鈥淚t鈥檚 just a goofy thing we do,鈥� says Dave Doroghy, as he explains the history behind Dorg鈥檚 Christmas Sing-A-Long.
But this 鈥済oofy thing鈥� has helped fundraise about $244,000 for The Salvation Army鈥檚 during its time. 聽A service on the Downtown Eastside dedicated to helping people who are homeless, incarcerated or whose lives are dysfunctional because of addiction to drugs or alcohol.
This year marks 46 years of the Christmas carol sing-a-long held in Vancouver鈥檚 west side annually on Dec. 23. This year Doroghy hopes to hit the group鈥檚 goal of fundraising more than $250,000, for the organization.
It鈥檚 a tradition that was born many moons ago amongst a group of high-school friends with a little too much booze on their breath, for their age, a lot of energy and聽鈥渁 song in their hearts.鈥�
鈥淚 was in Grade 10 and I invited some people over my mum鈥檚 place,鈥� Doroghy, now age 61, recalls.
鈥淏ack then we would drink a lot and we just thought, 鈥楲et鈥檚 go sing.鈥� We had so much fun that we did it again the next year and the year after that, and it just kept going.鈥�
He says for the first 10 years the group would go out carolling with no real purpose. Until one day someone asked: 鈥淎re you raising money for something?鈥�
鈥淲e weren鈥檛, and I just yelled out, 鈥榊eah we are鈥� The Salvation Army,鈥欌�� says Doroghy.
鈥淎fter that, we had a bit of purpose. We鈥檇 collect maybe $300 or $400 singing from door to door and I鈥檇 mail it to The Salvation Army.鈥�
Over time, as the group grew in popularity and size, so did the donations.
鈥淚t began to gain momentum and the $300 or $400 we might raise turned into $1,000 or $2,000. In recent years we鈥檝e gone out and we might raise $15,000 or $20,000 in a night,鈥� Doroghy says.
The group even made worldwide headlines a couple of years ago, when a video of them singing 鈥減olice navidad鈥� on the streets went viral (you probably remember this one.)
鈥淲e were out singing and we surrounded a police car in front of Tim Hortons and sang 鈥減olice navidad鈥� [instead of 鈥淔eliz Navidad鈥漖 it doesn鈥檛 get more Canadian than that,鈥� Doroghy says laughing.
鈥淪omeone was walking by and filmed it on their cell phone and posted it on Facebook 鈥� we were getting calls from London and L.A.鈥�
On Dec. 23, the carolling group of about 50 men will be out in force singing to foster Christmas spirit and raise money for the worthy cause on the streets of West Point Grey and Kitsilano starting at 8:30 p.m.
They take the same carolling route every year. You鈥檒l hear them coming up West Fourth Avenue to Alma Street, from Alma Street to West Broadway, and east along West Broadway for five or six blocks.
They stop at pubs, cafes and restaurants along the way. The merry men even drop in at liquor stores, pool halls, convenience stores and laundromats.
He says it鈥檚 quite a sight to see when 鈥渢he doors swing open and guys wearing red felt hats and jingling their musical bells pile in, wailing away at the top of their lungs,鈥� Doroghy says.
鈥淲herever there are people we will stop to sing and collect money.鈥�
The last stop is a fire hall where they jump up on a fire truck and sing and take some pictures.
He says at different times of his life he has lived overseas, in London, England and Memphis, TN, but he has always returned to keep the tradition alive. He now rents his home out in West Point Grey and lives on the Fraser River, but only on the condition that the current tenants allow him to use the property on the night of 23rd each year 鈥� surprisingly they do.
鈥淚 had no idea that in 1973 it鈥檇 still be going in 2019,鈥� he says with a smile.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of fellowship. As my friends got older they started bringing their kids and it continued to grow. It would have died a long time ago if it wasn鈥檛 for that.鈥�
He describes the shindig as 鈥渢he Christmas Spirit meets Monty Python.鈥�
Doroghy, who鈥檚 now semi-retired after a 30-year career in sports sponsorship, has an obvious passion and respect for the Salvation Army鈥檚 work. He鈥檚 now a part-time writer but always takes the time to lend a hand to the charity.
His support for the organisation was cemented back in 1992, when he decided to hand deliver the donations at the annual Harbour Light Christmas meal on Dec. 25 to see where the money was going. That one visit inspired him and led to 25 years of volunteering. When he visited, he noticed the event had no carols to liven the mood. He became the event鈥檚 DJ and now plays Christmas songs while other volunteers help prepare a festive feast to feed more than a 1,000 people on the Downtown Eastside each Christmas Day.
鈥淚 just really believe in the Salvation Army and what they do,鈥� he says. 鈥淔or me it has been nice spending my Christmas days down there.聽I like the vibe and I鈥檓 really impressed with the work they do.鈥�
This year the carolling group hope to fundraise $10,000.
鈥淢y Christmas message is, support the Salvation Army,鈥� Doroghy says. 鈥淭hey need people to come down and help, and they鈥檙e inundated with volunteers on Christmas, but there鈥檚 a need there all year round.鈥�
He says what鈥檚 obvious is the charity needs money to continue the great work that they do.
鈥淭he work they do is amazing, but there is just so much need and so much desperation and sadness,鈥� Doroghy says.
鈥淎ll my friends are affluent and they can give. I鈥檒l help in any way I can. The sing-a-long is a way to move a little bit of money down there and to have some fun.鈥�
Look out for them on the streets of Kitsilano Dec. 23.
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