SURREY — A painting by Surrey artist Dave Benning is the prize in a charity raffle put on by fans of Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip.
The “In Gord We Trust” initiative serves as a fundraser for the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research.
Money raised in the $5-a-ticket raffle would go to Toronto’s Sunnybrook Foundation.
The beloved singer, currently in Vancouver for a pair of farewell concerts with his band at Rogers Arena, announced in May that he’s been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Benning says he painted the acrylic-on-canvas, 48”-by-36" portrait of Downie with the aim of raising money for the foundation.
Benning is “proud to be Canadian and says he owes The Tragically Hip a huge thanks for connecting him with Canada and Canadian life,” reads a post at Ingordwetrust.com.
A winner of the raffle “will be chosen on the day of the Kingston show using www.random.org and will (be) overseen by a minimum of two individuals, none associated with IGWT nor Dave Benning,” the website says.
The “In Gord We Trust” fundraiser was launched by Dorian Banks and Jeff McCormack, a pair of passionate Tragically Hip fans. As fundraisers, they’re also selling #CourageforGord T-shirts and “50 Mission Cap” baseball hats. Click here for product details.
tom.zillich@thenownewspaper.com