
MORRISBURG – Members of the community, friends and family joined together to support a special fundraiser, Ethan’s Christmas Carol, held on Saturday, December 15, at Stone Crop Acres Winery. When the evening was over, the sold-out production had raised $17,000 for the family of Ethan Tucker.
Ethan is the 13-year-old son of Shawntel (Lepage) and Chris Tucker of Brockville. He is the grandson of Randy and Cindy Veinotte of Morrisburg.
In January of 2018 Ethan was diagnosed with brain cancer. He has been in the hospital almost continuously since then and has had multiple surgeries. His parents have both had to take time from work to be with him and the family.
Ethan’s Christmas Carol was chiefly organized by Scott and Kate Veinotte.
“As the parents of teenage boys ourselves, we felt compelled to help out, particularly in the time leading up to Christmas,” Kate Veinotte explained. “Since both (Scott and I) have worked in the entertainment industry for 30 years, it seemed a natural thing to try and put on an evening of entertainment as a way to lend our support.”
A Christmas Carol, from a script adapted by CBC of Dickens’ Victorian classic, staged for five narrators, with music of the season interspersed between the staves, “seemed a natural fit.”
Several South Dundas people as well as many friends of Ethan and his family, immediately volunteered to work with Kate and Scott once the idea of a special fundraiser was proposed.
Norene and Marc Gervais of Stone Crop Acres Winery provided a beautiful and welcoming venue for the event. Local performers Wayne Domanko, Donnie Bowes, Wendy Gibb, Kate herself and Teri Loretto of CBC Ottawa, acted as narrators of the beloved Christmas tale of Scrooge and Tiny Tim. All the technical support for the show was supplied by Pete Gilroy of Ottawa Special Events.
Janeen Wagemans and Lori Turnball provided the delicious food.
Margaret Whisselle came on board early in the planning stages, and selected the wonderful music for the event: she also put together and worked with an all-volunteer group of very talented singers.
Later in the evening, following the narration, Sam Laurin and Eldon Horner staged a lively, and often hilarious live auction with the crowd. Many people in the community, as well as a number of businesses donated extraordinary gifts to the organizers: bidders throughout the evening were very, very generous.
Organizers were able to present Ethan’s family, many of whom were at the event, with $17,000.
Kate and MC Scott offered the community, the volunteers and the many helpers who worked to make the fundraiser a success, their heartfelt thanks. Ethan’s Christmas Carol was a very special, often joyous event.