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Community Profile
Irish Performer Robin Averill
Giving back to his community
with an open heart and an irish tune
STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN SECORD
Robin Averill loves to sing for a cause.
The funny thing about Irish performer Robin
Averill is that he never really sang Irish music
until he came to Canada. But since he’s been
here, he hasn’t stopped.
Robin has entertained a prime minister and
a president, untold numbers of bar patrons, senior
citizens and all manner of party-goers. He has
shared his homeland’s vibrant music in hospitals
and hotels, at funerals and weddings. He sang for
Canadian soldiers in Lahr, Germany, on Canada
Day, at the Governor General’s residence and the
Expo World Fair in Vancouver.
But some of his most memorable moments
onstage have been in aid of causes that he supports.
“I firmly believe in giving back to the community,”
says Robin, without hesitation. “When
it’s for a cause in which I believe, I really don’t
mind donating my time. The community has
been very good to me and it is only natural that I
give back.”
Over the years, the Children’s Hospital of
Eastern Ontario, Ottawa Heart Institute, The
Christmas Exchange and Canadian Cancer
Society have all benefited from Robin’s generosity.
Indeed, the memories that most warm his
heart and put a smile on his face are those that
were made in an effort to raise money for charity.
“I always try to make time if I possibly can,”
says the cheerful Robin.
FROM IRELAND TO CANADA
Born and raised in Northern Ireland, Robin
came to Canada with his wife, Margaret, and
their three young sons in 1972. It was a time of
turmoil in his country. Robin left behind his job
Due East Magazine • Page 16 • Fall 2008