Singing sensation in Stratford!
In an event organised by Catherine Jeffs (Red top, far right), the Stratford Vocals and the Golf Club Choir raised £1600 for the EI Cure Project
Catherine and Jon Jeffs are loyal friends of my parents, and have been for many years. When they learned of the EI Cure Project, they felt compelled to do something to help us, and so Catherine talked with Stratford Vocals organiser, Louise Hatton about what they could do to raise funds for our cause. Catherine and Louise came up with the event shown in the flyer. An evening of food and drinks at Stratford Sports Club, a raffle with prizes offered from local businesses, accompanied by a spectacular show from the community choir, the Stratford Vocals.
The Stratford vocals put on a super show singing popular hits like “Jitterbug”, “Super-trouper”, and “I made you look”. The act which followed was a complete surprise to me and many others. My Dad and his Stratford Golf Club friends decided that they should do something for the EI Cure Project too. Not only did many of them donate, but they decided to form a choir themselves and sing at the event. Choirmaster Peter presented them to the audience, and explained that none of them had ever sung in a choir before, but collectively decided in the power of song to help the EI Cure Project.
So there I was, in Switzerland, eagerly waiting to hear news of the event, only to receive videos of my Dad singing his heart out for us. I can tell you, tears were very quickly streaming down my face. Not only because my Dad was singing, but also because of the immense amount of gratitude I felt towards Catherine and Jon and my parents community for pulling together to put on an event like this. Most of them don’t know me, and certainly none of them have ever heard of Epidermolytic Ichthyosis before the EI Cure Project. So, with joyful tears streaming down my face, and my kids all saying “Is that Grandpa singing?”, I reflected on the immense kindness of our communities, and was just so incredibly moved by seeing everyone enjoying a wonderful evening of singing and kindness and just how good it feels to do something to help others.
I recorded a video for Catherine to share with everyone to hopefully show them how grateful I am for what they achieved for the project. In this I explained how the one song that really got the tears flowing was “True colours”. The lyrics of this song are all about not being afraid to show your true colours, and to let yourself ‘Shine’. This song epitomises what the EI Cure Project is all about. People affected by EI often feel like they have to hide, or feel like they can’t do what they truly want to, because of their skin. Either because it looks different, and people treat them differently, or because their skin is just so painful that they physically can’t do what they want to do. The EI Cure Project is all about changing this. By raising money for the EI Cure Project, Catherine and Jon and everyone in the Stratford community are helping people with EI get closer to being able to ‘Shine’ and to ‘Show their true colours’. Events like this really show the EI community that it’s OK to be different, and that people really care enough to help.
There is something extremely powerful about a community with no prior knowledge of Ichthyosis coming together to fundraise. Their collective efforts raised a stunning £1600 for the EI Cure Project, which raises our total collection to just over £37,000 (CHF42,000)!
From the whole of the EI community, I’d like to offer an enormous thank you to Catherine and Jon and the whole of the Stratford community for supporting the EI Cure Project, you are all superstars, and we can’t wait to see what comes next!
Event organisers Catherine Jeffs and Louise Hatton sing “Jitterbug” with The Stratford Vocals for the EI Cure Project Fundraiser
The Stratford Golf Club Male Choir sing “True Colours” for the EI Cure Project Fundraiser
My Dad, Roy Summers with friend, Jon Jeffs testing the microphone before the event.