Hummingbird604.com » charities

The 46th Annual Variety Show of Hearts Telethon (Feb 11th and 12th)

Raul — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:29:29 +0000

I am, as you can imagine, a sucker for fundraisers. And this fundraiser, the 46th Annual Variety Show of Hearts Telethon that takes place on February 11th and 12th, is one of the biggest fundraisers in Canada. I only wish I had more time to participate, because this is a particularly busy time of the year for me.

The event raises money for Variety – The Children’s Charity. All of the money raised stays in British Columbia to help children who have special needs. The Variety Show of Hearts Telethon is hosted by the Global News Team including Chris Gailus, Jill Krop, Deborra Hope, Sophie Lui, Steven Darling, Robin Gill and Wayne Cox and features amazing stories about some of the children that Variety has helped, interspersed with fantastic concerts and performances.

The entertainment on this year’s Show of Hearts Telethon features some truly incredible performances. Saturday night kicks off at 7:00 pm with MICHAEL BUBLE: Caught in the Act, featuring performances of songs off his album, It’s Time. Then at 10:00 pm, watch VHI DIVAS CELEBRATES SOUL, featuring artists such as Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige and Kelly Clarkson. Sunday morning at 2:00 am, catch MARIAH CAREY: The Adventures of Mimi as she performs some of her biggest hits. At 4:00 am, enjoy BC’s own, BRYAN ADAMS: Live at Slane Castle, as he performs for nearly 60,000 fans at Slane Castle in Ireland.

On Sunday at 7:00 am, watch PHIL COLLINS: Going Back – Live from the Roseland Ballroom in NYC, as Collins performs some of your favourite Motown hits. Join us at 11:00 am for ADELE: Live from the Artists Den, as the singer-songwriter performs her chart-topping hits. At 1:00 pm, enjoy MUSICARES: A Tribute to Neil Young, as legendary artists such as Elton John, James Taylor and others pay tribute to Young by performing renditions of his most memorable songs. At 3:30pm, tune into PAUL SIMON & FRIENDS: Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Music, an all-star concert featuring appearances by Art Garfunkel, Marc Anthony, Alison Krauss and others.

I found out that since 1965, Variety – The Children’s Charity has raised over $155 million to help children who have special needs and their families as well as children’s organizations around British Columbia.

Variety covers the costs of out-of-town travel and accommodation while a child requires medical treatment away from home. Variety also provides grants for prescription drugs, wheelchairs, walkers, physical and occupational therapy, tutoring sessions and much more. Children’s organizations and hospitals around the province receive grants for construction and specialized equipment. Over the years Variety has also spearheaded capital campaigns to build Canuck Place, the BC Family Hearing Resource Centre, the Down Syndrome Resource Centre and Research Foundation and child development centres across British Columbia.

Visit Variety – The Children’s Charity for more information. Tune in and donate to the Variety Show of Hearts Telethon on Global BC, 7:00pm Saturday, February 11th through 6:00pm Sunday, February 12th. Call 310 KIDS (5437) – no area code needed -from anywhere in the province to make a donation. Donors will be helping Variety inspire hope, enrich lives, and build a better future for children in British Columbia.

“Fun 2 Cancer 0″ 2nd Annual Team in Training Rock Out and Beat Cancer Night

Raul — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:37:29 +0000

Speaking of cancer, my good friend Greg Mitchell is organizing his second annual fundraiser for Team In Training and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. (Greg will be running a triathlon – an amazing feat for anyone who completes one – but he is doing this one inspired by friends of his who have fought blood cancers) This year, the line up of artists at the concert/pub night (which will take place at Library Square on February 9th) sounds really awesome. Check the Facebook page event to read about them. You can donate directly to Greg’s fundraising campaign here. And another way to donate is to buy tickets and attend the fundraiser.

Learning about what inspired Greg to run the triathlon with Team In Training really resonated with me. You can also follow Greg on Twitter here.

On Saturday night, I celebrated a milestone day with one of my closest friends. Her name is Melissa, and in addition to celebrating her 34th birthday, it marks the beginning of her 5th year in remission from Hodgkins Lymphoma. Yes, what a great way to celebrate a birthday! In addition to being one of my closest friends, she is an amazing, bright, beautiful person who I am so thankful for as a friend. Now on Sunday morning, as part of my training, I ran a 10km run, which was a little more difficult due to excessive alcohol consumption.

