SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. -- When six P.E.I. doctors picked up their instruments to blow off steam, they wound up with an unexpected side effect: sold-out concerts and a growing chorus of support for a local hospital. Their cover band, the Flu Fighters, has raised more than $20,000 for Summerside’s Prince County Hospital Foundation, which helps purchase everything from X-ray and ultrasound equipment to ceiling lifts and stretchers. But the group first came together to cope with the pressures of practicing medicine in a strained health-care system. “It really is the best escape that we could have come up with,” said Dr. David Antle, a Summerside family physician and president-elect of the Medical Society of P.E.I. “We’ve joked that it’s cheaper than therapy.” Fundraising wasn’t part of the plan when hospitalist Dr. Jonathan Sharpe began recruiting bandmates in 2024. Inspired by watching his children play in their high school ensemble, he called up a few colleagues, and weekly rehearsals began. “It’s kind of blossomed into something much more than we ever expected, and we’re super proud of it,” Sharpe said. Sold-out shows The Flu Fighters found their first audience at a post-pandemic Halloween staff party at “the shed,” a two-storey space owned by the band’s “patriarch,” emergency physician Dr. Steven MacNeill. The night was a hit, and the community wanted more. Performances were slotted into busy schedules, and the band’s fanbase grew, along with their repertoire and talent. “Nobody’s ears bleed anymore,” joked MacNeill. “My guitar playing skills were campfire at best. And now I’d say I’m kind of a little bit higher than that.” Two of their biggest supporters, MacNeill’s wife, Dr. Helga Reisch, and physiotherapist Sheila MacMurdo, also got creative, designing merchandise to sell in support of the cause. In 2025, the group was invited to play at Summerside’s Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, a venue that seats nearly 300 people. Tickets didn’t last long. Hospital foundations across the Island fund most medical equipment. While the provincial government sometimes supports these purchases through capital funding, at least one national study suggests P.E.I. relied more heavily on charitable donations for imaging machines in 2022-23 than many other provinces. But the payoff goes beyond the numbers - the music is also boosting staff morale. “You see corners of the hospital that usually wouldn’t be crossing paths, having fun, listening to music, seeing their colleagues be vulnerable,” said Dr. Tyler McDonell, Prince County Hospital’s medical director. “It’s been something pretty special.” The Flu Fighters are gearing up for their biggest weekend yet, with two sold-out concerts on Nov. 6 and 7. “The first one sold out in, I think, 27 hours, so they very generously added another date for us,” said family physician Dr. John Morash, the band’s “chief enthusiasm officer.” “We got people coming from as far away as Ontario. Can’t beat that.” With showtime approaching, the doctors are hoping to top last year’s fundraising total. The Prince County Hospital Foundation also accepts donations online. “A little bit nervous, but this is the second time we’ve done it, so really looking forward to how fun it was last year,” said Dr. April MacPhee, a pediatrician. “And hopefully it’s a success again.” By the sounds of it, the prognosis is pretty good.
