Local family celebrates 20 years of fundraising for WISH
Peter Graham-Gaudreau, known as Peter G-G, says the desire to help came to him 20 years ago when he was walking around the Downtown Eastside and was witness to the violence, vulnerability and inequality experienced by some of the women in the community.
“WISH’s statement resonated with me and so I decided to put on a concert where WISH was the beneficiary,” said Peter. His first Sing-Along was held 20 years ago, and now, two decades later, the annual tradition continues.
Although at first the event was organized by Peter, once he had a family, the fundraiser quickly became a family tradition. “They love it,” Peter added. “So I expect this to keep going, and going, and going!” His two children, aged 11 and 15, perform an acapella duet every year, “They really look forward to it.”

“As it’s grown it’s just become a tradition for people in our neighbourhood and beyond, people will come and look forward to being part of it,” Peter added, noting even Attorney General David Eby has participated in the event.
The fundraiser is held twice during the month of December and can last up to four hours! “We just do every song that we can, and we keep it going for as long as we can!”

However, due to COVID, this year’s event will look a bit different.
“We’ve talked about holding it outside at a park so people can get together and sing, but we don’t know with the latest regulations if that will be able to happen,” Peter explained. But luckily Peter and his family already have a Plan B: an online concert venue called SideDoor, which will allow people from all over the world to join in on the fun.
“You can see all the other people participating and even sing along together because they provide a technician!”

So even if this year’s Sing-Along might look a bit different, Peter says the spirit of giving and coming together will always be there. So make sure you join the 20th Annual WISH Holiday Sing-Along! Follow Peter on Instagram and Facebook to ensure you’re notified of when the event will take place!
Thank you for 20 years of generosity!