Anyhow, last year when I took on the challenge of completing a triathlon, it was done with Melissa formost on my mind and my thoughts as I did it. I was one of a few people who got to see and spend time with Melissa during her Chemotherapy treatment and it was humbling to see her drive and her fight. Indeed, the fight never left her eyes and she was convinced she was going to beat this thing called Cancer, and well, she did – and then some. She returned to her career, has and continues to travel, and in general thrives.

Greg is a personal friend of mine, and I strongly encourage you to join and support his fundraising efforts towards fighting blood cancers. I for one, will.

Send a Candygram on Valentine’s Day and support @ALovingSpoonful

Raul — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:59:06 +0000

I remember a couple of years ago I saw a video of the Candygram.ca website with my friends Jonny Staub and Fred Lee in it, and I thought “maybe I should send a couple of Candygrams myself for Valentine’s Day”. This year, the wonderful campaign that encourages you to send a candygram via the website Candygram.ca has partnered with Yelp, Purdy’s, and Shamin. My friend Tyrell Witherspoon led a flash mob to promote the Candygram, recently (read about it on Homorazzi).

Photo credit: ArtNoose on Flickr

“CandyGrams” are a playful throwback to grade-school love notes, and include a special-edition Valentine’s Day card, two delicious Purdy’s heart-shaped chocolates, a Yelpstick lip balm, Shamin’s perfect-kiss mints and a $15 gift card for Shamin Jewellers or Shamin.ca. Senders can select a friendly, flirty or frisky message from 150 options (filed under Like, Love and Lust) and can include their name, or send it as an anonymous secret admirer. For a cost of only $10, they can be sent anywhere in Canada.

Thanks to the generosity of the campaign sponsors, proceeds from the sale of CandyGrams will go directly to help those living with HIV and AIDS, supporting the amazing charity A Loving Spoonful. You may remember I’ve Blogathoned in the past and raised funds for them too. It’s a charity I’m proud to support. Last year the program raised over $20,000, and this year A Loving Spoonful hopes to top that and raise over $28,000 through the CandyGram campaign.

A Loving Spoonful is the only organization in Metro Vancouver that delivers nutritionally planned and ready-made meals to men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS. Each year they deliver over 100,000 meals to those in need, and with very little government funding, they rely on the generosity of community and corporate partners alongside fundraising events or programs such as this campaign.

CandyGrams are on sale now at Candygram.ca, and a limited number of 3500 are available for 2012. For on-time delivery (via Canada Post) by Valentine’s Day orders must be placed by February 6th for Eastern Canada, and February 9th for Western Canada.

About A Loving Spoonful
A Loving Spoonful is a volunteer-driven not-for-profit organization that provides free, nutritious meals as well as nutritional support to people living with HIV or AIDS. On a weekly basis, and for the last 20 years, A Loving Spoonful volunteers deliver frozen meals and snack packs to men, women and children who are primarily homebound and living with HIV/AIDS. Maintaining superior health standards in each and every meal, alongside a minimal cost per plate, A Loving Spoonful provides for those who most need it; supporting their healthy living and healing efforts. A LovingSpoonful offers the priceless peace-of-mind granted by always knowing where one’s next meal is coming from, even if they lack the resources or physical ability to provide for themselves. For more information, please visit A Loving Spoonful’s website.

The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund

Raul — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:17:27 +0000

As an educator (and someone who has been a supporter of the non-profit sector in Vancouver for years), I’m always constantly looking for ways to promote initiatives that improve the livelihoods of young kids. While food and shelter are simply vital, I strongly believe that education is also relevant (particularly because being educated increases our chances of finding or creating our own jobs).

I recently found out through my friends Gillian Shaw and Crystal Kwon about an initiative launched by The Vancouver sun: The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund. A brief summary of the history of this initiative:

When inner-city school teacher Carrie Gelson put out her heartwrenching notice in September that her students at Admiral Seymour elementary in Vancouver were arriving at school hungry and in need of warm clothing, she touched a nerve with Vancouver Sun readers, who responded by generously donating goods and funds to the school. Her story, which has echoes throughout inner-city schools all over Metro Vancouver, also prompted The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund to launch a special fundraising project called Adopt-a-School.

One of the questions that I always have when looking at a charitable project is whether said project will have an integrated view (e.g. funding education but also providing some of the basic needs like warm clothing, food, etc. if there is space for that). I am happy that (from the excerpt I read), the Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund has thought about that too:

With Adopt-a-School, our goal is to raise not only money and awareness to address the needs in individual schools as identified by their educators – the fund will match every penny donated by readers – but also to act as a conduit so that Sun readers can immediately donate goods such as coats and shoes and gloves directly to those schools and students who need them most as we head into winter.

