John Rennie’s Glee Club Raises 400,000$ for Cancer Research
by Julie Liebman
The John Rennie Glee Club took the stage at the Corona Theatre on November 16th to participate in the McGill University Health Centre’s fundraiser, The MUHC’s Got Talent.
The event featured five physicians and one staffer from the hospital singing and playing music along with the glee club and bands from Selwyn House and Lower Canada College.
The glee club sang a medley of classic Abba hits, including Take a Chance on Me, Mama Mia, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! and Our Last Summer, under the direction of glee club director and English teacher Huntley Addie.
“It has been really fun,” said Huntley. “I’m not a music teacher and I’m not a choral coach. These kids are just singing all the time and every one of the songs has taken on a life of its own.”
They performed to support the research of Dr. Lucy Gilbert, director of gynecological oncology at the MUHC. Her DOvEEgene test is designed to detect ovarian cancer early.
Victoria D’Elia, the grade 10 student who initiated the partnership between the glee club and the event, said she was so excited to have the opportunity to partner with the hospital foundation.
“I love being on stage,” says Victoria. “The whole evening was so unreal. Once we got onstage and started singing, I felt empowered and proud to be part of such an amazing group” says D’Elia, who joined the John Rennie glee club last year.
“I came to sing more during COVID,” she said. “I started doing a lot of karaoke at home after I got a machine for Christmas and I just started doing it every day. Then I started training and it was just so much fun.”
Meghan McCracken is the glee club’s captain and only joined the club last year.
“I decided last year, I said, ‘You know what, Meaghan it’s almost your last year of high school. Join glee — you’ve always wanted to do it.’ I’ve watched Glee, the show, so many times. I was like, ‘You gotta do it,'” said Meaghen McCracken.
“The competition was not only tons of fun but also an incredible opportunity! It feels really good to make a change in this world and be able to help people, especially women.”
