SHINEtember took place on Friday, Sept. 21, uptown at the Canterbury Lounge. It was an evening of drinks and live entertainment, all in support of Shinerama; the number one student fundraiser in Canada. All proceeds go towards research to cure Canada’s number one fatal genetic disease, Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Organizer, Stefan Warner, says he wants to keep the fight against CF going throughout the school year.
While students with their Shinerama t-shirts could attend for free, others paid $8 at the door and students under the age of 19 had to be accompanied by a parent or spouse. Students enjoyed performances by Clifford Doucette, Wet Grow Light, Adam Washburn, Verse the Sun, and Jinx the Cat. Clifford Doucette, solo performer as well as lead singer of Wet Grow Light, was asked to perform by a friend. “This is my first Shinerama event,” says Doucette,“it’s going to be a good time.”
Food from Thandi’s Restaurant was provided free of charge and the bar was serving Shinedrinks: each drink at $4.50 gave $1.50 to Shinerama. “Our goal this year is to raise $10,000,” says Warner, “it is aiming high, but hopefully it will foster more involvement around campus.” The Shinerama fundraiser has been going on across Canada for 46 years and every year the life expectancy of victims of CF increases by 10 months.
“There will definitely be more Shine events this year,” says Warner. Plans for possible pub crawls and more shows on campus are in the works. Student, Paul Amdemichael says, “It’s always a good time at a Shine event; I really believe in what Stefan’s doing and having had the opportunity to attend a national conference and see the effects first-hand I think every person who attends an event has reason to be proud.”
It is Warner’s last year running Shinerama and he is determined to leave behind a strong legacy, so keep a look out for more events to come.
