Dust Pan Handle strikes a chord with all ages

Dust Pan Handle at Pincher Creek' Community Hall
C. Davis photo

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Jacqui Bennett Bruns face-paints Naoise
T. Lucas photos

Walking into the Pincher Creek Community Hall early in the evening of Friday, November 9 was like walking into a playground, an appropriate mood for a fundraiser for Pincher Creek Family Resource (PCFR).  Everywhere one looked kids were running around, playing games, and laughing.  Some lined up to get their faces painted and some availed themselves of the dishes of crayons available and coloured on the sheets of paper covering the tables.

Caydence, Carter, and Rhett

After a pork dinner served by Simply Catering the band swung into action.  The five members of the group Dust Pan Handle are  Pincher Creek home-town boys.  Tom Sorge was on bass, guitar and vocals. Ted Sheldon was on guitar and vocals, George Porter on drums, Piet Oosterlee on guitar, and Don Degan on keyboards and vocals.

Mikaila

As the buffet was cleared away and the band tuned up, kids gathered at the front of the room on the freshly cleared dance floor, anticipating action.  For donating their services, Mikaila presented each of the band members with a present of locally produced honey, to their delight.  Dancing started during the first song, and did not stop until the band went on break.

Chris LeBlanc (foreground)

Family-friendly music like 'Help Me Rhonda' and 'My Girl' had the crowd in an upbeat, happy mood. The band announced the last song of the family portion of the evening and launched into 'High on a Mountain of Love', however they held out for one more song, after getting onto the dance floor ending the family friendly portion of the evening with 'Takin' Care of Business'.  Families left the hall smiling and happy, having genuinely enjoyed a nice evening out.

By 9:00 pm, the families were cleared out, and the tone changed as the lights dimmed for the cabaret.  Classics like 'Margaritaville', 'Third Rate Romance', and 'Take it Easy' kept folks dancing.  A 50/50 ticket draw for $362 added to the excitement of the evening and was ultimately shared by Lisa Thomkins and Deb Boldt.

This was truly a reunion for Dust Pan Handle, who formed in the area in the 1975.  Sorge and Sheldon currently live in Calgary and play music together occasionally for fun, Oosterlee and Porter live in the Pincher Creek area, and Degan lives in Kelowna, playing regularly with the band 'Sister B and the Boys' performing rock and roll and blues music bi-weekly at the Spiritual Centre in Kelowna and other venues.  Sheldon said "We took a lot out of this community.  We played a lot, but we were remunerated a lot, so we wanted to give something back."

Dust Pan Handle is still taking care of business

Porter and Sheldon started when they were 15, going by the band name of 'Dawn' back then. "We were just kids.  This probably kept  us out of trouble, at least really serious trouble," he reminisced. "Remember that guy from the Tradewinds?  That was the place to play.  He kept trying to get us to go play there and we said we can't.  "Why not?" Well, because we've got to go to school, and our moms and dads wont let us."  The person trying to book them was attempting to negotiate for a three night a week, one month contract.

Although all the members of the band have not played together for approximately six years, "We've sung the same songs together, a lot.  It's like riding a bike.  I can't believe how many weddings we played at.  We paid our way through University, basically, by playing.  So it's nice to give back.  It was like an old time country dance, with the kids out tonight," said Sorge.

The parents of the group members were supportive during their formative years, Jackie Degan and Lois Sorge were noted for being highly supportive of the fledgling group, helping with security, chaperoning, ticket taking,  transportation, and financial backing.  To keep Sorge from being kicked out of the band for not having good enough equipment in 1968 Lois paid for a $640 amp, so he would have quality amplifier to play through.  Their first paid performance was in the Lion's Hall, on Pincher Creek's Main Street.  Porter laughed about the experience.  "We were scared to death, we were what, 16 years old?" The bandmates demonstrated a comfortable camaraderie both onstage and off.

Approximately 250 tickets were sold for the event.  PCFR Organizer Diane Bowen-Oczkowski said that Dust Pan Handle contacted Parent Link. "We got a call one day, and they said that they wanted to give back to the community, and do a community event, and they had picked Pincher Creek Family Resource Society."  She was very appreciative to the media for helping get the word out as soon as possible. "We didn't have a lot of time to get this together.  We will be able to enhance some of our programs," mentioning Lego League, Gymtastics, and New Mom's Group.  "It's been amazing.  The family event, the people were commenting that we don't have enough of these events.  We appreciate everybody's help and time. We really appreciated Dust Pan Handle for everything they've done.  It was a really successful event."