When you purchase tickets for the Cochrane Huron Carole Christmas Special on Dec. 19, you'll not only enjoy a seasonal music tradition, you'll be supporting the development of an Indigenous Innovation Centre in Cochrane.

The Cochrane Huron Carole Christmas Special is a Cochrane Rotary Club fundraiser in support of this new centre. For several years, members of the service organization have been working to build relationships and increase their understanding of Indigenous people.

Tom Jackson's Huron Carole Christmas Special has spanned more than three decades, touring coast-to-coast. As the entertainment community eases back to live performances where permissible, the renowned concert series will once again be streamed online to your favorite screen.

It's a family-friendly event bringing Christmas classics, road stories, fables, original music, and Dad jokes that can only be delivered by Jackson.

Tom McKillip leads the band again and is joined by Huron Carole alumni musicians Phil Hall, John Thiel, and Keith Floen. Keeping everyone in time is drummer Joe McIntyre and be ready for blues vocalist Samantha King to take things up a notch.

This year’s theme is Angels Without Wings to pay tribute to all the angels around us. 

“Sometimes they’re invisible – just like you and me when we need help," says Jackson. "So, if you’re down and out and need help, find someone who needs it more than you. You’ll feel much better.”

It will be streamed from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 19. Tickets for "screens" can be purchased here. It's $25 for individuals, $50 for households, and organizations can pay $100 for private events.

The Rotary Club is seeking corporate sponsorship for the event and for the giving campaign to sponsor screens for the not-for-profits in the community.

There will be an opportunity to make donations and support an online 50/50 raffle.

The vision is to build a circle of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Cochrane to work together to rebuild our society from the ground up by creating a platform of unity, collaboration, mutual respect, and justice.

The aim is to establish an Indigenous Innovation Centre in Cochrane that is managed and operated by Indigenous people for Indigenous people, with the active encouragement and support of non-Indigenous allies.