PARTNERING WITH
DREAM CENTRE
Benefit concert aims to save lives
by Doris Fleck
When
Stephen Brochner started touring the world as a
19-year-old heavy metal guitarist, he described
himself as “Mach eight with my hair on fire.”
Alcohol quickly became an essential ingredient in
his lifestyle. It took away his inhibitions and made
him feel “10 feet tall and bulletproof.”
His
drinking was manageable at first but soon spiraled
out of control. When Brochner’s mother died this
past April in Calgary, he went over the edge.
“I
booked myself into the Ambassador Hotel on 16 Ave.
and promptly tried to drink myself to death,” the
now 45-year-old musician said.
After
two weeks of heavy drinking – disappointed he was
still alive – Brochner decided to get help.
It
was his third visit to Calgary’s Renfrew Recovery
Centre in six months, but this time, after going
through the detoxification stage, one of the
counsellors found him a spot at the Calgary Dream
Centre (CDC).
This
local treatment facility provides a comprehensive
three-month program that has an exceptional track
record of helping men conquer their addictions, get
good jobs and begin giving back to their community.
If it
wasn’t for the Dream Centre, Brochner said, “I more
than likely wouldn’t be here.”
With
many graduates of the program echoing these words,
this Christmas season a special concert and the
CDC’s “Save a Life” campaign will give Calgarians
the opportunity to save the lives of some of these
men as well.
Now
in its 11th year, the annual Music for a Winter
Evening has been the brainchild of local
entrepreneur John Buller and his family. With the
enthusiastic support of his business partner,
Russell Dyck at Legacy Kitchens, they decided to
sponsor this event on an annual basis.
From
humble beginnings at the Highland Mennonite Brethren
Church, to a sold-out event at the Jack Singer
Concert Hall, Legacy Kitchens combined their love
for Christmas music with their commitment to help
the homeless.
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This year’s December 19 concert features
performances by award-winning Canadian
musician Tom Jackson, the Foothills Brass
Quintet and the Corpus Christi Male Chorale,
of which Buller is a member.
Since its inception, all proceeds from the
annual concert, co-sponsored by Legacy and
Corpus Christi, have gone to the Mustard
Seed Street Ministry with last year’s event
bringing in $130,000.
Although still highly supportive of this
ministry in other ways, Buller said with the
concert, “We were looking for a new
beneficiary after 10 years with the Seed. We
consulted with our good friend, Pat Nixon,
and he recommended Jim and the CDC very
highly and offered to introduce us.”
Nixon, former CEO of the Mustard Seed, took
Buller and Dyck to meet CDC executive
director Jim Moore and tour the facility.
Buller said Legacy Kitchens liked what they
saw at the Dream Centre. They have “a
commitment to the homeless, a well-run
organization with a positive local profile
and a reputation for excellence.”
With a three-year sponsorship commitment in
place that goes beyond the proceeds from the
concert, Moore said, “This will be an
absolutely phenomenal injection of funds to
help move our guys forward.”
Stephen Brochner responds to this generosity
by saying, “Thank You!” again and again.
“My addiction is not going to go away. The
temptations are still going to be there,” he
admitted. But with the tools provided by the
CDC, Brochner added, “I’m learning how to
live life again, to live without alcohol.
That’s not easy.”
For a $25 ticket ($10 for children and
students), Calgarians can help save the life
of someone like Brochner. |
Tom Jackson will be performing at the Dream
Centre’s Benefit Concert
on Dec. 19. |