Carollers to bring music to Cathedral neighbourhood, raise money for food bank

Music will fill the air in Regina’s Cathedral neighbourhood Thursday evening.

Led by singers and songwriters Jeffery Straker and Dara Schindelka, a group of carollers will sing a number of Christmas songs while raising money for the Regina Food Bank.

“We will be winding through the streets of Cathedral while they sing, doing a bit of light door-knocking and stopping people on the streets, singing a song and asking for donations for the food bank — that’s sort of the purpose of all this — while bringing cheer to the neighbourhood,” Straker told the Greg Morgan Morning Show on Wednesday.

“I think it’s all about the Christmas vibes so I think if they maybe make requests, we can try the best we can. We’re going to have some prepared songs as well so it will be a mix of both,” Schindelka said.

The singers will start around 5 p.m., and make their way around the Safeway in the neighbourhood around 5:30. Straker said people are welcome to meet them there to join in on the singing or to bring cash donations for the food bank.

They’ve already got requests to stop in certain neighbourhoods to sing.

“We’ve had people already (contact us) and say there’s a group on the crescents and they said to stop by their place. They’re rounding up the neighbourhood to come to this address. They know we’re looking for donations,” Straker said.

“This is our first time doing this so we’re kind of feeling out how this goes but it has a bit of momentum and it’s nice.”

And with the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, Straker said the carollers are doing their best to ensure everyone is safe during the carolling.

“We will have a bin (to collect donations) and we are outside. Our whole group is vaxxed and we are outside so the ventilation is right, so it’s very safe. People will hear us coming, we will be singing down the streets so hopefully some of them will just come out of their steps,” Straker said.

The carolling will wrap up at the steps of the Westminster United Church at 8 p.m.