The third annual Follow Your Heart benefit concert is making its way back to Harrison Hot Springs on Feb. 15.
Local country artist and event organizer Todd Richard came up with the benefit concert back in 2023 after pitching the idea of a local benefit for Variety Children's Chairty to Robert and Sonja Reyerse. The idea quickly gained momentum, garnering the support of Tourism Harrison River Valley, the Harrison Festival Society and the Harrison Hot Springs Fire Department.
This year's event features three guest artists: Miss Shauna, Trevor Murray and Rick Tippe. Miss Shauna is a Vancouver-based performer that might be familiar to those on the Harrison arts scene in recent years; she performed at Bands on the Beach back in 2023. She is described as a pop singer, actress and dancer who writes original music and performs powerful cover songs.
Country artist Trevor Murray is the lead singer of the Murray Band and has been nominated as traditional country artist of the year in the B.C. Country Music Awards following the band's debut album Down This Road. He has since released a solo album – Leave It Up To Me.
Rick Tippe is a long-time mainstay of Canada's country music scene, hailing from Maple Ridge. He has released seven albums, and his best known hit is "The Craziest Thing," which hit number 9 in the charts back in 1996. He has received more than 25 awards from the B.C. Country Music Association, including three entertainer of the year titles in a row.
The Follow Your Heart event has grown year by year. The first year sold out and brought in nearly $5,000 while last year's event brought in nearly $8,000. Last year, Richard and Harrison Fire Chief Curtis Genest attended a presentation of a van bought by funds raised during the Follow Your Heart benefit concert. The van now assists Foundry Abbotsford, an organization dedicated to offering health and social services to people ages 12 to 24 throughout the Eastern Fraser Valley.
Tickets are $35.94 and can be purchased through Eventbrite.ca. They are also available in-person at the Visitor Information Centre at 499 Hot Springs Rd.
In B.C., Variety Children's Charity is headquartered in Burnaby. The provincial chapter was founded in 1966, and Variety supports children and youth with special needs in 11 countries across 40 chapters.