You can donate to this worthy cause here. Interested schools can apply here for the funding (opens to a PDF).

World AIDS Day and the Treatment As Prevention Campaign

Raul — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:50:10 +0000

photo credit: Jayel Aheram

I have several friends who work for the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and as you may know, World AIDS day is this Thursday, Dec. 1st. I remember the first time I heard about AIDS and HIV, and how concerned people were with the possibilities of transmission (it’s no longer a ‘gay male disease’, as people mistakenly seem to think – HIV can affect anyone, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation).

One of the biggest obstacles the HIV community is still facing today is the stigma associated with the illness. And it is no secret that one of the causes I am most passionate about is HIV/AIDS.

This World AIDS Day, the BC Centre for launching a campaign with the goal of spreading awareness about HIV and to have British Columbians join their pledge and commit to be tested (Treatment as Prevention). They will be launching a brand new website and social media strategy for this campaign. The video below explains the advancements in the treatment of HIV, largely thanks to research conducted right here in Vancouver (and I will be the first one to say that I love the work that Dr. Julio Montaner has done in this field).

To keep the momentum going after World AIDS Day, the BC Centre of Excellence in HIV/AIDS will be launching some interesting and cool online activities. You can find out more on the Treatment As Prevention site, their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter (the hashtag is #TasP and for World AIDS Day #WAD).

CrowdOutAIDS #CrowdOutAIDS

Raul — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 15:00:08 +0000

HIV and its progression to AIDS is a lethal disease that has ravaged humanity for a couple of decades now, and whether I like it or not, the male gay community remains one of the highest at-risk populations (due to, amongst other things, the particular HIV transmission mechanisms and routes of insertion into the blood stream). Youth (be it straight or queer) is also at high risk.

I found some startling statistics from the United Nations State of the World Population Report 2005:

Of the over 1 billion youth (ages 15-24) worldwide, some 10 million are living with HIV: Every day, an estimated 6,000 youth are infected with the virus. Research from around the world shows an alarming degree of misinformation and lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS among young people, especially young women. The majority lack access to effective prevention programmes, while many cannot access condoms. Of the 15-24 year old young people living with HIV, 63 per cent live in sub-Saharan Africa and 21 per cent live in Asia-Pacific. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, more than 80 per cent of those living with HIV are under the age of 30.

I found out my friend Kris Krug is collaborating with UNAIDS on a project called CrowdOutAIDS, and given my particular fondness for queer issues (note for example my writing about Project Empty Bowl, my Blogathon for A Loving Spoonful, my promotion of Brunch With Benefits for YouthCO and my highlighting of Dining Out For Life every year for a little sampler).

This project sounds really cool as it asks people to provide input on what they think a global youth AIDS strategy should look like. You can learn more from the website here:

Every day, 3,000 young people become infected with HIV and many of the 5 million young people living with HIV are without access to treatment. To change this, UNAIDS needs a new approach to HIV and young people. How to do this? CrowdOutAIDS is a collaborative online project to develop a new way for UNAIDS to work with young people. It uses online tools to help young people come together to crowdsource a UNAIDS youth strategy on HIV.

CrowdOutAIDS will:

Connect young people who want to help out through tools like Facebook, blogs, Orkut and Google docs.

Engage in conversations about the key issues young people face.

Put decision-making in the hands of young people.

Collectively agree on actions—and get young people to draft the strategy!

You can connect with CrowdOutAIDS and participate in the project in their various social platforms.

SPEAKING OF TASTE BUDS, the Art of Food Writing (Nov 28th)

Raul — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:00:50 +0000

I know it’s hard to categorize me in one specific area, but for the most part, I think most people will agree that I am a food writer, at least a substantial portion of my blog posts’ are dedicated to food. I have reviewed over 325 restaurants in Vancouver, British Columbia and other parts of Canada. And while I sometimes joke about being a foodie (I know some folks loathe the word), I do enjoy eating out and sharing my experiences.

While I am not someone who has taken a course on food writing but I’m always curious to hear other people’s perspectives on the topic, and thus I find Speaking of Taste Buds, The Art of Food Writing a really interesting event (and on top of everything, it’s at my alma mater, UBC, in the residence where I used to live, Green College).

