Concert benefits PMFRC, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment

Country singer Aaron Pritchett took Festival Hall by storm as he kicked off the second leg of his “Out on the Town” tour.

Joined by David James and Kira Isabella, the trio thrilled music lovers from all over the region. Not only was it a country music fan’s dream show, but the Sept. 18 concert was also a fundraiser for the 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish), RCA and the Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre (PMFRC).

The concert was made possible through the efforts of Eastway Group and Bell Media.

The stage figuratively exploded with a solid two hours of amazing music, both current and old school country and rock and roll. The performers even took time after the show to meet with fans.

In addition to being an incredible concert, it also benefited two organization near and dear to Eastway.

Dan Bedard, head of Eastway, was given the distinction of Honourary Lieutenant-Colonel of the 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish) RCA by Minister of National Defence Harjit S. Sajjan. Since receiving the title in 2016, he has learned about the different aspects of the unit and met the incredible people who have devoted their lives to serving the country.

“These are a lot of young people trying to go to college and trying to further their education and we just want to help them out, and the PMFRC is just part of our community,” said Tanya Tompkins of Eastway, “so anything we can do to help out our military, we want to do.”

Claudia Beswick, PMFRC Executive Director, is immensely grateful for the support they receive from the local community, as donations are used to provide assistance and services to military members and their families.

“The ability to directly impact families with after-hours childcare, additional supports for the deployed, and enhancing our mental health supports is critical,” she said, offering her thanks for being included in this fundraiser and to all those who continue to support the organization.

Michele Wright, PMFRC’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator, shared similar sentiments.

“Aaron Pritchett and the entire crew were in top form and mentioned prior to the show how excited they were to be performing in support of our military members and their families,” she said.

As for whether Pritchett or his concert-mates will return, “it is something we would love to do again,” added Tompkins. “We just want people to come out to thank our military and support our military.”

The funds raised ire currently being totalled, and the amount will be released in the near future.