Life Is Good for Doon Wilkins.
That is the name of his band, which will play a fundraiser at the Canmore Miners’ Hall this Friday (Sept. 2).
Wilkins, a 65-year-old retired public speaker, will depart soon after for Tanzania, where he will take part in a climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of a fundraising effort for a new Parkinson’s Disease research project. He will begin the climb on Sept. 9.
“I’m 41 hikes in through the summer, so I’m ready and fit, and this is our sendoff for the whole Parkinson’s effort,” said Wilkins. “It’s been a pretty successful fundraiser so far and tons of good support from people.”
His bandmates consist of Darren Reeder, Simon Steele, Stan Horner and Al Tinholt.
“These guys are prime guys, they’re out there doing it with me, playing for nothing – well, they’re playing for beer,” said Wilkins. “We played the Canmore Folk Festival, that’s where we had our initial, inaugural gig, and it was pretty well received, so we’re pumped.”
Any money raised from the fundraiser goes to the medical research, not the climb, said Wilkins.
“Anyone who’s climbing pays all their own expenses; this is for a specific Parkinson’s fundraiser for six people and it’s the end of the sphere,” he explained. “They’re hoping this experiment on six people with stem cell transplants will be the key-turner for the disease.
“There’s high, high hopes that after this particular operation, if it’s positive, then other neurological diseases, like Huntington’s and MS, are all affected.”
The project is being carried out by the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego. So far the group, which includes 16 other climbers, has raised $180,000. The goal is to raise $300,000.
“I’m at about $2,000 right now,” said Wilkins. “I’m a small player in it.”
For the show at the Miners’ Hall, the band plans to play a variety of covers and original tunes.
“We’re going to do three sets,” said Wilkins. “Original tunes that we’ve written for the band Life Is Good – they’re meant to lift you up, make you think and celebrate life – and then we’re going to do some rock and roll, let people get up and dance, have some fun.”
Other musical guests will also play, he said.
“We’re inviting tons of guest musicians to come and we’re going to give away the stage to some of the other folk that play pretty well too and just rock through the evening.”
Horner, who plays drums, said the band was proud to support Wilkins in the cause.
“Being in the band with Doon, and being a good friend, we were all just willing and ready to support him any way we could,” he said.
Horner and Wilkins have a long history together.
“Stan and I have a very close friend who passed away with cancer in May and this guy has been my finest friend through my whole life. He’s the only person I’ve ever met who knew this guy before I did,” said Wilkins. “They were playing rock ‘n’ roll when they were 16 years of age together, so there’s a friendship that evolves when you’ve been very close to a fine person.”
As to whether Wilkins will succeed with the climb, he is confident things will work out.
“I’m 65, so the jury is out whether I make it or not, but I couldn’t have tried harder in training or been supported more by the people around me,” he said. “With 41 hikes this summer, that’s a lot of hiking, more than I’ve done in the last 10 years.”