Featuring an accomplished panel of Canadian food writers, this fundraiser promises to be both informative and delicious! On the panel are Food Network host Anna Olson, Globe and Mail restaurant critic Alexandra Gill, and editor and founder of Scout Magazine Andrew Morrison. With canapés and bar service provided by Westcadia Catering.

All proceeds go directly to the KidSafe Writers’ Room, a charitable program that works with inner-city kids in East Vancouver to build lifelong literacy skills through creative writing projects, tutoring and mentorships. Writers’ Room volunteer tutors provide one-on-one support so that each child receives the attention that he or she deserves.

Hosted by Taryn Boyd of the Literary Press Group of Canada.

Date: Monday, November 28, 2011
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Cecil Green Park House, University of British Columbia,
6251 Cecil Green Park Road, Vancouver, BC
Price: $100 (Includes your donation to the Writers’ Room, canapés and a copy of Anna Olson’s brand-new book, Back to Baking. Additional copies of the book will be available for purchase/signing at the event—and they are great for gifts!).

You can get tickets here. Consider supporting this event! Sounds like it will be a lot of fun!

For Our Daughters: From Ghana to Granville Street (Nov 23rd)

Raul — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:45:17 +0000

Given that my academic research is keenly focused on narrowing the poverty gap, I am always keen to promote events about foundations focused on empowering women, reducing poverty and with focus (in general, but not limited to) on Africa. I’m currently doing research on water and energy poverty, and one of the country case studies will be Ghana. So that’s why I was keen to write about For Our Daughters – From Ghana to Granville.

For Our Daughters — From Ghana to Granville Street
Wednesday, Nov. 23 at Vogue Theatre (918 Granville St.), 7 pm.

Presented by the Vancouver-based charity, Create Change Foundation will be an inspirational evening featuring four girls from Northern Ghana, each a recent high school graduate thanks to Create Change’s dedication to helping girls get access to secondary education in the region.

Join Fayuda, Gladys, Beatrice and Faiza, and special musical guests The Boom Booms and The Reckoners, as these remarkable young women share their struggles and ultimate triumph in getting an education in a society that undervalues their contributions. Learn how women’s education has changed the lives of these four girls and how it can help to break the cycle of poverty in the developing world.

Tickets $30/$20 and can be purchased online.

UPDATE – The organizers of For Our Daughters: From Ghana to Granville Street have given me 3 pairs of tickets to give away for the show. All you need to do is either drop a comment on this post telling me who inspires you or tweet the following (if you do both, I’ll count it as 2 entries):

Shared my inspiration on @hummingbird604 ‘s blog for a chance to win tix to For Our Daughters via @createchangenow http://is.gd/3B3SJw

I will draw 2 winners on Tuesday November 22nd at 2pm. Check back this post or your Twitter stream. Tickets will be held at will call (I’ll tell the winner the code to pick them up). Good luck everyone! And in case you wanted to know who inspires me, my Mom is my biggest source of inspiration.

Bedouin Soundclash at Venue – Benefit Concert for Broadway Youth Resource Centre

Raul — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:00:55 +0000

Given that I live in Mount Pleasant and that I am so involved with causes of homelessness and youth, I thought that this would be very fitting for my blog. I found out that Virgin Mobile Canada, through Virgin Unite (their charitable arm), are raising awareness and thus are holding a concert with Bedouin Soundclash from where proceeds will be donated to the Broadway Youth Resource Centre (which is located on Broadway and Fraser on Mount Pleasant). I really like Bedouin Soundclash, and it is indeed a fact that this kind of benefit concert is totally up my alley.

Right now, 65,000 Canadian youth don’t have a place to call home. That’s the same as the population of Saint John, New Brunswick. In partnership with Virgin Unite, we’re on a mission to raise awareness of an epidemic of youth homelessness in Canada. Over 65,000 young people endure homelessness in this country every year. We’re working on new programs that will create opportunities for our community to inspire real change for these young people, and that’s where we need your help. We want to make November 17th National Youth Homelessness Awareness Day to show the government that we need lasting solutions and not temporary band-aids

Proceeds from the show will support Virgin Unite partner Broadway Youth Resource Centre. Located in Vancouver, Broadway Youth Resource Centre is an integrated one-stop centre that provides a wide range of social, health, education, employment and life skills services to homeless and at-risk youth between the ages of 12 and 24.

