A legendary Canadian musician is helping to raise money for campers with sight loss.
The Canadian National Institute for the Blind’s (CNIB) Lake Joe location will host its Cookout with Cuddy fundraiser on August 12, featuring Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo.
CNIB Lake Joe’s Sherri Helsdingen says the MacTier camp will offer a gourmet BBQ feast from local restaurants, live music including a special sunset performance from Cuddy, treats, a silent auction, and a “guide dog puppy pit.”
According to Helsdingen, Lake Joe is the only camp in Canada that specifically serves blind, partially-sighted, and deafblind people of all ages.
“People come to camp, really, because they want to have fun in the summer,” says Helsdingen. “We provide the opportunity for people to enjoy all the things that any other Canadian would enjoy, with some modifications and adaptations.”
Helsdingen says that includes all the typical camp activities, such as hiking, boating, rock climbing, and most recently, waterskiing—things that would not normally be accessible to people with visual impairments.
“Our goal is that they are able to achieve maybe a goal or a dream that they never thought possible,” says Helsdingen. “When they leave Lake Joe and go back to their own communities, they can raise their expectations and become more confident advocates for more accessible sport and recreational activities closer to home.”
Helsdingen says some volunteers at Lake Joe have connections in the music industry, and Cuddy got on board rather quickly. “Jim is a very generous, community-minded performer, so I think it was a match made in heaven.”
She adds the fundraiser is a 19-plus event, and tickets are already 80 per cent sold. You can pick up a ticket at https://cnib.akaraisin.com/ui/cookoutwithcuddy.