NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE — A beloved Canadian family entertainer will appeal to the young, and the young at heart, for a charity concert supporting the Shaw Festival Syrian Refugee Project.

Fred Penner will be performing at the Royal George Theatre, 85 Queen St. in Niagara-on-the-Lake, on Thursday, Aug. 18, at 7:30 p.m., in an all-ages show to support the effort initiated by Shaw Festival company members who were inspired to reach out and do their part to help resettle Syrian families in Canada.

To date the Shaw Festival Syrian Refugee Project has already been able to sponsor two families, after joining forces with two Niagara-on-the-Lake churches, St. Mark's and Grace United. One family has since arrived and is now settled in St. Catharines, while the second family’s arrival has been delayed due to the ongoing unrest in Turkey.

Penner, an Order of Canada recipient, hosted his own TV show, Fred Penner’s Place, on CBC from 1985 to 1997 and also appeared on The Elephant Show, where he sand the hit that launched his career and established him as one of Canada’s leading children's entertainers, “The Cat Came Back”. Other childhood classics included “Sandwiches”, “We’re Gonna Shine” and “What a Day”.