Hayden's Dream Serenade Benefit Concert Returns to Massey Hall

By Steve McLean 6/1/22 | www.samaritanmag.com

Hayden — photo provided by Massey Hall.

The Dream Serenade charitable concert will return to Toronto’s Massey Hall on Nov. 12 to support children with developmental and/or physical disabilities and their caregivers.

Dream Serenade began in 2014 as a way for musician Hayden Desser and his wife Christie Greyerbiehl to help support Beverley Street School, where their daughter attends, but has since grown to raise awareness and funds for respite and summer camp bursaries.

The Dream Serenade Summer Bursary was created in 2018 and has helped send more than 100 children to summer camp and/or access specialized summer programming.

The Summer Bursary was then replaced by the COVID Family Relief Bursary to better meet the needs of the community and provided relief to 144 families with children at 55 schools throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Dream Serenade also worked with local teachers and social workers to support 36 GTA families with grocery vouchers in partnership with the Food4Kids program, which was started in 2012 to provide healthy food for kids with limited or no access to food on weekends or during the summer.

Dream Serenade continued a more flexible bursary program last year to better meet the needs of the more vulnerable families in the community during the pandemic. The Dream Serenade Family Relief Summer Bursary reached 246 families in 84 schools in the GTA in 2021.

“After two uncertain and often difficult years, we’re so happy to announce the in-person return of Dream Serenade at Massey Hall on Saturday, Nov 12, 2022,” Desser and Greyerbiehl said in a joint statement in a media release.

“As with many vulnerable groups, the pandemic created a whole new set of obstacles for our community of children with exceptionalities and their caregivers. With your support through ticket sales, the donation page, and our silent auction, we’re hoping to raise a record amount for much needed summer camp bursaries this year.”

Previous Dream Serenade shows have featured short films, a silent auction and performers including Feist, Gord Downie, members of The National, Barenaked Ladies, Tanya Tagaq, City and Colour, Shad, Broken Social Scene, Bahamas, The Weather Station and others. 

The musical lineup for this year’s concert will be announced soon.

Tickets for November’s Dream Serenade show go on sale on June 3 at 10 a.m. here.

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