Some students at John Rennie High School in Pointe-Claire, Que., say they took a chance joining the Glee Club, and so far it’s hit all the right notes.
“I got in and I was really surprised and really happy and it’s a great team of people,” said co-captain Oliver Gentile-Peck.
English teacher Huntley Addie has run the club for 12 years. The 20-person group meets at least once a week.
“It’s an opportunity just to have fun and to share and to be able to explore our musical interests and tastes and talents,” said Addie.
The students are now also using their voices for the better. The Glee Club is preparing for the McGill University Health Centre’s Got Talent. John Rennie is the only public high school participating in the fundraiser.
D’Elia proposed joining the fundraiser, after speaking with her mother, Julie Quenneville.
“When we launched the inaugural MUHC’s Got Talent … she said, we want to lend our voice, we want to be part of this and and raise some funds for what she knows is my favourite project,” said Quenneville, who is the MUHC Foundation’s president and CEO.
Her daughter said, “One day I was singing with the team, and I thought that this would be a great way to use our voices and fight for something that we would absolutely love and that we want to fight for.”
The students are singing to raise money for the DOvEEgene project, a test to detect ovarian and endometrial cancers early enough to cure them.
“These kids would be growing up to be women and they’ll benefit from it. So the fact that they have vision and they have commitment and their interest in society makes me very happy,” said Dr. Lucy Gilbert, director of gynecologic oncology at McGill University.
Students say the purpose of Glee Club is to engage with the audience, and what better way than with an ABBA rendition, for charity?
“This is a great opportunity for us and it’s a great opportunity just to raise awareness for something important,” said Gentile-Peck.