Persoon

Grefner, Katherine

fl. 1990s-

Katherine Grefner is a teacher, jazz singer, choir director, and pageant director living in Burnaby, BC. From 1991 to 1994, she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts and French at the University of Calgary. While in her twenties, Katherine recorded two original songs written by her, and produced two Christmas CDs in honour of her first two children entitled An Eden Christmas, and Angels in the Snow. Proceeds from both of these CDs, which sold out at HMV stores over two Christmas seasons, went to benefit Alberta and BC Children’s Hospital Foundations. As well, Katherine produced and directed various stage productions including children’s choirs, pageants, and children’s musical theatre. She became the director of the West Coast Miss Oktoberfest pageant, which started raising funds for both BC Children’s Hospital and Variety – The Children’s Charity. Then, upon the diagnosis of her first born daughter with leukemia, benefitting children’s charities became of even greater importance for her.Katherine Grefner has dedicated much of her performance time to various charities including Alberta and BC Children’s Hospital Foundations, the Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation (for child suicide prevention), Children’s Make A Wish Foundation, and Variety – The Children’s Charity. Katherine Grefner is an official member of Variety – The Children’s Charity now and has had her children’s choir perform at their prestigious Humanitarian and Red Heart Dinners. For seven years, Katherine headed the Miss Teen Global pageant, which had raised funds for Variety. Katherine Grefner presented the Miss World Canada pageant in May of 2010. To date, Katherine’s projects have raised close to $200 000 for Children’s Charities. Since 2000, she has been a school teacher in the Tri-Cities School District in the Lower Mainland. She is married and has children.

Calgary, AB
Port Moody, BC
Burnaby, BC

Teacher
Jazz singer
Pageant director
Choir director

RAD, July 2008 version. Canadian Council of Archives.

Catalogued July 2022.

1) Archival material
2) https://www.instagram.com/kgrefner/?hl=en
3) https://katherinegrefner.wordpress.com/about/
4) https://vancouversbestplaces.com/entertainment/vancouver-jazz-vespers/katherine-grefner-mighty-fraser-band/
5) https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-grefner-402b262a/?originalSubdomain=ca
6) https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinegrefner/?originalSubdomain=ca