BeneRock 4 goes Saturday

Clyde’s in Pointe Claire will once again be the venue for the latest in a series of fundraisers for the West Island Palliative Care Residence.

The BeneRock 4 dance on Oct. 4 comes on the heels of BeneWalk, which was held in Kirkland last Saturday.

“It was our first walkathon. It was a family-oriented event, and we raised $2643 for the centre through pledges. We had good weather and there was a good turnout,” said organizer and Pierrefonds resident Michael Dogniaux.

“This will be the fifth charity event my organization has held since June 2007,” he said, adding all BeneRock benefits are run by a dedicated group of volunteers.

“I feel it’s my civic duty to get out there and get involved. And I find it fun,” said the former scout leader.

“It all started when I got a phone call last year from a friend of mine who is a nurse for a palliative care facility in England, offering me an opportunity to join a fundraising team.”

Dogniaux’s accepted the challenge. He climbed a 14,000-ft. mountain in Morocco, raising thousands of dollars for the Marie Curie Cancer Care foundation.

“When I got back from Morocco I thought of doing something on a local level, so I organized a dance last November, with all proceeds going to Enfant Retour. This past April we held a second dance, and donated all the monies raised to the palliative care residence.”

All bands who have performed at BeneRock events have donated both their time and talent, and the venue is also provided free of charge.

This Saturday’s dance will feature the band Big Fun.

They’re a popular rock and roll group from the West Island. They have played at Clyde’s in the past and at other clubs around town for a number of years,” Dogniaux said.

“We’ll also be giving away prizes and will hold raffles to help generate more funds.”

The BeneRock 4 fundraiser gets under way at 9 p.m. Tickets, at a cost of $10 each, will be available at the door. Clyde’s is located at 286 Lakeshore Rd.