Members of the Sarnia Bluewater Chordsmen and Ladies are warming up their vocal cords to spread some love this Valentine's Day.
A well-dressed ensemble will travel to area businesses, private residences, and retirement homes to serenade someone's special valentine on February 14.
President and Co-Director David Crosbie said the singing valentines fundraiser has been held on-and-off since the late 80s, early 90s.
"It seemed that the demand wasn't there and we ceased doing them for a few years -- like the latter part of the 90s," he said. "Then all of a sudden, early in the 2000s, we started getting phone calls again."
The initiative paused again during the COVID-19 pandemic, before restarting in 2022.
"It's been going pretty strong ever since," he said. "It never reached the levels that it did back in the late 80s, early 90s. I remember back then, we had three groups of four and each group was doing between 20 and 30 calls in a day."
Over the past few years, Crosbie said they've had one group doing between 23 and 30 calls.
Now, depending on demand, Crosbie said four to eight singers may be involved.
The group itself has been around since 1945 and women joined the ensemble in 2024.
As part of the fundraiser, Crosbie said the recipient will receive a rose and a card, and will hear three love songs.
"One is an old-fashioned [song] Let Me Call You Sweetheart, another one is Heart Of My Heart I Love You, and we have another one, Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender," he said.
The reaction to these special valentines range from tears of joy to "I'm going to kill him/her," chuckled Crosbie.
"Some people are embarrassed but most people, I would say, like that feeling of, look what my significant other did for me," he said.
It costs $50 for a single valentine in Sarnia, Corunna, or Bright's Grove, or $80 for a group valentine or for deliveries outside of the stated area.
Money raised will support Harmonize For Speech, a charitable organization aimed at helping Ontario adults and children improve their ability to communicate.
Crosbie said Pathway's Health Centre for Children in Sarnia, is one of the organizations supported by Harmonize For Speech. Pathway's confirmed that the organization specifically supports augmented communication and communication related therapies.
Crosbie said as much as $1,600 has been raised in the past through singing valentines, and the charity of choice changes every so often.
Individuals are encouraged to book their singing valentines sooner rather than later by contacting Crosbie at 226-402-3060. He said they will try to accommodate specific times.
"We would prefer a timeframe, like morning between 9 a.m. and noon or between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.," he said.
Crosbie said this will help when he sets up the route so the group doesn't have to travel in and outside of city limits repeatedly.
He said they will also try to accommodate last-minute bookings or calls for February 13 since Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday this year.
