About Us
Meet Our Team
For over 20 years, Twins Cancer Fundraising has united communities, raised millions for cancer research and care, and helped bring hope to families affected by cancer.
The Beginning...
It Started With Mom.
It all started with one sentence from our Mom that we will never forget…
“I have cancer”
As you can imagine, this came as quite a shock. I mean, we were still in high school; We hardly knew what cancer was. Well, we knew what it was, we just had no idea what it meant.
Our mother fought a slow and painful battle with breast cancer. It was three long three years of surgery, chemo and radiation treatments, with daily trips to the hospital or naturopath. She passed away right after her 50th birthday. It was almost a relief as she was in so much pain. We didn’t know where to go from there, but were lucky we had each-other.
We decided shortly after her funeral to start Twins Cancer Fundraising. Yes, we know the name sucks, but at the time that’s all it was. Jamie wanted to walk 60km for cancer. Chris said “hell no”… Let’s throw a party!
Fast forward over twenty years, and here we are. What started as a small cancer fundraiser in our Dad’s backyard quickly grew into an annual event too loud and too large for Dad’s neighbours to put up with. Through a massive team effort of family and friends, Gone Country was created.
2026 marks our twelfth year.
Together, with the help of our community, we have raised millions for local families fighting cancer in the Lower Mainland and have roughly 250 dedicated volunteers.
Meet The TCF Family
None of them cares to be mentioned or recognized for what they do.
They put in countless hours because they genuinely want to help people. They have become our closest friends, and the people we know we can count on for anything.
We are so humbled every year at Gone Country, with over 250 volunteers putting in one hell of long shift. It’s tough to hold back tears when we thank them all at our group photo before we open the front doors.
I say this because the majority have lost someone to cancer and volunteer in their memory.
To our team and volunteers, We could not do this without you. You inspire us to keep coming back year after year, and we are so grateful to have you on the team.
Thank you for always supporting us idiots and our fight against cancer!
- The Twins (Jamie & Chris)
We Haven't Done It Alone
The Evolution of Gone Country
After outgrowing our Dad’s backyard with our original BBQ fundraisers, it was time to try something new. Our mom was a huge fan of country music, and growing up in Cloverdale, it was a great fit. We had no idea where to start, so we met with the Rodeo Fairgrounds team and told them what our vision was. The reaction was “good luck with that,” but they cut us a massive discount, and we booked our first date.
Then we approached JR Country with this dream, and without hesitation, they jumped on board with a large donated advertising budget. With this momentum, we were put in touch with local Langley legend Karen Lee Batten, who offered to perform and helped us secure then up and comer Dallas Smith and Aaron Pritchett to headline. What the hell had we gotten ourselves into?
A plea on social media for friends past and present brought us what we have come to know as the TCF Family. Our ride or die group of hardcore volunteers that have, over 15+ years, become the greatest friends, support network, and the reason Gone Country events exist. The friendships this group has brought us are, hands down the best part of this journey. This cancer-hating group of misfits are all out for their own personal reasons, but I feel like we can speak for all of them when we say that we have something truly unique with this crew.
Gone Country #1 took place on July 27th, 2013. We had to beg people to buy tickets and barely sold 20 VIP tables. We had just shy of 2,000 guests out and raised $198,000. We were hooked.
Fast forward 10 years, plus an annoying two-year hiatus due to COVID, we wrapped up Gone Country #10 in Cloverdale with roughly 7,000 guests. The TCF Family raised $1,456,000. Karen Lee performed at every single Gone Country and we brought back Aaron Pritchett and Dallas Smith to go out with a bang. It was one of the most bittersweet moments of our lives. Our mom would have loved it.
The Pozniak family from Pacific Coast Distribution and their friends at Ocean Trailers were our very first Gold sponsor in year one, putting absolute trust in a dream and a risky first-year event. They have stuck with us every year since and have donated over $200,000 over 11 years.
JR Country, with the support of their DJ Jaxon Hawks, has been the driver getting the word out every year. They never take credit for helping us raise millions. They jump to help every year, and we are so lucky to have a local radio station that does so much for the community.
We started with 75 “game day” volunteers. We finished with 350. Every single one of them put in a 14-hour day. Many spent the week setting up and tearing down as well. The blood, sweat, and often tears were the heart of Gone Country. There is no way we could hire staff and still raise the money we do. It’s why so many festivals go out of business. The gifts in kind, the corporate sponsorships, the volunteers, and the grit of the TCF family are why we are still here.
Over 25 Years of Fighting Back Against Cancer
The First Fundraiser
The very first fundraisers were at nightclubs — On The Rocks and Pure Nightclub. They were actually to help support our mom, who was living on disability after three years of cancer treatments. Her cheque didn’t even cover her rent.
We were fresh out of high school and working two jobs each so we could afford to do things for our mom that she simply couldn’t afford herself. The fundraisers really helped cover expenses throughout the year.
We raised almost $3,000 at our very first event, and it still hits hard thinking about how much we needed that help at the time.
Dougie’s Backyard BBQ
The very first fundraisers were at nightclubs — On The Rocks and Pure Nightclub. They were actually to help support our mom, who was living on disability after three years of cancer treatments. Her cheque didn’t even cover her rent.
We were fresh out of high school and working two jobs each so we could afford to do things for our mom that she simply couldn’t afford herself. The fundraisers really helped cover expenses throughout the year.
We raised almost $3,000 at our very first event, and it still hits hard thinking about how much we needed that help at the time.
100G for Shaun G
This was a collaborative event in memory of Shaun G, one of our closest friends, who we lost to a very quick battle with angiosarcoma.
Shaun’s friends in the industry united to throw numerous events at The Commodore Ballroom and Fortune Sound Club, featuring many of Vancouver’s most talented artists and musicians.
Together Shaun’s friends raised over $200,000 and gave us the motivation to grow our own events.
The Beach Party
This event was one of TCF’s first major steps out of our dad’s backyard, with close to 1,000 guests attending.
The event brought together many local businesses and friends in the industry and included the largest raffle our team had ever put together at the time.
Cure Is The New Black
Our black-and-white themed party brought 500 guests into the brand new BMW dealership in Langley.
VIP guests were chauffeured in BMW 5 and 7 Series vehicles.
Entertainment included a fashion show, a b-boy competition, and world-renowned DJs including Skratch Bastid, Headspin (Red Bull Thre3Style World Champion), and Young Guru (Jay-Z’s touring DJ).
This was a one-time event.
Banger In The Hangar
The TCF family took over an airport hangar in Langley and transformed it into a full aviator-themed event.
Guests enjoyed cocktails, wine, DJs, and dancing, along with a real fighter jet photo booth and a helicopter backdrop on stage.
This one-time event raised $46,000.
Long Table Christmas Gala
A five-course long-table dinner hosting 250 guests down the winding aisles of Potters Nursery during the Christmas season.
The evening included actors, pianists, oysters, and a 60-foot charcuterie board, with catering provided by our friends at Sammy J’s.
This event ran for two years and raised nearly $200,000.
Rad Santa
An evening with the big man in red, where guests of all ages lined up to have their photo taken with Santa, his elves, and even the Grinch.
Musicians performed acoustic sets by the firepits, while volunteers served hot chocolate and auctioned off presents that were given to the kids at Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.
This event ran for five years and raised nearly $60,000.
GOne Country
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