In October of 2020, the music community lost one of its biggest supporters. Stew Laing, of "Stew's Blues", "The Juke Joint", and the Stratford Blues and Ribs Fest made an immense contribution to the music scene in southwestern Ontario and was well-loved by musicians and fans alike. Everyone who knew Stew will know how passionate he was about music. They will also know how much he loved going to concerts. One of his favourite venues in which to see live music was the legendary Massey Hall.

Massey Hall has been undergoing a massive revitalization project over the last couple of years and is poised to re-open in November 2021. As part of their fundraising effort, they have launched a campaign where you can have a seat named. Each seat purchased will bear a plaque engraved with the person's name and will be installed on either the armrest or seat back. There are 3 levels available:

Orchestra $5,000

Balcony $2,500

Gallery $ 500

I have set the fundraising goal at $5,000 ($200 for bank fees) in hopes that we can get Stew a seat on the orchestra level, which is where he preferred to sit. If the total falls short, the seat will be either in the balcony or gallery level. Any funds received in excess of goals will be donated to the Unison Benevolent Fund in support of musicians in need (https://unisonfund.ca/home).

Please share this announcement widely. Together we can honour the memory of Stew. No donation is too small. Once the seat has been purchased I will let all donors know where it is located so you can see it, or perhaps even sit in it the next time you are at Massey Hall for a show.

Lots of love and be well,

Pam