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Pre-Relay concert to add almost $1,500 to CCS
Three relays taking place in region
They are no strangers to the life-threatening-and-taking realities of cancer.
A group of former Mount Baker Secondary School music and theatre students came together last night at Cranbrook’s Rotary Park to stage an impromptu vocal and comedy performance for an appreciative Wednesday evening crowd.
The performance was a pre-Relay for Life fundraising event for the Mount 
Baker Vocal Alumni team taking part in this Saturday’s (May 26) Cranbrook/Kimberley relay, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the College of the Rockies track in Cranbrook.
At time of publishing this story, a total of $38,189 has already been raised for the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). (See: https://www.relaybc.ca/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=480785 for more.)
The drive to take part in the relay wasn’t hard to find for the Mount Baker alumni, as in the past couple of years they have watched as cancer claimed their mentor and touchstone, Rod Osiowy. And earlier this year, Mount Baker music teacher Evan Bueckert was diagnosed with leukemia.
“Well. WOW,” exclaimed event co-organizer Delaney Kunitz on the Mount Baker Vocal Alumni Facebook page.”I’d like to first of all say a huge thank you to absolutely everyone who came out last night – your support was absolutely incredible and I know I speak for everyone when I say we are so grateful that you all took the time to come out. Also, I want to thank the amazing and wonderful people who came together and worked hard and sang their hearts out – this 
would not have been what it was without them! Lastly… thanks to everyone who came out, we raised nearly $1,500 to help in the fight against cancer. I’m absolutely blown away. You’re all so phenomenal. THANK YOU!”
Colleen Osiowy said on Facebook she was touched by the performance of her late husband’s former students. “What an absolute privilege to have been at this wonderful concert this evening—thank you for sharing your amazing voices, your delicious harmonies, your beautiful personalities and your heartfelt generosity,” she said.
The Cranbrook/Kimberley Relay is the first of three taking part in the East Kootenay in the next few weeks.
The Elk Valley Relay for Life is taking place Saturday, June 9 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Fernie Secondary School. Thus far $28,051 has been raised for the CCS. See https://www.relaybc.ca/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=480790 for more.
The Columbia Valley Relay for Life is taking place from 3 p.m. to 6 a.m. at the David Thompson Secondary School track in Invermere on Saturday/Sunday June 16/17. A total of $17,833 has already been raised. See https://www.relaybc.ca/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=480779 for more.
Ian Cobb/e-KNOW
Photos by Carrie Schafer/Through My Eyes Photography
