In an effort to help raise $1 million to open a youth community space at Jane Street and Finch Avenue, a rock concert fundraiser will be held downtown Saturday, Feb. 11.
Since 2007, Don Stewart, president of St. Alban's Boys and Girls Club, has produced four amateur rock shows to raise money for The Garage, a new community space to be run by the Jane/Finch Boys and Girls Club, a sub-group of St. Alban's. "We've turned a decrepit garage into a two-storey, 2,000-square-foot building," Stewart said. "We have a sound system and computers donated by Microsoft. The concerts are to help raise capital to open it, which we hope to do this year. We are trying to provide support for the young people in the area for after school and evening, with a focus on providing care for kids of single-parent households."The concert, to be held at the Keating Pub and Grill at 2 Villiers St., will feature bands Carma and Alley Beat Grind. Tickets are $25 at the door."We usually clear $5,000 at each show," Stewart said. Stephen Katz, who will be drumming for Carma the night of the concert, said they chose the Keating Pub as the site for all four concerts because some of those involved were familiar with it from their days of band practice nearby."We'll have a silent auction and door prizes," he said. "We usually get a couple hundred people at our shows."The fundraisers, held in 2007, 2008 and 2011, will now be annual, Katz said. "I grew up at Keele and Wilson," said Katz, a sociology professor at Trent University, who lives at Leslie Street and Sheppard Avenue, noting this is his way of supporting his old neighbourhood. "I think fundraisers like this is a great idea. There are lots of amateur bands who make their own independent income. We are not making money ourselves."