The Rotary Club of Tsawwassen has partnered with one of its own members, Randy Scott of Randy’s Tire & Auto Service, and with the Interact Club they sponsor at South Delta Secondary, to bring two electronic keyboards to KinVillage.
One keyboard will be available in the Community Centre, which is used by KinVillage residents as well as many different groups in the community and the other keyboard will be placed in the long-term care home.
This week during a donor recognition event at KinVillage, CEO Dan Levitt thanked all three donors and spoke about the importance of music for the well-being of residents.
“Music does something to us,” he said. “When you hear a familiar song it brings back memories and emotions from our past and takes us back to a specific moment in time. Someone who can't speak or otherwise communicate due to a condition they may have, can recall and sing a song. Music brings us together, and is so important in our lives.”
Interact Club members Mateo Mazari, Amy Yang and Alice Pu, spoke about how the Interact Club, through a series of bake sales and other fundraising efforts raised $695 towards one of the pianos.
Mazari started out the event by playing one of the keyboards for the audience.
Scott has a long history of supporting seniors’ events through the Rotary Club and views this as part of being a local business.
“When I started out in business, I asked someone, ‘What makes a business successful?’ The answer was, ‘If you take care of the community, the community takes care of you’ This is a way of giving back. KinVillage is a wonderful place and I would do anything for it,” said Scott.
Rotary Club of Tsawwassen president Blake Cowan thanked the Club’s partners and described why the keyboards are well suited to both the Community Centre and residence, “they are state of the art, portable and easier for residents to play. The keyboards also provide opportunities for volunteers to come in and make multi-generational connections through music and help ensure residents are living life to the fullest.”
