NEWS RELEASE
PROJECT UMBRELLA BURMA
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Project Umbrella Burma is looking forward to a fundraising concert and dinner at St. Paul’s Centre (62 Peter St. N.) on Saturday, Sept. 22.
The Orillia registered charity supports education for young adults and medical training on the Thai-Burma border.
Project Umbrella Burma funds Kaw Tha Blay Learning Centre, where students from the Karen ethnic group study English, computer skills, community health, and a variety of other skills taught by full-time Karen teachers and visiting volunteers.
Many volunteers from Orillia have travelled to Thailand to teach and spend time learning about the experiences of Karen people displaced from their homes, starting in 1999, when Dr. David and Cathy Downham first visited the Mae Tao Clinic.
Tickets are available for dinner and the concert or just the show. Popular local restaurant Thai Plate is generously sponsoring the meal with favourite Thai dishes, served as a drop-in buffet between 3 and 6 p.m. The concert kicks off at 6:30 p.m.
Orillia Music Centre students and teachers will perform vocals and piano, and a Karen band, soloist and youth group will travel to Orillia to perform Karen and English songs. The concert will include songs popular with students at Kaw Tha Blay Learning Centre, and will be an opportunity for the audience to learn about Karen culture, music, and the connections between Orillia and an impactful school on the other side of the world.
Contact Project Umbrella Burma board members for tickets, or buy tickets online at canadahelps.org/en/charities/project-umbrella-burma/events/musicforpeace. Email [email protected] or call Kaitie at 604-618-6297 or Mu K’Trade at 705-955-7919.
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