London, Ont. - Known for their success through YouTube releases - and especially their brilliant 5-people-playing-one-guitar interpretation of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know"- the band Walk Off the Earth is turning in a sensational, live performance at Western Fair's Metroland Media Agriplex tonight.
This is the seventh time that the Country Classic Auction (CCA), presented by Siskinds: The Law Firm, has been able to attract top-name, award-winning artists. Past CCA performances include: Burton Cummings, Serena Ryder, Tom Cochrane with Red Rider, Great Big Sea, Barenaked Ladies, and Blue Rodeo.
The concert caps off an evening of fun for 1,300 supporters of London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF), who dressed-down in western attire, enjoyed a gourmet BBQ dinner and shopped their way through 17 live auction items and more than 525 silent auction items earlier in the evening.
Besides the shopping and the concert, there are also plenty of other fun activities at the CCA, including a social media contest with lip sync performances of Shania Twain's "Man, I Feel Like a Woman" posted with the hashtags #supportmentalhealth and #singforshoppers.
Still, the highlight of the evening is the secret entertainment, which was revealed part-way through bidding on the last live-auction item - a Baden guitar that the lucky purchaser has the option of having Walk Off the Earth sign during a private meet-and-greet at the end of the concert .
This year's auction is themed "A Grand Ole Night in Nashville", with proceeds supporting LHSF's Mental Health Campaign. The campaign's $12 million goal includes support for London Health Sciences Centre's (LHSC) early-intervention and transition-age programs, patient-assistance funding, as well as research-and-innovation catalyst funding.
"The 29th Country Classic Auction will help fund innovative research, leading to new discoveries, new treatments and new protocols that will benefit patient-centred mental health care at our hospital, in our community, in our region and beyond," says LHSF President and CEO John MacFarlane.