(Posted 6:30 a.m., Nov. 25)
Local blues-rock band joins the fight against ovarian cancer
By Heather Jamieson
The Orléans Star

There is something unique about the Black Cherry Band beyond their distinctive style and versatility. The seven-member, self-described “blues-rock band” is com-mitted to community support.

Their December 3 event at the Shenkman Arts Centre, while focused on music and film, will also raise money through CD sales and a silent auction to support the 2017 Ottawa/Gatineau Ovarian Cancer Walk of Hope scheduled for next September.

The Black Cherry Band is holding a fundraising event at the Shenkman Arts Centre on December 3 in support of the Ottawa /Gatineau Ovarian Cancer Walk of Hope.. Photo supplied

Band manager Judy Letourneau, chair of the 2017 walk, lost her mother to ovarian cancer in 2000.

“Five women a day die from ovarian cancer in Canada,” explains Judy. Since there is no diagnostic test for it, women are often only diagnosed when the cancer is in advanced stages, she adds. Her goal is to mark Canada’s 150th birthday by raising $150,000.

The fundraising aspect of the evening will be preceded by the premiere of the band’s Christmas video, “Christmas Time in the City”, one of the tracks on their second Christmas CD, A Tree for Christmas, released in 2013. The video was produced by the band’s parent company, Songwind Multimedia Inc.

The band will also release its eighth studio CD, Been Down that Road Before, which is the soundtrack for a 15-minute short film, The Map, written by the band’s leader and drummer Rob Letourneau. The film, about a band striving to get radio play for their original songs, had its Canadian release at COMMFFEST in September 2015 and was released internationally last April.

Rounding out the film aspect of the evening will be the debut of a trailer for a full-length feature film, The Tablet, which was written by Rob and filmed entirely in the Ottawa area. It is scheduled for release in mid-2017.

The silent auction will include items donated by VIA Rail, artist Lindy Cousineau, a cell phone by IGO Cyber House and Ottawa Senator’s tickets from Brookstreet Hotel.

Supporting a charity is nothing new for the community-minded Black Cherry Band. Over the years, they have supported others, including the Bike Ride for Multiple Sclerosis and the Wild Bird Care Center in Ottawa.

On November 26 they will once again participate in the Ottawa Professional Firefighters Association’s Parade of Lights. The band has won the Best Band float award for the last three years.

“The band gets such a kick out of all the happy faces and the dancing kids they see as the float passes by,” Judy adds.

She says the band feels privileged to support charity events. “We enjoy getting our music out to people, like any other band, and doing these charity gigs is fun for the band and for the people attending.”

Tickets for the 8 p.m., December 3 event are $20 and available at www.shenkmanarts.ca. For more information about the band, including audio and video clips, visit www.blackcherry.ca.

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