Sebago Lake Rockin’ Raft-Up concert to benefit Camp Sunshine

Boaters and music lovers are asked to come out this Sunday for a fun event for a good cause. The Don Campbell Band and the Andi Fawcett Duo will perform for a very special Rockin’ Raft-Up benefit concert on Sebago Lake, raising funds to support the incredible work of Camp Sunshine in Casco.

Performances by the Don Campbell Band
and the Andi Fawcett Duo will highlight
the 2nd Annual Rockin' Raft-Up, a concert
to benefit Camp Sunshine, starting at noon
on Sunday, Aug. 10 at Boater's Beach
(Rich Memorial Beach) in Standish.
SUBMITTED PHOTO     

With the help of the Sebago Boating Club, the 2nd annual Rockin’ Raft-up concert features the Don Campbell Band performing for free at Boaters Beach, with donations welcome, to benefit Camp Sunshine. The concert will be held starting at noon on Sunday, Aug. 10 at Boater's Beach (Rich Memorial Beach) in Standish.

Donations will benefit Camp Sunshine of Casco, Maine This feel-good concert invites boaters to raft-up, float, and enjoy an afternoon of live music, lake vibes, and giving back — all in support of Camp Sunshine, a special retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

“It’s a chance for the Sebago boating community to come together for a great cause while enjoying what they love most—being on the water, connecting with friends, and great live music!” says organizer Kristen DeQuattro.

Camp Sunshine provides hope, joy and community through unique experiences for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. At its pristine campus on Sebago Lake in Casco, more than 60,000 children, siblings, parents and caregivers from all 50 states and 27 countries have come together for fun-filled, year-round sessions with families just like theirs.

Thanks to the incredible support of donors and volunteers, Camp Sunshine programs are 100 percent free for participants. Camp Sunshine is where families can focus on recharging, together, in a safe space with medical support available and a place where families discover a community who understand, and families find family.

With decades of dedication and expertise, staff and volunteers in each session put families at ease. Families can set their worries aside knowing that there is a physician on site. Camp Sunshine is a place where families can really relax and let staff and volunteers take care of every member of the family.

​Meeting other families who face the same issues, large and small, is a unique benefit of the Camp Sunshine experience. While attending one of the year-round sessions offered at Camp Sunshine, families can enjoy a wide range of activities with up to 40 other families. Whether it’s reaching the top of the climbing wall, swimming in the lake, or enjoying a horse-drawn wagon ride during a winter session, there is fun for every member of the family.

As a musician, Don Campbell’s mandate is to “Always perform for the audience, never at them.” He pleases listeners, venue buyers and event organizers with well-attended and memorable concerts and shows continued strength in music sales.

He is a highly talented multi-instrumentalist and plays acoustic guitar, piano, B3 Organ, bass, electric guitar, nylon string guitar, mandolin and harmonica in recordings. These are all impressively delivered in his latest feature album, The Dust Never Settles, a full-bodied collection of songs about the magnetization of love.

His music has been described as feeling like a friend, a natural extension of the singer-songwriter. Campbell performs nearly 200 shows per year and he resides in Portland.

Andi Fawcett is a seasoned performer and powerhouse vocalist who has been captivating audiences for over two decades. Known for her dynamic stage presence and versatile vocal styling, Andi has fronted a number of beloved acts, including funk-soul favorite Sly Chi, indie-pop outfit Doubting Gravity, and her latest ventures, After Dark – a premier party band that blends cover tunes and soulful originals with a modern edge, and Andi Fawcett Country, which delivers a modern twist on country songs from every decade; rich with harmonies, heartfelt storytelling, and dynamic male/female duets.

While she has a deep passion for writing original music, the foundation of her long-standing career lies in her live performances. Her solo act features a wide-ranging set of popular covers—from current hits to timeless classics. Whether it’s an intimate venue or a lively festival, Andi brings fresh energy and connection to every stage.

The Rockin’ Raft-Up concert on Sebago Lake is free to attend by boat and donations are encouraged and will be collected that day or in advance by going to www.campsunshine.org. Every dollar raised goes directly to Camp Sunshine’s programs, providing hope and healing to families when they need it most.

To make a donation, for specific event details, and concert updates, go to https://charity.pledgeit.org/rockin-raftup or visit www.doncampbellmusic.com. <

Hot Fiddle concert assists Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing

By Dina Mendros

If you love good music and want to support a worthwhile cause at the same time, look no further than when Hot Fiddle performs in a concert on Saturday July 12 at the North Windham Union Church. The free concert will benefit the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing which provides housing repairs to seniors, veterans and people with disabilities who live in Raymond, Windham and Standish.

