In their 2015 debut single, Ottawa country-rock band River Town Saints had a simple message: “A Little Bit Goes a Long Way.” During the band’s May 5 show at Hooley’s Pub on Elgin Street, those words had an extra special meaning.
Those in Ottawa familiar with the River Town Saints probably first know them for their catchy songs, which get frequent air time on local country radio stations. They are also known as active members of the community, dedicated to promoting various local charitable groups.
This year, the band has committed to supporting the local chapter of Dreams Take Flight, a Canadian charity. Established in 1989 by a group of Air Canada employees, the charity’s original mission was to give children, who would otherwise not have the opportunity, a chance to explore Canada’s Wonderland for a day. That original mission has expanded to sending these same groups of kids to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
This year, Dreams Take Flight hopes to send over 120 kids from the Ottawa area to Disney, and by hosting a benefit concert, the group aimed to achieve that goal.
“By getting River Town Saints, it’s a local band, and getting to the grassroots of the city, and getting our name out there—that’s what our goal is tonight,” said Denise Raymond, president of the Dreams Take Flight Ottawa chapter.
The flight day with Dreams Take Flight happens once a year. All the kids and volunteers meet at Ottawa’s airport at 4 a.m. From there, they fly to Orlando and take a bus to Disney. They spend a full day at the Magic Kingdom theme park, where they get to skip the line on all the rides they want. At the end of the day, they fly back to Ottawa.
“It’s a good feeling to know that we can help these kids get out there and make a couple dreams come true,” said Chris Labelle, the lead singer of River Town Saints.
Last year, he took part in the flight day as a celebrity ambassador and volunteer. According to him, the day is long, but the experience is very rewarding. This year, he looks forward to going again with all his bandmates.
“I didn’t know what I was going to get myself into,” he said. “It’s a long day, but it’s just worth every second just to see these kids smile . . . I can’t wait to do it again this year.”
Three performers took to the stage throughout the night. The first was cover band First Bass, followed by soloist Bryan Snider. Both Ottawa-based acts warmed things up, playing a mix of popular rock and country covers, as well as many originals, as fans arrived at the bar.
River Town Saints capped off the night with their performance, playing all their hits from their self-titled album. It was especially refreshing to hear their latest single, “You Get To Me,” which came out in February. River Town Saints’ performances are generally loud and rocking. This time around, it was nice to hear their more laidback side, as they did the entire performance unplugged.
For a first-time charity concert hosted by Dreams Take Flight Ottawa, the event seemed to be a wonderful success. Of the over-200 attendees, many of them likely went just for the music, but the message was not lost.
People got up and danced, actively participated in the live auction, and bought merchandise, as all proceeds went towards helping kids get to Disney World.
Dreams Take Flight is hosting more fundraising events over the next few months, including a raffle, a boat ride and a gala.
This year’s flight day will happen on Oct. 24.
Photo by Jeff Pelletier
