Lily Pad Cruisers bring the King back to serenade Selkirk this holiday season
There will likely be some crying in the chapel on Dec. 9 when the Lily Pad Cruisers bring Elvis tribute artist Daylin James of Thunder Bay back to town to perform at the Selkirk Community Church.
James regularly performs at the annual Burgers to Beat MS event which is a collaborative effort between our local Selkirk A&W and Lily Pad Cruisers proceeds of which support MS research but this holiday season the Cruisers have brought him back to help them raise funds which will support their other community efforts.
“You don’t have to be an Elvis fan and you don’t have to like gospel. You just want to listen to this man sing. It is unbelievable. It’s like nothing else,” said Marcel Lemire, president of the Lily Pad Cruisers.
The concert will be a matinee performance by James who is nationally recognized in the Elvis tribute scene having taken home wins at the Canadian National and International Elvis Tribute Artist Grand Championship in Collingwood, Ont. Particularly poignant to this event is his 2011 win which he took home after performing gospel classics.
“We do a three-hour show. We do two sets [with an intermission]. We’re looking at performing from 1 to 4 p.m.,” said Lemire.
Lemire says that they decided to host this concert because they as a group have a goal of fundraising $10,000 every year which they donate to their Selkirk and District Community Foundation Fund. This will allow them to provide a scholarship for high school students graduating from Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive High School in perpetuity.
The group also makes regular donations to the Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, our local palliative care, and always collects Tins for the Bin at every event they host which will include the Elvis Concert.
“The community gives so much to us. We come out looking for donations and stuff to hold our events. [With all the help we receive] it’s important for us to give back to the community in whichever way we can,” said Lemire.
He also said that residents who may be interested in joining this local car enthusiast group are very welcome to take part.
“We’re looking for more members to join, we have 111 but we’re always looking for more,” said Lemire.
New potential members or people looking for advice are also very welcome to stop by A&W in Selkirk where the group meets on Wednesday evenings.
The concert tickets are being sold for $20 each and though there are posters throughout Selkirk with information, the easiest way to get a ticket is to call Lemire at 204-485-6899.
He suggests residents call sooner rather than later as tickets have been selling quickly and he doesn’t expect any to be available at the door.
“If Mom and Dad could use an early Christmas present, here’s an early Christmas present, go to the concert. Get a hold of one of us. We’ll be glad to sell them a ticket. Absolutely! We want to see it sold out,” said Lemire.
