The
Quest to Queenstown, organised by Carlin
at his stunning property Lakeside Estates,
has raised a fantastic $20,000.00 for Debra
New Zealand.
Playing
his original compositions on a grand piano
and inspired by the Lord of the Rings and
Queenstown’s dramatic landscape, Carlin
was accompanied by the Christchurch Symphony
Orchestra. Fireworks added to the excitement
of the music.
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 DEBRA
NZ was represented by Holly Gilshnan and
her family, and Humphrey Hanley and his mother
and a caregiver, Barnaby, all sitting in
the front row enjoying the afternoon.
The concert was held outdoors at the Lakeside
Estates in Queenstown. The dramatic beauty of
the place added to the magic of the occasion.
The stage was erected in a natural amphitheatre,
with the Remarkables towering behind and the
lake spread out in front, at the foot of a gentle
slope.
The
concert was a great success, thoroughly
enjoyed by all who were there. Despite
forecasts for rain and sleet keeping some
people away, the afternoon stayed fine
with sun and clouds chasing each other
across the sky.
Suzanne
and her band warmed us with songs from different
stages of her career; Hayley won everyone’s
hearts with her beautiful voice, and Mark
Hadlow kept the 2000 strong audience entertained
between performances. Carlin’s young
son Connor impressed with his talent when
he played the drums, and we all loved listening
to Carlin playing his original compositions
on a grand piano, inspired by the Lord of
the Rings and Queenstown’s dramatic
landscape, accompanied by the Christchurch
Symphony Orchestra. Fireworks added to the
excitement of the music.
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Humphrey, Hayley,
Holly and Hayley’s
sister, after the concert. |
We
were delighted when a large cheque
to DEBRA for a donation of $10,000
was handed to Humphrey by Kevin Carlin
and his daughter Alexis, while Holly
watched shyly from the wings, then
absolutely thrilled when Carlin changed
the total to $20,000, adding a personal
donation to that from the concert proceedings.
DEBRA
New Zealand are very grateful for
this generous support. It will help
us in our own ‘quest’ to
provide support for the New Zealand
children and adults who suffer from
EB, and their families. Thank you
from our hearts to all those who
helped; to the artists, the musicians,
the organising team at South Island
Music, and specially to Carlin and
his family.
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