Snowbird Jammers will soon be landing in Altona
Posted By Lori Penner
Posted 5 months ago
If you miss hearing those good, old-fashioned County and Western tunes, you’re in for a treat! The Snowbird Jammers are coming to Altona for a night of golden oldies to raise money for C.A.R.E. Handivan.
The group is comprised of 25 musicians from across Canada and the U.S. who vacation together in Arizona in the winter months and perform benefit jamborees wherever they are invited.
The group also entertains in nursing homes and care centres, with every cent they raise given to various causes and charities.
Local members of the group include Jake and Hilda Friesen and David Wiebe. Hilda says they love to be part of the group which has become like one big happy family. She says they sing and play together for the sheer love of it.
Most of them travel to the various venues in their motor homes, making it a vacation with a purpose. “We’re a bunch of seniors who met in Arizona and have held jamboree sessions in Hazen, North Dakota over the years,” Hilda says.
The borders are only imaginary lines when the group gets together, and the friendship and camaraderie is evident at every performance.
Now, the Snowbird Jammers are starting a one-time only tour, performing concerts in communities across Canada and parts of the U.S. The tour begins in Alberta Sept. 14, moving on through Saskatchewan, Manitoba, North Dakota, the East Coast, then onto Kentucky, finally ending up back in Arizona by Nov. 1. Hilda says they will play for a different cause at every stop, although in some communities, the purpose is simply to get together and listen to some good music.
“It’s a great way to meet new people and see other communities,” Hilda says, adding that she and husband Jake will only participate in the Canadian leg of the tour, which should still keep them quite busy for the next month or so.
The Snowbird Jammers will perform in Altona on Friday, Sept. 18 at the Rhineland Pioneer Centre.
The evening begins at 5 p.m. with a light meal, with the musical presentation starting at 7 p.m.
Admission is by donation, with proceeds going to C.A.R.E Handi-van.
For more information, contact Jake and Hilda Friesen at 324-6957.
