Big stars, big benefit

Times Contributor

 

On Saturday, August 3 right after the Strathmore Stampede Parade, Byron Smith Ford is hosting a benefit barbeque event, set to last well into the afternoon. This event is set to be full of excitement with face painting and miniature horses and Spolumbo’s Sausages, as well as some big name entertainment. 

Jake Mathews, who played the barbeque last year, and Beverly Mahood, will be playing at the event, and the dealership is hoping for a big turnout. Mathews will be starting things off at 1 p.m. while Mahood will play at 3 p.m., with the young talented pianist Christian Laurian playing between the sets. 

“We had 750 people through here last year for the barbeque and I’m thinking we’ll have over a thousand this year, “ says Byron Smith, owner of Byron Smith Ford. 

Both artists have long careers in the country music scene and currently have hit singles on the country radio, Mathews’ “Beer Necessities,” and Mahood’s “Hope and Gasoline.” 

Getting these names to play this show is very important to Smith, as he’s looking to draw a big crowd for an important reason. 

“What we’re going to do is… we’re not asking people, when they come for a sausage that they’ve got to pay for a sausage, that’s all free, but we’re going to have donations,” says Smith, “all of the proceeds will go to Strathmore Crisis Center, the Food Bank and the Siksika Nation Flood Victims.” 

Doing a fundraiser like this for the community is important to Smith, as he is passionate about giving back. 

“I think it’s my corporate responsibility to help my community,” says Smith, “we want to protect our customer base and we want to protect our community in the best ways that we can. A lot of these associations are struggling or need money to help maintain the good things that they’re doing.”

“I feel strongly about giving back, it makes me feel good when we’ve done something that can make somebody else smile.”

Mathews said he had a great time last year and is eager to come back. 

“(Byron) contacted us to see if we wanted to be part of his barbeque and of course I said yes, it sounded like it would be a lot of fun and it was,” says Mathews “I think he said he had about 750 people there last year and it was a great crowd, and yeah it was a lot of fun.” 

Though this event is a comparatively small venue when you look at it against other rodeo events Mathews has played, like the Calgary Stampede’s Nashville North, for instance, there’s something special about playing a small crowd, he says. 

“In a sense you feel a lot more connected to the audience,” says Mathews “doing an acoustic show gives you the opportunity to tell a little bit of a story behind the song which is always cool and always fun to do because a lot of people wonder where songs some from.”

Of course, after playing the barbeque last year, Mathews is no stranger to playing for the benefit of a community. 

“I think it’s just really important, if you’re in a position where you can give back, that you do everything that you can to help.” 

Mahood is also thrilled to play in Strathmore, and says that small venues are sometimes the best ones. 

“You know what, there’s nothing you don’t like about (small shows), they are the best venues to play,” says Mahood, “audiences out here in Alberta are just the nicest people. I think it’s just because you’re genuine people and you’re country music fans, so it’s always a pleasure to play for an audience who knows who you are, knows your songs and seeing that back, there’s no greater feeling than that.”

Not only is she excited to play in Strathmore, she’s eager to help out with the benefit. Mahood feels very strongly about helping people and giving back to others.

“I think it is so important in life to give back, any time that good things are happening for you, you should always know that that’s great, and that’s all in the one hand and the other hand is to help other people,” says Mahood. “It’s just so important to remember because you know, you have to look outside your own little box you’re in and that little bubble and know that there are people in need, there are people that need help, and a lot of times the hardest thing for someone to do that needs help is to ask, so when someone does, you want to make sure you’re there for them.”

Byron Smith Ford is hoping for a great turnout this year to help these charities in these especially trying times. 

“We want this to last throughout the afternoon, we just want to make it a huge hit, I couldn’t believe the amount of people that were here last year…and this year I want to go for more,” says Smith.