As early as 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, dozens of music lovers in Penticton could be seen donating some of their beloved records to a local radio station.
That's because Peach City Radio CFUZ, a volunteer-run independent network on 92.9 FM, held its annual vinyl and audio gear drive in preparation for the 11th Okanagan Vinyl Festival on Sept. 22.
By 11:30 a.m., representatives from the station said close to 600 records were donated to the cause.
"The community always seems to step up, and it's so amazing to see," said Jackie Del Rizzo, treasurer of the Peach City Radio board.
September's region-wide festival 鈥� set for Okanagan College's Penticton campus 鈥� serves as one of the station's key fundraisers of the year.
Volunteers on Saturday were accepting records and audio gear in the Cannery Trade Centre parking lot on the corner of Fairview Road and Duncan Avenue.
Among the favourites named by volunteers were the Beatles' Rubber Soul and Revolver, released in 1965 and 1966, respectively.
In some cases, organizers added, people were seen dropping off up to 100 records at a time.
Old turntables and speakers were also donated to the cause.
"The act of leaving records behind is actually quite emotional for some people," Del Rizzo said. "Some people drop off things and have no attachment, but others say it's really hard and think it's time to pass it on, so it's a really touching part of the day."
The vinyl drive comes as the non-profit network raises money to expand its station. Located inside the Cannery Trade Centre, the station will soon have two different studios, thanks to the work.
鈥淭hese new facilities will allow us to train more volunteers, boosting the amount and quality of locally produced music and spoken word programming for our listeners," said Nils Finnsson, the station's technology director.
Funds raised toward this year's Okanagan Vinyl Festival will go toward the project.
Thousands of records and audio gear from all eras will be available for purchase during the festival, which typically welcomes people from across B.C.
"There's definitely a loyal group of people who attend," Del Rizzo said.
"But you also get community members who don't even have turntables that check it out, it's quite a great family event, too," added Ian Mackinder, music director at Peach City Radio.