Tickets for the Bedouin Soundclash show on December 1, 2011 are $25 each (plus applicable service charges) and will be available for purchase online at Ticket Web starting at 10:00 a.m. PST on October 21, 2011. Concertgoers must be 19+ and doors will open at 8:00 p.m. PST. Whether or not they can make it to the show, Canadians can support Virgin Unite by texting REGEN to 30333 from their mobile phone to donate $5 for at-risk and homeless youth programs in Canada.

And because I love my readers and Virgin Mobile Canada is being so kind, I have a pair of tickets to give away to the concert. I will hold the giveaway for about a week, drawing winners on November 4th, 2011 at 2pm. so you should enter FAST. And if you don’t win, you can always buy tickets as indicated above, at Ticket Web.

To enter, write on the comments something that you would think could help at-risk homeless youth in Canada (or worldwide). As I often tell my Public Policy students, no suggestion is too crazy. To gain an additional entry feel free to post the following on your Twitter stream:

Commented on youth homelessness on @hummingbird604 ‘s blog http://is.gd/Xtx0CD 2 enter 2 win tix 2 @bedouinsndclsh via @virginmobilecan

I will draw a random winner from all entries up to November 4th, 2011 at 2pm. And remember, with the weather being this cold, please consider buying a warm beverage to someone who might not be as lucky as you to have a roof above their heads.

Brunch With Benefits (Fundraiser for @YouthCo)

Raul — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:45:32 +0000

I’ve blogged before about Brunch With Benefits, but lately (and by lately I mean, the past 3 years) I have made more of an effort to promote charitable causes that deal with issues that affect the queer population, so I’m writing about it again (and I will be attending the 2011 event).

HIV is still one of the diseases that affects gay men in a significant proportion, so I am quite keen to support non-profit organizations like YouthCO (in addition to the fact that I have good friends either working for YouthCO or on the board).

YouthCO is Canada’s first youth-driven organization leading the HIV and Hep C movement through peer education, support, and shared leadership.

So, why support Brunch With Benefits, you ask?

Approximately one third of all new HIV-positive tests in Canada are among youth aged 15-29 years, and the numbers are just as high when it comes to Hepatitis C. Now more than ever there is a need for effective prevention, education and support programs by and for young people.

YouthCO has been providing such services for over 16 years and has been recognized nationally as a leader and advocate for youth sexual health. By supporting Brunch with Benefits you are promoting the current and future health of our community.

There are 10 restaurants participating at Brunch With Benefits. 2 that I recall off the top of my head are: Market by St. Georges and The Helm.

Brunch with Benefits 2011 will be happening on Sunday, November 27th at 10 participating restaurants around Vancouver. Enjoy brunch with your friends and family and a portion of the proceeds will go towards YouthCO‘s HIV and Hep C prevention, support and awareness programs for young people.

I will post the complete list of restaurants once I hear back from my friend Michael Reid, who works for YouthCO. The list so far is quite impressive. Check it out! And if you can’t make it for brunch that Sunday, you can still donate directly.

Arts Umbrella Splash 2011 at Performance Works Saturday October 15th

Raul — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:26:05 +0000

If there is one day when I regret having to travel is this Saturday. One of the most fun friends I have (Jonny Staub, the mid-day DJ for The Beat 94.5 FM) is MC-ing an amazing fundraiser this weekend (which means you still can get your tickets for tomorrow’s event): Splash, the arts auctioning/gala/fundraiser for Arts Umbrella.

Splash is Vancouver’s most established charitable art events featuring a stunning collection of works by some of Canada’s most prominent artists. The event is truly an experience, a feast for the senses, including a cocktail reception, a fine wine and food experience, performances by Arts Umbrella students, a hot DJ revving the party up and of course, 100 engaging contemporary artworks. More than 500 guests attend for the chance to bid on coveted artworks, raising much-needed funds for Arts Umbrella.

Established artists whose creative works will be auctioned off at the Splash Gala will include Gordon Smith, Ross Penhall and Bobbie Burgers.

Splash 2011
Arts Umbrella’s 29th Annual Art Auction & Gala
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Performance Works, Granville Island
6:30pm to midnight
For tickets and more information you can check the Arts Umbrella website.

I had a chance to give a quick tour of the VIP event (I couldn’t stay long as I was triple-booked. I hope my photo set can give you an idea of the amazing art that will be auctioned. This promises to be a fantastic event not to be missed.

You should totally check this event out, and bid on some art!

