‘Dancing in the shadows of Motown’ will take place at Lizottes on Saturday October 7, with a swathe of rhythm and blues stars backed by a pumping band. 

Among the names performing will be Armando Hurley, who has toured with Diana Ross, Joe Cocker, and Tina Turner, and singer Evelyn Duprai, who has worked with James Morrison’s band, Paul Mac, and The Slide TV show. 

Mentioning the palliative care fundraiser when you book will see $5 from your ticket money donated to the cause. 

The group being supported, Dungog Shire Palliative Care, has about 40 active clients on its books, serviced by 20 active volunteers.

They cover a huge swathe of the Hunter, providing services for residents in and around Dungog, Vacy, Paterson, Gresford, and Clarence Town. 

The group has been operating for 21 years and receives some of its funding from Hunter New England Health.

But operating costs mean fundraising is required to keep the service operational.

The group’s funding allocation doesn’t include replacement of palliative care equipment, so fundraising efforts have been targeted towards directly replacing vital equipment, or supporting the high demand for transport support services.  

Many people are unable to afford to purchase their own equipment, and may only require it for such a short time it’s not a feasible option.

The round trip to Newcastle is about 130kms for most of the regional towns, with volunteers transporting clients to medical and treatment appointments across the Hunter. 

Organiser and bass player Craig Bodinnar said the talented lineup would help raise funds to address the financial shortfalls of a worthwhile cause. 

“It’s not your average, thrown together show. There’s some big names there,” he said. 

“It goes to an absolutely spectacular cause.”