The Cariboo Chilcotin Youth Fiddle Society (CCYFS) was helping to teach the Virginia Reel dance to patrons while also receiving a sizable donation at the local Legion on June 5.
It was the beginning of a major fundraising push by the local group of young musicians, as they work towards a planned trip to Ireland next year.
Thursday, June 5, at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 139, the senior fiddle group members were handed a $2,000 cheque from Branch 139 president Walt Cobb to support the trip.
"When I first heard the news of this (donation) I had tears in my eyes," said Ingrid Johnston, the CCYFS musical director, as she thanked the Legion for their generosity.
Joyce Norberg of Legion Branch 139 said the money is the Legion's community fund which they raise largely through meat draws.
"These kids are part of our community, we've donated to everything else in town, but never the fiddlers, so it was their turn," she said.
The Thursday night rib dinner and dance kicked off a weekend of furious fundraising, with a barn dance at the Onward Ranch on Saturday night followed by a Long Table dinner on Sunday.
Johnston said the barn dance had over 100 people up dancing in the historic barn on the Onward, and there were 99 tickets sold to the Sunday dinner.
The Sunday dinner featured a four-course gourmet meal made almost entirely of local food, with the beef raised right on the Onward Ranch itself.
Vegetables were donated, with fresh greens supplied by the local market gardeners, local bakers made fresh bread, and volunteers put it all together to create the dinner.
There was also donated lamb and salmon which went into appetizer treats for guests.
These and mocktails were enjoyed in the yard and garden while the dinner was served in the heritage barn and all the while music helped keep the crowd entertained if there was a lull in conversation.
All the funds will help support the youth on their trip to Ireland. Which activities the youth can participate in while they are there will be determined by how successful their fundraising is.
"To go there for a fiddler is a dream come true," said Johnston, noting most of the youth fiddle group have never left North America.
The group will learn, play and research music while also experiencing the Irish culture and nature.
"We believe that all of those things shape the music that a country offers the rest of the world," she said.
The group plans to travel on a budget as much as possible, and have already booked hostel stays.
