St. John's choirs hope to hit all the right notes for charity

Five local choirs will team up for a concert in St. John's on Sunday to raise money for the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Centre.   

Led by the Les Ms. Women's Choir, "Sing for Care" is now in its 15th year. 

"It's all to come together to raise funds for the patient and family support fund with the Bliss Cancer Care Centre," choral director Valerie Long said.

"The fund is for people who have to travel to St. John's to get treatment."

The Les Ms. Women's Choir will be joined by Hazelwood Elementary Choir, the Holy Heart Alumni Choir, MUN's Chamber Choir and Let's Make a Choir for the concert. 

More than 300 singers will lend their voices for the fundraiser. 

Long, who will directs three of the five choirs, said in the first year it raised money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Association.

"Because we are an all-female choir, we thought, 'Why don't we tap into something that is in our lives everyday that we have to deal with,'" Long told CBC News.

"Our first year we did it for the Canadian Breast Cancer Association, but all of the money went out of the province because it's a national organziation."

More than $120,000 raised

Long and the choir members then looked for local groups who needed a financial boost.

"I got in touch with the Bliss Centre and they identified this particular fund as the most needing attention," she said.

"Since that first year, we've been giving to the patient and travel family and support fund and we know that it stays right here in the province and it benefits our people."

To date, the event has raised more than $120,000, a source of pride for Long and her singers. 

"The community is wonderful in their support of us in our singing."

The show gets underway at 7 p.m. on Oct. 30 at Holy Heart of Mary Theatre.