Metro

Monday April 13, 2009

Make a date with The Crystals

By YIP YOKE TENG


THE Crystals, one of the most successful all-girl groups of the early 1960s, will jive up a retro evening for Malaysians in a charity concert presented by the Lejadi Group of Companies.

With major hits such as Then He Kissed Me, Da Doo Ron Ron and One Fine Day still fondly remembered by many, the trio, comprising original member Dolores “Dee Dee” Kenniebrew, Patricia Pritchett-Lewis and Melissa Antoinette all the way from Las Vegas, promises an unforgettable experience for music lovers.

The charity concert is one of the Lejadi Group’s corporate social responsibility programmes codenamed “Carin’ and Sharin’ thro Music”.

Slated for April 17 (Friday), 8pm at the Imperial Ballroom of One World Hotel in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, the event is to raise funds for four charities as well as individuals needing urgent surgery.

The beneficiaries are Yayasan Nikmat Untuk Rakyat, a tax-exempt non-government organisation founded by its patron, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, that helps single mothers, abandoned children and disaster victims; Yayasan Kebajikan SSL Haemodialysis, a tax-exempt organisation that provides subsidised dialysis treatment to needy patients, the Bandar Utama Buddhist Society for the construction of a spiritual centre, and Wheelchair Tennis Malaysia, an affiliate of the International Tennis Federation.

An unforgettable evening in store: The Crystals will perform at the charity concert presented by the Lejadi Group.

“We strongly feel that successful companies must fulfil the country’s aspiration of nurturing a caring society, and this is also an opportunity for us to give back to society,” said Lejadi Group president and chief executive officer Tan Sri Dr Lim Ewe Jin in an interview at his headquarters in Desa Sri Hartamas.

He said it would also be an opportunity to create awareness among the luckier and healthier people that many in the less fortunate segments had no access to the desired medical attention due to lack of funds.

He pointed out that the charities were selected for their strong commitment to reaching out to the needy, irrespective of race and creed, despite struggling financially as donations dwindled.

While doing their bit for charity, guests at the concert will be treated to top-notch entertainment by artistes who are said to be in the Rock n’ Roll hall of fame.

“In fact, two of the top 50 songs ever recorded in the world are attributed to The Crystals,” Lim said.

Two avid fans of The Crystals even called from Australia for the tickets when they found out about their idols’ gig in Kuala Lumpur, he added. He said he made sure that groups brought in could deliver an entertaining and riveting show, and testament to this, guests at the company’s previous charity concerts had stayed till past midnight and complimented the entertainers.

As the upcoming show coincides with Secretaries’ Week, Lim suggested that bosses could treat their secretaries to the show as a gesture of appreciation.

To spice up the evening further, two lucky draw prizes – return business class tickets to Shanghai and a set of earrings worth over RM10,000 from Elegance Club – are up for grabs for secretaries and audience.

The group aims to raise RM100,000 from each of its charity concerts. It achieved that with four of its six previous concerts but this time around, it is still RM40,000 short of break-even.

“It is a sign of the recession; we have a good number of repeat customers but they down-sized their donations. We just have to work harder and send out a louder message that this will be a great show, and that it is for a noble cause,” he said.

The Crystals will be accompanied by 8TV’s So You Think You Can Dance championship winner Sizzling C.C. as well as famous musical arranger Michael Veerapen, who is sought-after around Asia.

The curtain-raiser will feature Mike Davis, who used to perform with the Platters, and there will also be a table dedicated to Malaysian celebrities, including Zainal Abidin and Melissa Indot. If time permits, an auction of items contributed by the celebrities may take place.

Tickets are available from RM280 per pax, inclusive of Chinese set dinner. For enquiries, call 03-2300 0888 (Jerome / Joanne) or 016-382 0309 (Adrian) or visit www.alstar.com.my.

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