Meet Hazel and Jim Smith. They became donors years ago, when they had a farm near Olds, Alberta. Now they divide their time between that location and Qualicum Beach, BC.
Hazel says they can tell what day of the week it is, and set the clock, by the host voices they hear on CKUA. “We get used to subtracting an hour to the time so we don’t miss our favourite programs.”
Their reasons for donating are many. Jim says, “CKUA is such a gem in the music, but it’s also an archive. The library holds so much history, and CKUA hosts are so informed. They do such a fine job of sharing their knowledge.”
He adds, “We love the opportunity CKUA gives to Canadian artists, to get their music heard.”
They are monthly donors, and have also supported CKUA with numerous donated hours. Connecting with host Tom Coxworth to plan an hour of Folk Routes has been fun for them. However, Hazel says they love all the programs. “We’re happy that so many different people with various musical tastes get to find a home at CKUA.”
She adds, “We love spreading the word about CKUA. I don’t know how many people we have turned into CKUA listeners by our steady praise of the programming. By donating an hour, we get to inform more of our friends to please tune in for that program, and we hope they won’t touch the dial after listening to our hour!”
“Albertans are lucky, lucky, lucky to have CKUA,” says Hazel. “Jim always says that your station is a ‘gem’ and we cannot lose it. We love listening when the hosts mention the donations arriving from so many far-flung parts of the world during the fundraisers!”
As for setting the clock or the calendar based on the music CKUA plays? It’s not an infallible method. Hazel recalls hearing bluegrass during a weekday program and thinking that she had her days completely mixed up, since it was not during the Bluegrass Hour’s usual time-slot. “I absolutely panicked. I thought that somehow I had lost a whole day. My mind was filled with fears of early Alzheimer’s and other dire predictions, when suddenly the host’s voice came on. I think it was Lionel, and the very next song was from a totally different genre. He had just decided to throw a bluegrass tune into the mix. And that eclectic mix is what we love about CKUA!”
Thank you, Hazel and Jim, for your support of CKUA. Donors keep the music playing, and we are so grateful.
If you would like to support CKUA with a monthly donation or a donated hour, go to ckua.com/donate
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