Robbie Burns Dinner kicks off pipe band's 25th anniversary year

If there’s a drop of Scottish blood in your veins, then save the date now for some must-attend events in the new year.

The cutting of the haggis is an important part of any Robbie Burns dinner.iStock

If there’s a drop of Scottish blood in your veins, then save the date now for some must-attend events in the new year.

The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, based in Burnaby, is celebrating the 25^th anniversary of its youth band – the Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band – this coming January.

The celebration kicks off with the SFU Pipe Band’s annual Robbie Burns Dinner and silent auction, set for Jan. 26 at the Executive Plaza Hotel Metro Vancouver on North Road.

There will also be an exclusive concert performance in honour of the 25^th anniversary year, on Saturday, April 12 at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver.

The Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band was founded in January 1994 to honour the loss of two young SFU Pipe Band players and instructors, Robert Barbulak, and Malcolm Bokenfohr, who were killed by an impaired driver in November 1993.

The band started with 35 players and has since taught more than 2,000 young players, aged eight through 18, and now has a membership of nearly 150 pipers and drummers every year. It has levels ranging from beginner up to Grade 2, with the potential for players to join the coveted Grade 1 SFU Pipe Band itself.

The Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band competes and performs at local, provincial and international events, including the world championships in Scotland – where it has notched four wins in the juvenile category.

The 25^th anniversary season will also mark a changing of the guard, as band manager Jack Lee is passing the tour to his son, Andrew Lee – a proficient solo competitor, band instructor and pipe major.

For more on the band and all its events, see www.sfupipeband.com.