Save Your Skin Foundation (Cruise for a Cause)

Raul — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:46:23 +0000

As you know, cancer has taken away a number of important people in my life … my friend Derek K. Miller this year, my grandmother, my 2 aunts and recently, even though I only met him once and I never voted here, of relevance to all Canadians, Jack Layton among many, many others. I feel it’s important that I promote fundraisers and events for cancer research and awareness whenever I can.

In case you you missed it, I’ve blogged about the Save Your Skin foundation here. If the cause of skin cancer touches you, directly or indirectly, you should think about attending the Cruise for a Cause fundraiser:

On Friday August 26, 2011 the Save Your Skin Foundation is holding its 4th Annual Cruise For A Cause Boat cruise fundraiser. The highly anticipated event is back cruising around the city of Vancouver all for a good cause. Come aboard the Queen of Diamonds for a night that includes, a three course dinner, entertainment, door prizes, silent auction and much more. All proceeds go towards the Save Your Skin Foundation to help bring awareness to and help those touched by melanoma skin cancer.

For more information or tickets, visit the Save Your Skin Foundation website.

It will be an entertaining evening with great food and good entertainment, all for the cause of melanoma skin cancer. Hopefully many of you will be able to check it out.

Adult Pirate Pak at White Spot (with $2 donations to Zajac Ranch for Children)

Raul — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:44:44 +0000

photo credit: jaci XIII

I’ve always been a fan of White Spot, and I do have a soft spot for their ‘Pirate Pak’ which are back today, August 17th, and raise money for Zajac Ranch for Children. From the press release I was sent:

To celebrate the fourth annual Pirate Pak Day on Wednesday, August 17, $2 from the sale of each kids and adult Pirate Pak and contributions received in lieu of Pirate Paks will be donated to the Zajac Ranch. Zajac Ranch is a longtime B.C. charity dedicated to giving children with life-threatening illnesses and chronic disabilities an unforgettable summer camp experience. With more than $105,000 raised over the past three years, White Spot has sent a total of 50 kids to Zajac Ranch since 2008.

A traditional White Spot menu favourite since 1968, the Pirate Pak was first created by Nat Bailey to provide a unique dining experience for kids age 10 and under. The children’s Pirate Pak costs $5.99 and is available in a range of delicious options including two slider burgers, a regular hamburger, grilled cheese sandwich, Pirate Pals crispy-coated chicken, macaroni and cheese or lightly battered Pacific Cod. White Spot’s special edition ‘Adult Pak’ will be available Wednesday, August 17 only, and starting at $10.49, features a choice of four mouth-watering burger options including the Legendary Burger, Bacon Cheddar Bigger Burger, Provolone Veggie Burger on a multigrain bun and the BC Chicken Burger. Each meal is served in the iconic boat and comes complete with fresh-cut fries, a soft drink, a scoop of ice cream and a chocolate “gold” coin.

Exactly 775,592 Pirate Paks were sold last year.
Since 1968, more than 22 million Pirate Paks have been sold.
With the option of one per cent milk, juice and new sides like veggies and dip, grapes and steamed vegetables, there are more than 675 different Kids Pirate Pak combinations.
The Pirate Pak boat is 100 percent recyclable.
The most popular Pirate Pak item is the Pirate Pak Hamburger made with 100 per cent fresh Canadian beef and famous secret Triple “O” sauce.

Some facts about White Spot

Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, White Spot is a B.C. legend. Founded in 1928, when Nat Bailey launched Canada’s first drive-in restaurant at Granville and 67th, the 83-year-young chain now sees more than 17 million guests annually at 121 White Spot and Triple O’s locations throughout B.C., Alberta and Asia. Bailey’s original vision was to build a restaurant that served the highest quality, unique tasting food and White Spot remains committed to continuing this tradition in each and every meal.

The Prints Show

jessica — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:39:40 +0000

The Prints Show has been put together entirely by the joint efforts of North Vancouver photographers Andy White and Leon Kozlov. The whole idea behind the show was a fundraiser for cancer research in loving memory and honour of Linda Rosetti.

The goal was to accumulate 100 pictures from local photographers, amateurs or professionals. The fundraiser happens in Lynn Valley on August 18^th as a silent auction for the prints: one copy of each is up for grabs, with the hopes of raising $3,000 in one night. The benefit money goes towards Inspire Health: Integrated Cancer Care for attention and care to support cancer patients.

