Apache Arrows - Newsletter of Apache Corporation
Oct. 2005

Canadians Aid Neighbor In Need

Watching as Hurricane Katrina unfolded on Canadian news, Gerry McIntyre was moved to do something to help. So, he rallied some musician friends, organized a fundraiser, and named it "Hands Across the Border."

"We were really torn up watching what was happening," said McIntyre, Environmental Health & Safety coordinator for Apache Canada's Central District, based in Red Deer , Alberta . "Lots of folks have to relocate as a result of the hurricane. I can only imagine how we would feel if that happened to us. I would hope others would help out."

McIntyre enlisted three Red Deer-area bands - The Ron Hubbard Band , Dan Rutledge and Shure Shot - to perform at the fundraiser.

The professional musicians donate their talents a few times each year to raise money to benefit everything from the local food bank, search and rescue missions, the installation of wheelchair lifts, to the Red Cross, where funds from "Hands Across the Border" were earmarked for hurricane victims.

The musicians, whom McIntyre deems a socially conscious group, found a particular connection to the Hurricane Katrina cause.

"New Orleans was the starting point for North American music - blues, jazz, ragtime, rock 'n' roll," McIntyre said. "A rich history was lost in the hurricane. That pulled at the musicians' hearts."

The event, which was held in the Royal Canadian Legion Hall in Sylvan Lake , Alberta , attracted about 50 people. Proceeds from ticket sales and a silent auction totaled $1,400 Canadian (about $1,200 U.S. ).

"We're glad we could help," McIntyre said. "That's what neighbors are for."