After 35 years in the business, Trooper is a band that still knows how to fill a room put on a good show.
The well-known Canadian rock band moved a crowd of nearly 400 people at the Flatbush Community Complex last Thursday night, clearly impressing the mixed crowd with their performance.
“The crowd was totally amazed,” organizer Kandee Stadnyk said. “The energy was just unbelievable.”
The group played a steady stream of their classics, such as Raise a Little Hell and We’re Here for a Good Time.
Not only was the night a good party, but it was all for a good cause — all the proceeds of the event will be split 50/50 between the W.R. Frose Fundraising Committee and the victims of the Slave Lake fire.
Stadnyk said she initially envisioned the event as a fundraiser and appreciation evening for all the work volunteers put in to get the Fawcett playground, which was installed last week. Not long into the planning process, however, things changed.
“A week after I decided to do this, the devastation in Slave Lake occurred,” she said, so she felt compelled to help our neighbours to the north, as well.
She conceded that Flatbush is not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of a great concert venue, and said she encountered a lot of skepticism when she pitched the idea.
Stadnyk had seen Trooper at a bar in Westlock Hotel several years ago, and knew they put on a good show.
But it was another challenge altogether to convince members of the community that the idea would work.
“They’ve never done anything like this in Flatbush,” Stadnyk said. “I got a lot of flack from the older people.”
The nearly sold-out show proved the doubters wrong, however, and she said she has plans to host a similar event next year — although the beneficiary and the performers have yet to be decided.
Thursday’s event also featured silent and live auctions, with several items donated by local businesses and residents.
“It went really well. Everyone had a really good time,” she said.
Stadnyk said exact figures of how much money was raised won’t be available until some time later this week.