The event will be held at the Lynn Valley Community Meeting Room in the Lynn Valley Library – 1277 Lynn Valley Road on August 18th from 5PM – 8PM. Follow them on Twitter @thePrintsShow for more information.

Le Jazz Hot (Fundraiser for YouthCo AIDS Society) July 25th, 2011

Raul — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:00:15 +0000

photo credit: Fillmore Photography

The fight against HIV/AIDS happens to be one of the charitable causes that I champion the most. YouthCO AIDS Society is an organization that I really like and whose purpose I firmly believe in. Youth affected with HIV/AIDS is perhaps one of the most vulnerable target populations and therefore any projects and programs that intend to empower and help HIV-afflicted youth is high on my good books.

YouthCo is Canada’s first youth-driven organization leading the HIV and HepC movement through peer education, support, and shared leadership. And they’re organizing a very worthy event, Le Jazz Hot, with the cast of Hairspray (you may have read my review of The Arts Club rendition of Hairspray). More information on the Facebook event page.

Cast Members From the Arts Club Theatre’s HAIRSPRAY Sizzle in a One-Night Only Benefit Cabaret in support of YouthCO!

TICKETS: $25 in advance at Vancouver Tix (604)629-8849 or at Little Sisters & Priape, $30 at the door

Created by Vancouver local and Broadway entertainer, Ian Yuri Gardner, cast members From the Arts Club Theatre’s HAIRSPRAY and several local entertainers will Sizzle in a One-Night Only benefit cabaret in support of YouthCO! From Broadway to Burlesque, the show will solo and ensemble music, dance and audience interactive numbers in a setting of a 1930s/40 speakeasy.

There will also be an opportunity to win a variety of door prizes including tickets to other shows from the Arts Club Theatre. This event features J. Cameron Barnett, Jak Barradell, Wendy Bollard, Kayla Dunbar, Joan E
Allison Fligg, Ian Yuri Gardner, Carlotta Gurl, Anna Kuman, Jennie Neumann, Colin Sheen, Cailin Stadnyk, Robyn Wallis and many more including members of the cast of HAIRSPRAY. The event is produced by VBY Entertainment & 16th Ave Productions

Vancouver Five Hole For Food 2011 Mainstream Media Game on Granville Street #FHFF

Raul — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 23:27:58 +0000

ZOMG. I had SO much fun playing in the mainstream media/celebrity game this afternoon, alongside Dawn Chubai (Breakfast Television), Gillian Shaw (The Vancouver Sun), Hosea Cheung (24 Hours Vancouver), Rhiaz Meghji (Breakfast Television), Erin Loxam (News 1130), Norma Reid (CTV) and many others whose name escape me.

I had a chance to chat with Justin Kripps (Olympian, bobsled) and it was A LOT OF FUN. I was in the team that played against Minna and at some points we fought hard to win control of the ball. I also got to say hi to the main guy behind this, Richard Loat (who also happens to be a friend of mine).

I’m so glad we got to be a part of Five Hole For Food. You can still go and play, donate (remember, monetary donations amount to more food per dollar) and support this great event. And I got to see and smile at Matthew Morrison from GLEE (this was totally serendipitous). And my Mom had a great time meeting everyone.

Richard Loat, Dixon Tam, Phoenix Lam, Crystal Kwon, Joyce Wu and the rest of the volunteers, and all of my supporters and fans (including Esmir Milavic, Conner Galway and many others who just showed up to say “you can do it”) – thank you so much. It was a great experience. And thanks to Gus Fosarolli for being the official photographer of Hummingbird604.com today and my Mom’s official wingman.

You can see how competitive Dawn Chubai and Justin Kripps can get! And below, supporter Conner Galway keeps a close look on how well (or bad) we’re playing!

I *almost* look like I know what I’m doing, don’t I?

The rest of my photos (well, Gus’ photos) is on my Flickr stream.

Project Empty Bowl 2011 (Fundraiser for A Loving Spoonful) at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel

Raul — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:18:03 +0000

photo credit: gurms

In the Maslow hierarchy of needs, food, water and breathing are some of the most basic needs of human beings. Disenfranchised people afflicted with HIV/AIDS potentially (and in some cases/countries, frequently) face this most basic challenge: ensuring that they can consume nutritious meals in enough quantity to sustain their bodies and help them fight the deathly virus. I have been a fan of the amazing work that A Loving Spoonful has been doing since 1989, as a volunteer-driven, non-partisan Society that provides free, nutritious meals to people living with HIV/AIDS in Greater Vancouver. In 2007 I Blogathoned fundraising for A Loving Spoonful, as it is a cause near and dear to my heart.

