On a Sunday afternoon in downtown Toronto, the spirit and love of the Canadian country music community were as strong as its ever been. A sold-out crowd gathered at Rock ‘N’ Horse Saloon for the Country Kicks Cancers Ass fundraiser in support of Cadence Grace, and together we all witnessed an afternoon of talent, love, support, and emotion.

Off the top, we want to acknowledge everyone that helped make the day possible. The bar, the band, the artists, the prize donators, the friends and family, Ann and Stacey of Runaway Angel, every person included in the video that was shown in the room, and every single person that showed up – you are all superstars.

The doors to the event opened at 2 pm, and people were there right away. And by the time the music started just after 3 pm, the room was already full, there were bids on silent auction items, and there was a buzz in the room. It felt more like an evening show on a Friday night, than a Sunday afternoon.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BLOOD AND STEM CELL DONATION, PLEASE VISIT: WWW.BLOOD.CA

There were differences though. Throughout the room, eyes were looking for Cadence, hoping to get in a hug and hello. She was the reason the room was full. She was the guest of honour. And while there were also hugs for the show’s performers as they walked the room, it was the rare instance of the performers coming in second.

Let’s pause again for a second to talk about Cadence. This woman is talented, kind, loving, open, honest, passionate, hard-working, and has shown over and over again that she will go out of her way to make someone else’s day better. We’ve heard stories from James Barker Band and Kris Barclay, both talking about Cadence being the first to make them feel welcome at CMAO events, and introduce them to other industry members. We’ve seen the smiles and moments she shares with fans. And we have never heard anyone say anything less than good things about her. Ever.