Glengarry delivers PiperGrams in Maxville absence

July 31st and August 1st would have seen the 72nd annual Glengarry Highland Games at Maxville, Ontario, but in the absence of the world’s largest piping and drumming competition by performances and events the local Glengarry Pipe Band is filling the void with “PiperGrams” delivered to locals.

The pipe band organization, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, is raising money with groups of pipers and drummers appearing at houses in area with surprise socially-distanced piping, drumming and Highland dancing performances on August 1st.

“This will be the first year that the Glengarry Highland games won’t be running since its inception in 1948,” said Ross Davison, pipe-major of Glengarry’s Juvenile band. “Many people in the Eastern Ontario area will be missing their annual dose of bagpipes, highland dancers, and haggis. The Glengarry Pipe Band is hoping to fill the gap and help people celebrate their culture.”

In addition to the Juvenile band, the Glengarry Pipe Band organization includes Grade 3 and Grade 4 bands, all products of a highly successful teaching system in the small Maxville farming community.

The PiperGrams, which are priced at $150-200 and include a tax receipt, will unofficially kick-off the Glengarry organization’s 60th anniversary year celebrations.

The City of Regina Pipe Band organization of Saskatchewan staged a similar surprise performance fundraiser program in conjunction with Father’s Day.

The Glengarry Highland Games normally feature the North American Pipe Band Championships, as well as important solo competitions like the Piobaireachd Society (Canada) Gold Medal events, all of which have been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

City of Dunedin of Florida are the reigning North American Champions. Matt MacIsaac of Stayner, Ontario, won the 2019 Piobaireachd Society (Canada) Gold Medal and Jack Lee of Surrey, British Columbia, was the winner of the Bar to the Gold Medal reserved for former winners of the event.

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