“We are very excited about the 2012 show,” said Jennifer Volk, board chair and a volunteer who has been involved with the show for the past 12 years “We will be bringing back many of the entertainers who performed in the very first shows and of course there will be exciting new performers. We are looking forward to seeing all the ‘old timers’ who have attended since the beginning, as well as welcoming the ‘new timers’ as we launch our first concert of the next two decades”

Our dedication, commitment and boundless enthusiasm for this cause is unwavering, however as our dear friend, the late Jack Layton poignantly expressed, it is important to take time out when life challenges us in other ways. On that note, I wanted to share with you the very personal reasons that have led to this hiatus. My 86-year-old father, who was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, has been given only a few short months to live. This was devastating news for our family. He was living alone, 3,000 miles away in Nanaimo, British Columbia, so we brought him to Toronto to care for him through the end of his life. We have moved to a beautiful house on Toronto Island in order to create a peaceful and comfortable environment for us all to share his last days.