Daniel Strange and Ashley Liberty of the 'Hot 
Fiddle' band will perform at a benefit concert
for the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center
for Housing at the North Windham Union
Church on Saturday, July 12. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Hot Fiddle is made up of Daniel Strange and Ashley Liberty, and sometimes with the accompaniment of their children, son Harrison, 12, and daughter Summer, 9. Both children play the violin, like their mother, and will play at the July 12 concert; Daniel plays jazz keyboard.

While the family lives in Miami they are no strangers to the area. Strange, who teaches music at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, grew up in Windham; Liberty, a performer, grew up in Gray; and the whole family returns for most of the summer every year to visit and reconnect with family and friends.

Hot Fiddle has performed in concerts at North Windham Union Church in the past and proved to be very popular, performing to full or nearly full houses. However, the last time they performed there was in 2019.

It was a “no brainer” to ask them back to for a benefit concert for the Fuller Center, said Jim McBride, the treasurer, board member and co-founder of the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing.

“They’re phenomenal musicians,” he said, “and have been local favorites for many years.”

The Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing was founded in 2019 and it’s mission is “to help aging adults, veterans and people with disabilities to age in place safely,” said Diane Dunton Bruni, a founding member, board chair and president of the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing.

The organization, founded by representatives from Raymond Village Community Church, Faith Lutheran Church, North Windham Union Church, Windham Hill UCC, Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church and Saint Joseph’s College “has helped 73 families in Windham, Raymond and Standish,” Dunton Bruni said.

Volunteers have logged more than 4,000 hours replacing decks, flooring, and steps, building ramps, cleaning yards and more in the community.

“The proceeds from the concert will help purchase material for projects,” she said.

Dunton Bruni said she’s looking forward to the Hot Fiddle concert.

There will be “something for everyone really,” said Strange, as they don’t perform one specific genre.

“It was important for us to make sure that there was no genre identifier,” he said. “That everybody who just enjoys a great show is going to be able to hear something that they’ll appreciate and something to be very excited about and recognize.”

Liberty said they started playing together when they were married.

“We began with a lot of classical music and slowly but surely branched off into many styles,” she said. “It’s really fun because they do have Vivaldi on the concert and we also have ‘I’ve Got Rhythm’ on the concert and we have Dan’s original music on the concert.”

When McBride asked them to perform the concert, “we were totally game for it,” Strange said, especially because of “the great work that obviously the Fuller Center does for the community and the North Windham Union Church is special for us. We were married there. I was the minister of music there from 2006 to 2007, so there’s a lot of ties.”

Strange said he and his wife are more than happy to perform in Windham. Over the years, he said, “Maine has continued to support us, and it’s our way of saying thank you. We’re excited to see everybody, and we’re pumped for the show as always.”

Liberty agrees.

“We love playing our music for people because it’s lively and it connects (people),” Liberty said. “It’s just a special thing to be able to share music between audience and performers. It’s what music was made for, making that connection.”

Hot Fiddle will perform at the church starting at 7 p.m. July 12 with the lobby opening at 6 p.m. and doors opening at 6:30 p.m. North Windham Union Church is at 723 Roosevelt Trail in Windham. The cost to attend the concert is free, but the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing asks for a suggested donation of $15; pay by cash, check or PayPal. Seating is general admission.

For more details about the concert, call 207-387-0855 or go to the website sebagofullerhousing.org. <

Windham Chamber Singers prepare for annual ‘An American Family Holiday’ concerts

By Masha Yurkevich

As the weather gets cooler and the leaves start to change colors, the Windham Chamber Singers are preparing for their annual An American Family Holiday concert.

Tickets for this year's performance of the annual 'An 
American Family Holiday Concert' to be presented on Dec.
7 by the Windham Chamber Singers go on sale on
Monday, Oct. 7. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Get ready to kick off the holiday season in style as the Windham Chamber Singers proudly present An American Family Holiday. The concerts will take place on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Windham Performing Arts Center with two performances at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

This heartwarming event is set to captivate audiences of all ages and promises to be a memorable experience for families, friends, and music enthusiasts alike. Tickets will go on sale at 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 7.

For the concert, the Windham Chamber Singers are pleased to welcome back Daniel Strange, who is a Windham Chamber Singer alumnus and on the faculty at the University of Miami. Also returning will be crowd favorite Ashley Liberty.

This year’s headliner will be singer/songwriter Travis James Humphrey.

