Andy Kim Happy His Christmas Charity Show Back in Person for Gifts of Light

By Karen Bliss 11/18/21 | www.samaritanmag.com

Andy Kim — photo courtesy of That Eric Alper.
Music Hall of Famer Andy Kim is excited about returning to live. His long-running annual Christmas show had to go virtual last year because of the pandemic, albeit it did allow the “Sugar Sugar”/”Rock Me Gently” hitmaker to finally have the fundraiser televised and taken to a national audience, raising over $200,000.

The 17th Andy Kim Christmas will be staged at the newly renovated Massey Hall in Toronto Dec. 8 and features a typically stellar lineup of guests:  Billy Talent, The Sheepdogs, Ron Sexsmith, Rush’s Alex Lifeson, Jully Black, Tyler Shaw, Sloan, William Prince, Mary Margaret O’Hara, the E Street Band’s Jake Clemons, Men Without Hats, The Pursuit of Happiness, Theo Tams, Beverly Mahood, Georgia Harmer and Choir, Choir, Choir.

“All the artists I’ve asked are as excited as I am to be surrounded by live music again. There’s nothing better. Add Massey Hall to the equation and I get the feeling we’re getting back to normal,” Kim told Samaritan in an email.

Tickets are available on the Massey Hall web site, ranging in price from $37.50 to $97.50 (plus service charges). The show usually sells out. Over the 17 years, Kim’s concert has raised more than $1.8 million for charity.

Proceeds this year go to CAMH Gifts of Light, a cause Kim has supported many times in the past. The program helps provide gifts to the patients at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the only hospital in the country that does not have its own gift shop.

“I still remember my first conversation with Donna Slaight about ‘Gifts of Light’ at CAMH. I didn’t know CAMH existed, let alone Donna’s dream of having ‘Gifts Of Light’ as a one-stop store to provide patients with the simplest of things,” says Kim. 

Slaight is chair of the Gifts of Light Committee, and a member of the CAMH Foundation board of directors.

“A brand-new pair of jeans, a new sweater even a new pair of shoes and socks can provide comfort,” Kim added. “I joined Donna’s dream of helping immediately and so thrilled we get to do this again.”

Gifts of Light was founded in 2008 and is entirely donor-funded, according to its web site. “Gifts of Light works with patients, families, and front-line clinical staff to identify the patient wellness gaps in our system, with the goal of improving the patient experience,” it states. “Over 14,000 patients each year benefit from the everyday essentials, unique activities and meaningful experiences provided by this patient-centred program.”

In a press statement, Jesse Kumagai, Massey Hall president and CEO, said, “It’s an honour for us to host a true Canadian music legend in Andy Kim and the institution known as The Andy Kim Christmas at Massey Hall. We’ve always admired Andy’s selfless commitment to helping others, rallying his extensive circle of talented friends to put on one of the year’s best nights of music, all while raising funds for CAMH Gifts of Light. It’s an inspiring demonstration of music’s power to bring people together and better our community.”

* Samaritanmag.com is an online magazine covering the good deeds of individuals, charities and businesses.