An “unforgettable cultural experience” will grace the stage at Thames’ Civic Centre on February 13, as the St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church holds its Hearts in Harmony fundraising celebration.
The event will see different cultural groups from the local community showcase songs and dances, alongside a smorgasbord of ethnic food and desserts.
The St Francis School poi group will be the opening act, with a special guest performance by a Russian bubble artist as the grand finale.
There will also be spot prizes, raffles, and games throughout the night.
“It’s going to be a big concert – it’s just taken off,” fundraising committee chair Barbara Takase said.
“In our parish, we’ve actually got a lot of nationalities. We’ve got a lot of new immigrants with young families from the Philippines and from India and from Slovakia and from Indonesia, all sorts of places.
“They’re all in groups that have got cultural things going on, and we thought, maybe we can get some of those groups together and put on an entertainment show.
“We were hoping to get about six or seven different entertainment groups, but what happened is we ended up with 14.
“We’ve got a Bohemian group coming in and a Scottish group coming in and a group from Japan – it’s just amazing.”
The concert is in aid of the parish’s efforts to renovate and earthquake-proof its parish hall. The hall, which is nestled in between the church and St Francis Catholic School on Willoughby St, is quite run-down and in need of attention, Barbara said.
“We’ve sold about half of [the tickets] so far, and there will be tickets on sale at the door on the day,” Barbara said.
“Whatever we raise, every dollar will just go into the fund for the renovations. We haven’t set a target, but of course, the more the better.”
DETAILS: Hearts in Harmony, February 13, 5-9.30pm at the Thames Civic Centre. Tickets from Carson’s Bookshop for $15; under 15s $10; under 5s free. Family tickets $35. Contact heartsinharmonyevent@gmail.com or Barbara 027 249 1224 for more.
