OTTAWA: Assaly to bring Paul Anka for Parkinson's benefit
Builder hopes to lure other entertainers for series of concerts
Tony Lofaro - The Ottawa Citizen

Thursday, September 09, 2004

One of Ottawa's building pioneers is luring hometown singer Paul Anka to town next
year for a fundraising concert in aid of Parkinson's disease.

Thomas C. Assaly Sr., 82, who was diagnosed with the disease two years ago, said
he is committed to finding a cure to the disease and wants to stage a series of
concerts in Ottawa to raise money for stem cell research.

He said he intends to match the money raised from Mr. Anka's concert with his own
donation for research.

"I am dedicated to getting rid of Parkinson's," Mr. Assaly, a multimillionaire and
formerly one of Ottawa's biggest developers and landlords, said in an interview
yesterday.

"I would like to see a cure within the next five years."

Last December, Mr. Assaly donated $122,000 to Laurie Doering of McMaster
University, one of Canada's foremost stem cell researchers. Over the years, through
the Thomas Assaly Foundation, he has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars
for research.

The benefit concert -- tentatively set for April 7 at the National Arts Centre -- will be
Mr. Anka's first trip back to Ottawa since his triumphant homecoming show in April
2002 at the Ottawa Congress Centre.

That concert drew about 1,000 people and raised about $300,000 for the Canadian
Liver Foundation.

Mr. Assaly said he's a big fan of Mr. Anka's, and he recalls teaching the singer in
Sunday school when he lived in Ottawa. "He was a terrible student," Mr. Assaly
joked.

Mr. Assaly is working to bring several big-name entertainers to town for other
concerts, including comedian Bill Cosby, one of his favourite performers.

Others being approached include Barry Manilow, Shania Twain, Lionel Richie, Don
Rickles, Tom Jones, Michael Buble and Gordie Brown, the former Ottawa
singer/impressionist who is making it big in Las Vegas.

The man responsible for arranging the Ottawa concerts is real estate broker Donald
Abraham, a cousin of Mr. Anka's. He said he worked with Mr. Assaly on a few real
estate deals and through that friendship, the idea of staging fundraising concerts
came up.

"As I got involved with Mr. Assaly and got to know him a little bit, I was amazed that
this very powerful man has been humbled by this disease," he said.

"But he's won my respect and admiration because he can't walk and talk very well,
but his heart is there and he wants to do good for other people."

The concert with Mr. Anka is a natural choice to begin the concert series, said Mr.
Abraham. At least 10 concerts over the next few years are being proposed, with all
monies going to this worthy cause, he said.

He said he expects tickets for the Anka show at the NAC's 2,300-seat Southam Hall
to go on sale in December. About 2,050 tickets will be made available to the public,
with prices ranging from $85 to $150.

The remaining tickets will be marketed to the corporate sector and will range from
$5,000 to $10,000. Buyers of corporate tables will get dinner and the concert, and a
select group will have a meet-and-greet with Mr. Anka after the show.

Mr. Abraham said he expects the concert to be a sellout and to raise several
hundred thousand dollars for Parkinson's research.

"We're giving people a world-class entertainer, combined with a very worthy cause,
so it's pretty hard to fail with that dynamic combination."

SOURCE: The Ottawa Citizen, Canada
http://tinyurl.com/3juyv

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