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200+ parents, friends and theatre-lovers braved the wet snow to come out to Tucelnuit and SOSS’s fun production of Rapunzel on Friday night. Between cast auditions on Monday to curtain’s close just five days later, the 54 kids involved perfected an hour’s worth of entertainment, complete with songs, dances, full costume and set, and great laughs.

“It was so, so fun!” says cast member, Maya Baerg, one of a dozen mushrooms in this year’s production. “I thought I’d be scared being on stage but now I just want to do it again.”

The week long Missoula Children’s Theatre program, which included the production of Rapunzel as well as workshops for all Tucelnuit and some SOSS classes, cost $3000.

“Yes, there’s no question it’s a lot of money. But, the cost of bringing in the Missoula Children’s Theatre team is money very well spent,” says teacher sponsor, Thea Kitt. “This experience of being on stage will be a lifetime memory for so many of these kids, and it’s really amazing to see how the children grow in confidence and skill during a Missoula production.”

Oliverites should be proud to live in such an enormously generous town. More than 50 community businesses and individuals donated items to the evening’s rousing silent auction. Between the silent auction, ticket sales and a bake sale, much of the cost of this year’s production will be covered.

Donors included:

Alberto’s Decorating
All ‘Round Outfitters
Amore Pizza Factory
Arbonne
Archer Marketing
Athena’s Desert Day Spa
Aunty Ags Seafood Cafe
Backyard Farms
Beth Garrish, Realtor
Beyond Bliss Spa Boutique
Campo Marina
Canadian Tire Oliver
Desert Hills Winery
Everyday Little Moments Photography
Fairview Golf Club
Firehall brewery
Gerard’s Equipment
Grapevine Optical
Great Bear Bites
Hester Creek Winery
Inner Visions Hair Salon
Lordco
Maverick Estate Winery
Medici’s Gelateria
Napa Autoparts
NK’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course
Nu Beginnings Hair Salon
OK Photo
Okanagan Crush Pad
Oliver Bakery & Deli
Oliver Movie Theatre
Oliver Parks and Recreation
Osoyoos Home Hardware
Pappa’s Firehall Bistro
Paws and Claws
Pharmasave Oliver
Pizza Rolla
Quinta Ferreira
Relics and Toys
Riverstone
Savvio’s
Schafer buses
Shoppers Drug Mart Oliver
Soleil Dental Hygiene
Sonora Dunes
South Okanagan Amateur Players
Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa
Subway Oliver
Sundance Video
Sunridge Landscapes Ltd.
The Bargain Centre Oliver
The Oliver Dance Studio
Tim Hortons Oliver
Trudel Family
Walnut Beach Resort
Watermark Resort
What the funk
Wine Art BC

Extra accolades go to Tiffany Heinrichs, who stepped in at the very last minute to help out on piano. Interrupted at dinner time Wednesday evening by a phone call of great pleading from teacher, Rod Kitt, Tiffany managed to learn to play 16 songs in under 48 hours and did a solidly impressive job of accompanying the show.