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Café in Crossfield gives school band helping hand

A small business operator in Crossfield is making the best of a tragic situation by helping local students pursue their musical dreams.

Will’s Place Café owner Linda Lichte is supporting the W.G. Murdoch School senior concert band as it rasies funds for a trip to New York City in February 2020.

When Licthe’s fiancé Will Thompson – the owner of Will’s Place Café ­– passed away April 28 at the age of 64, she decided to forego the traditional flowers at his celebration of life. Instead, she said, she asked attendees to bring donations to support W.G. Murdoch’s band program.

“[Thompson] just loved music and felt every kid should be involved in extra-curricular activities, to keep them out of trouble,” Lichte said. “He felt music was one of the best ones.”

According to Lichte, $1,000 was raised for the program at Thompson’s memorial. Since then, she’s been donating $1 from every pan scrambler sold at the café. As of May 29, the initiative has raised a further $41.

Lichte said the idea to support the band came to her after Thompson struck a connection with a Crossfield Elementary student who ate at the café. She said the student was excited to enrol at W.G. Murdoch so he could join the school’s concert band.

“[Thompson] had a love for music – all music,” Licthe said. “I didn’t need a lot of cut flowers passed around when [Thompson] passed away, but I needed to do something that was ongoing and would be a real tribute to his memory, and that’s why I chose [to support] the band.”

As part of the W.G. Murdoch music program, the school’s senior band members embark on an international trip every three years.

“It’s just an opportunity for students to experience music outside of their own community,” said Shannon Booth, band director and music teacher. “For some of our students, they’ve never left Alberta, so it’s a pretty cool way to experience the world.”

According to Booth, 38 students are signed up to participate in the trip to the Big Apple next February, which will include seeing the New York Philharmonic orchestra, a show on Broadway and a tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“Obviously, it was tragic, what happened to [Thompson], but this was a really neat way to honour him,” Booth said. “He wanted to support the music program because he saw the exposure and experiences that were possible to the kids through music.”

Booth said Lichte’s initiative is a “heartwarming” example of Crossfield’s sense of community.

“For a business to partner with a student group is something we don’t see as much of, anymore,” she said. “It was just a real testament to the type of wonderful people we have in the community who are supporting our kids.”

Lichte said she will present the cheque to the school’s senior band next year, before the New York trip. She said she wants to keep fundraising for at least five years.

“There will be other trips and equipment the band might need,” she said

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