inviting them to participate and to forward word about this event to their colleagues.  The response has been overwhelming: enough musicians want to take part in this to hold at least three seven-hour fundraisers, and the visual arts community has responded as well, putting together a silent auction of donated artwork to take place during the fundraiser.

The format for the music marthon will be a series of twelve half-hour performances, beginning at 1:00 p.m. and going on until 8:00.  The cost of the event will be a suggested cover of $5 (larger contributions being welcome).  All proceeds will go directly to support the food bank, and seveal of the bands taking part will be making their CDs, donating a portion of the sales cost as well. 

People are invited to stop by to see their favourite acts, to stay for a while and discover a new music they haven’t had a chance to hear before, or to come and experience the entire event - all in the support of a wonderful and important cause.

CONTACTS: 

Benjamin Mueller-Heaslip (the Parkdale Revolutionary Orchestra)
phone: 647 435 9068
email: ben@parkdalerevolutionaryorchestra.com

Justin Beach (publicbroadcasting.ca)
phone: 416 534 2868
email: beach.justin@gmail.com

THE BASICS:

Music Marathon in Support of the Parkdale Food Bank
at the Cadillac Lounge (1296 Queen St. West, Toronto)
Sunday, December 16 1:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Admission by donation ($5 min. suggested)



LIST OF PERFORMERS (including genre and links to audio):

The Parkdale Revolutionary Orchestra (melodramatic minimalism)
http://www.parkdalerevolutionaryorchestra.com
Ronley Teper (singer/songwriter)
http://www.myspace.com/ronleyteper
Up All Night (celtic)
http://www.upallnight.ca
Michael Holt (singer/songwriter with band)
http://www.myspace.com/mikeyholt  
The WGs (indie rock)
http://www.myspace.com/thewgs
Rob’s Collision (avant-jazz improv)
http://www.myspace.com/robstunes 
The Ugly Bug Band (folk/rock)
http://www.myspace.com/uglybugband
The Tiny Alligator Quartet (jazz quartet)
http://www.myspace.com/tinyalligator
Frank Horvat (concert pianist)
http://www.myspace.com/frankhorvat
Kanaka (edgy funk)
http://www.myspace.com/kanakatoronto 
Calamity Royale (singer/songwriter w/band)
http://www.myspace.com/calamityroyale
The Book of Gnomes (improv)
http://www.myspace.com/thebookofgnomes 

This exact time for each performance is still being set.  These listings, biographical information on all the participants, and more information about the fundraiser will be available as the event develops at the following website:

http://www.parkdalerevolutionaryorchestra.com/foodbank.html