CHRISTOPHER CROSS
How a group he started less than two weeks ago has grown continues to marvel Christopher Cross resident, Malcolm Pitre.
In his role of administrator of the Christopher Cross Requests Facebook group, Pitre can see that the group has members checking in from close to 30 countries.
Membership in the group, established as an on-line fundraising initiative for the Beaton family from Alma, had reached 12,220 late Friday afternoon.
Pitre and his wife Kelly had launched the group on Feb. 18. Since then it has raised more than $24,000 for Kim Beaton, who is battling breast cancer, and Gary Beaton who has Alzheimer’s Disease. The couple has a 12-year-old daughter.
In starting the group, Pitre invited donors to request a song from the singer of their choice. He was hoping the singers would respond to the request by posting a video. His hope was answered.
He estimates singers have already posted more than 700 song videos. “It’s hard to keep track,” he said of the volume of traffic the group has generated. “It’s a blur.”
Although there are members in the group from across Canada, including many in Alberta, Pitre believes the majority of them have some ties to P.E.I. Many members comment how proud they are to be from P.E.I.
“My gosh, this is amazing to see and so many memories of growing up on the best Island ever. People ask me where I get the inspiration for what I do in my community and it always leads me to back home where it all began,” Scott Ellsworth said in a post from Calgary.
Singers, in their introductions often applaud the group and extend best wishes to the Beatons.
“We live in an amazing place to call home, and we are so honored to give back to people who have always lent a helping hand to others. Hugs and prayers to the Beaton Family,” wrote Joe Gaudet as an introduction to a song, ‘God on the Mountain,’ which he performed with his daughter Tina Gaudet-Blanchard.
Pitre has heard from group members who claim to have had hours of enjoyment from watching and listening to the music videos. He places himself in that category too.
“I’m pretty much just watching them,” he said in admitting he has given up trying to keep a paper log of the individual requests. The initiative, Pitre said, is a topic of conversation anywhere he goes.