He will bring his unique country sound and promises to raise the roof. Humphrey was born in northern Maine and served with the U.S. Air Force as a band member for eight years. He returned home to Maine in 2003 and has opened shows for B.B. King, Blackberry Smoke, Redd Volkaert, Bill Kirchen, Roy Clark, Ricky Skaggs, Johnny Hiland, Bill Chinnock, and many other fine artists, both as a solo performer and as a backing guitarist for other feature performers. Humphrey has released four studio albums.

“We are excited to share the stage with Travis and continue our tradition of bringing the highest quality performers to Windham,” says Nickerson, who has been the conductor of the Chamber Singers since the group was founded in October 1988.

Nickerson said this year’s concerts will honor many local traditions and will also introduce some new surprises.

Longtime concert host Kim Block will once again return as Master of Ceremonies.

“While the Chamber Singers have always performed a holiday show, the ‘variety show’ type format and the name of the show began in December 2001,” says Nickerson.

An American Family Holiday is a holiday themed concert that brings in special guests to mentor and perform with students. It is modeled after the television variety shows from the 1960s and 1970s.

“The show began in the hopes of establishing a local tradition, not only for our singers but also for our audiences,” says Nickerson. “We try to emphasize the family aspect.”

The students are involved in every aspect of the show. They prepare, rehearse and perform the music, sell tickets, promote the show, decorate the stage, and sell advertisements.

“In short, they have ownership of the show which has helped us to build a tradition,” Nickerson said.

He said he guarantees that this show will put you in the holiday spirit.

“While I am biased, I think it's an incredible show. There is so much talent on the stage and the collaborations makes it special and unique,” Nickerson said. “We have strived to keep this show very affordable as well. This is the Chamber Singers’ only fundraiser which supports our tour and operating expenses. I can't think of a better fundraiser than one that allows us to use our voices.”

Tickets are $10 to $30 for reserved seating and can be purchased by calling 207-892-1810, Ext. 2875 or online at www.windhamchambersingers.com

Nickerson recommends purchasing your tickets early, as this holiday extravaganza sells out quickly every year.

To learn more about the concerts, call 207-892-1810, Ext. 2906, Visit online at www.windhamchambersingers.com or on Facebook under Windham Chamber Singers or on Instagram at wcsingers. <

Movie Review: Netflix’s ‘Yes Day’ wholesome family fun

By Matt Pascarella

This is a fun movie for the family. Imagine there was a day where your kids made the rules and the parents had to say “yes.” There are rules and limitations, but the premise is that kids get to call the shots for 24 hours. And anything can happen.

Before their kids, Allison Torres (Jennifer Garner) and her husband Carlos Torres (Edgar Ramirez) said ‘yes’ to everything, they went on many adventures.

Fast forward to three kids later and ‘no’ has become the new ‘yes.’ Allison says ‘no’ 50 times an hour as it is all part of the job of parenting.

The Torres family is a typical hectic, somewhat messy family. Each parent has very different styles of parenting. Does this sound familiar? Carlos is more likely to be a little less restrictive with the kids, whereas Allison is the opposite. This is evidenced by the music they listen to when they each take their kids to school.

During a parent-teacher conference, Allison and Carlos are shown a video where their son Nando (Julian Lerner) describes Allison as a captor and dictator. Allison does not want to be known as the one who always has to drop the hammer.  

Allison and Carlos are at a loss of what they should do when a coach recommends Yes Day, where for 24 hours, the kids call the shots and the parents have to say ‘yes.’

The oldest daughter, Katie (Jenna Ortega) describes her mom as a fun killer and thinks there’s no way she can go a whole day without saying “no.”

Allison agrees to a Yes Day and bets Katie that if Allison says ‘no,’ during Yes Day, she’ll let Katie go to a concert – unsupervised. If she goes the whole day saying “yes,” she’ll attend the concert with Katie.

Katie, Nando and Ellie (Everly Carganilla) make a list of five big activities for Yes Day; the final activity is a big, big one.

The activities bring the Torres family closer together.

Yes Day gets thrown a little when Carlos wants to quit. Although there are very specific rules about traveling specific distances during Yes Day, Allison allows an exception. Although the exception is very fun and very cool, a discovery on Katie’s phone derails Yes Day even more. Police become involved and things definitely don’t go as planned.

Who ended up in jail? Can the family salvage what is left of Yes Day? Was Yes Day a good idea? Who wins the bet?

Like I said before, this is a great movie I think the whole family will enjoy and maybe even relate to a little. It’s heartfelt and has a nice message of the importance of family – no matter how crazy they make you. Based on the book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Yes Day is a real thing families do. Maybe it’s something you and your family would try – if you dare.

Two giant pink plush gorillas up. <