With Halloween now a thing of the past, the Pictou County Christmas Fund is gearing up for its 35th year of helping people have the resources they need to celebrate Christmas.
Every year towards the end of November, the group organizes a telethon with musical talent from across the county and beyond which is broadcast live on both EastLink TV and ECFM 94.1 radio. People call in to pledge their financial support.
The goal this year is to raise $80,000, up from last year’s goal of $75,000, said Rhonda Brown, chairwoman for the event.
All of that money will be used to buy grocery vouchers from Sobeys for families in need this Christmas season.
“It’s a hard time for a lot of families, just because of all the things that are going on around Christmas,” Brown said.
This is a way to help them out and put the community in the Christmas spirit.
“We do sometimes hear from people who let us know they are very appreciative of what we do and how we help people,” she said. “That always makes you feel like you’re supporting a worthwhile cause.”
Any amount of donation, large or small, is welcomed by the Christmas Fund. What’s most important is that the money pledged is paid promptly so the funds can be distributed in time for Christmas.
To help assure that, Christmas Fund organizers are offering gifts donated by local businesses and craftspeople to reward those who donate before the telethon and those who honour their pledges the week following it.
The annual event will be held at the deCoste Centre in Pictou and Brown encourages people to come out and enjoy the great music.
“It’s an avenue for folks to show their talent and also give of their talent in a volunteer way,” Brown said. “There’s so much talent in Pictou County. The hard part is you can’t have everybody on every year.”
Those who need assistance can register with their local foodbank prior to the telethon.
Among the performers this year are:

Irish Mythen
Irish’s earliest musical influences were sounds of Makem and Clancy, Planxty and Bob Dylan being played by her parents as they drove around Trinidad where she lived as a child. She later moved to the Middle East with her parents and this is where she took up the guitar, singing and writing songs.
After completing her secondary education Irish went on to the Ballyfermot “rock school” for two years where she studied musical performance as well as the practical side of the music industry.
In 1996 she was based in Sweden to start what would be a four-year tour of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and the U.K. She also started work on her debut album “Republic of One” which she recorded in Bohus Studios just outside Gothenburg, Sweden.
In 2000 she moved to Australia where she  established a large and loyal following. In 2003 “Appreciate” was released on Myth Records.
Irish played The Stan Rogers Folk Festival in Canso in 2006, armed with her latest release, "Fallen Me" produced my Paul Mills. The EP sold out over the weekend so in 2007 off she went to Toronto to record the full album "Sweet Necessity". 
She has shared the stage with such acts as The Dubliners, Gordie Sampson,Joel Plaskett, Bruce Guthro, Matt Anderson, Dave Gunning and according to her, her finest moment was "going on stage before the master Richie Haven, an utterly out of musical experience."

Jason and Grace Brushett
Grace Brushett, is a 10-year-old Arichat, Cape Breton, resident in Grade 5. She started singing when she was just a toddler and hasn’t   stopped since. “My parents say that I even sing in my sleep,”?she jokes. On Nov. 29 she’ll sing with her father, Jason.

Ghostrider Blues Band
and the Allied Horns
Pictou County's Ghostrider Blues Band and the Allied Horns will help kick off the annual telethon. They are comprised of: Andrew Alcorn, Paul Barrett, Dan Bowers, Brett MacDougall, Mike Jackson, Paul Morse and Bruce Murray.