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Don't Stop Believin'! 

We were so honored to provide entertainment for local radio station 100.7 WLEV's Little Pink Dress Party. The annual event brings together breast cancer survivors, friends and family, local organizations and businesses and this year benefited "Breast Friends of PA" and "Womens 5K Classic", two local support organizations.  

I've been performing for many years, and in all my years, I've never seen something as cool as this: a Flash Mob dance reminiscent of a music video, breaking out on the dance floor just in front of the stage.  Watch video evidence here!




Thanks to all the sponsors: Toyota, Morris Black Designs DeSales University Nursing, Sorelli Jewelry, State Theatre, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Ideal Image, A&A Limo, Metro Design Center, Cooper Electric, Richard Kroll, Meera Salon & Day Spa, Massage Envy, Eight Oaks Distillery, Rockin' Remaley Photo Booth
Find out more about: Breast Friends of PA, Womens 5K Classic

Running Down a Dream 

We were so beyond thrilled to team up with Runner's World Magazine again and perform at the Half Marathon Festival this past weekend in Bethlehem. This is the 5th year of the festival, and it brings thousands to our fair town to run through our beautiful, hilly historic city streets.  Both Ricky and I are runners - and we enjoy participating in races to keep us feeling physically fit!

This year, we ran the 10k (and purposefully parked over a mile from the race start so we could get 2 extra miles in as part of our Half Marathon training plan).


The weather was spectacular all weekend long, and especially so for the long half marathon race on Sunday.
We had to be at SteelStacks, our beautiful arts facility on the south side of Bethlehem, bright and early at 7 am before the streets closed for the race. 

That allowed us extra time to set up and sound check in a very leisurely fashion, which was nice. We thoroughly enjoy performing on the Levitt Pavilion stage. The sound is phenomenal, the crew is great, and the space is gorgeous. 

We played our typical mix of current dance songs, threw in a bunch of 80s and 90s songs, too, for good measure and enjoyed watching the recovering runners dance and sing along as they ventured over to the beer garden post-race.

Congratulations to all of the runners who came from near and far to enjoy the Runner's World events!

We'll be back to play inside the ArtsQuest facility, at Musikfest Cafe for local radio station WLEV's Little Pink Dress Party benefitting breast cancer charities.

-Christine Bainbridge, Sunshine Symphony
 

Don't Stop Believing! 

Christine faces her radiation treatment.It was December 5, 2014, when I got the call that changed my life. I had gone for a routine mammogram, which led to an ultrasound and then a biopsy, after which the doctor said, "it's better that you know than don't know." With no family history of breast cancer, and leading a relatively active and healthy lifestyle, here I was, suddenly a cancer patient.

The first thing I thought was, "How am I going to fit this into my schedule?"  I work full-time, I help my boyfriend and band-mate Ricky Bell raise his two little girls, and we have the band, of course, which has become a very busy enterprise. Not to mention, we have two households and the stuff that comes with them.  All are important to me for different reasons.

The whirlwind began, and suddenly I held a dozen appointment cards in my hand for surgical consults, pre-op appointments, blood tests, radiation and medical oncologists. Ricky coined "Team CB" - the name of my support group of family and friends to get me through this ordeal. Surgery was first, which was a fairly straightforward recovery, and then came seven weeks of radiation.  Fast forward five months later, and here I am - treatment complete.

I'm thankful to my partner Ricky, who helped me make arrangements, came to appointments, and gave me a whole bunch of pep talks. We managed to play gigs (and most of the time I felt pretty decent), rehearse, find new guitarists, update the website, book more gigs, book weddings, and all the things that come with running a successful band. We rented my house and then packed it up and moved. We continued, business as usual, with his kids, explaining that CB had something called cancer that she had to go for treatments for, but that she was going to be ok.

I am happy to say that I feel pretty decent overall, am healing just fine and am thankful that I am able to continue to perform like nothing has happened - which is completely untrue, as I am a changed human being. Oh yes, I more fully understand the need to have a good time, to unwind, to hear and sing along with great music - to celebrate life's happy occasions because life is challenging and throws some difficult things our way.

Thanks to our friends, family and fans for celebrating these happy milestones with Sunshine Symphony! We love you!

Peace, Love & Rock n' Roll,
Christine