Tonight (July 7th, 2011), along with my Mom, I will be attending Project Empty Bowl 2011 at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel. You may ask yourself – what is Project Empty Bowl?

Since its inception in the early 1990’s Project Empty Bowl has fed thousands of individuals with AIDS locally and tens of thousands globally. It began when John Harton, a teacher in Bloomfield, MT, asked his high school ceramic students to make enough bowls to give a luncheon for the school staff. For $5 each, the guests received a simple meal of soup and bread, served in one of the handmade bowls. Guests were asked to accept their now empty bowls as a gift and to keep them as a reminder of all the empty bowls that still need filling. The money raised was donated to the local food bank.

Project Empty Bowl has become an annual signature fundraising event for A Loving Spoonful. The sole purpose of Project Empty Bowl is to raise funds so that A Loving Spoonful can continue delivering free meals and nutritional counselling & education to men, woman and children fighting HIV/AIDS.

With your help, we hope to make Project Empty Bowl 2011 the most successful fundraising event to date!

Date: July 7th, 2011
Location: Coast Coal Harbour Hotel (Map & Directions)
Ticket Sales: Early Bird: $85 until June 24th $100 – June 25th – July 7th
Phone: 604.682.6325 Follow on Twitter #PEB2011

I would think you can still get tickets, and if so, you should totally attend. It’ll be an amazing gala.

UPDATE – below some of my photos of the gala

My Mom with Lisa Martella, Executive Director of A Loving Spoonful

Alex, the Director of Operations of ALS, Kodi and Jonny Staub

Todd Johnson, Winner of 2011 Gay Top Model and a really lovely fellow all around

Five Hole For Food Charity Final Game July 9th (Vancouver)

Raul — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 06:00:17 +0000

I have no clue how to play street hockey. In fact, I have no idea about hockey. All I know is a few (rather charming) Vancouver hockey players. I also know that many of my good friends are either experienced hockey players or fans of the Vancouver Canucks (I’m a fan too, without really understanding much about the game). But there’s one easy way to get me to do things: invite me to participate in a charity event to raise funds for a worthy cause.

And so yes, on Saturday July 9th (at 1pm, in my case) you will be seeing me play in the Five Hole For Food Final Game in the originating city, Vancouver, around Granville street along with a few media celebrities (in my case, I was supposed to play with the Vancouver social media crew, but since my Mom is visiting, I asked to be moved to the mainstream media one). My good friend Minna, co-founder of The Network Hub, is also playing on that same game because of a commitment she has at the time of the social media game. But – Minna IS an extremely experienced street hockey player. There will be three ball hockey courts set up on Granville Street between Robson and Smithe streets – Minna and I (and I’m sure a few other media celebrities like Dawn Chubai, Chris Pallisers, etc.) will be playing on Court #1.

So what’s in it for me?

I love the team behind Five Hole For Food. Several of the people behind it, including Richard Loat (the founder), Dixon Tam, Gina Vesnaver, Crystal Kwon, Phoenix Lam, Lesley Chang, Laureen Tang, Joyce Wu, Alissa Sadler, and Marc Smith are either friends of mine, or fans/readers of my blog, or both.

I love the cause. Five Hole For Food is a charity event that raises funds for food banks across Canada. I had the opportunity (and the sad experience) to see really long lines of people lining up to get food at the Mount Pleasant Community Centre (I imagine this was something to do with the food bank). I am really blessed to have a job that allows me to put food on the table on a regular basis. So I really want to encourage people to donate to Five Hole For Food, or bring donations to the Vancouver Food Bank.

You should also remember that monetary donations generate a 1 to 3 ($1 donated generates $3 worth of food). You can make monetary donations via PayPal here.

So come by from 12pm to 6pm, and come see me play at 1pm and make a total fool of myself in the name of raising funds for the Vancouver Food Bank. See you there! The hashtag on Twitter is #FHFF and the Twitter account where you can follow the team is @fiveholeforfood.

Disclosures: I have no affiliation with Five Hole For Food other than being friends with the team. My interest is only to promote a charitable event. The Vancouver Canucks have generously offered to loan me a Canucks jersey to wear the day of the game. This jersey won’t be donated to me and I will be returning it to the Canucks after the game.

The Hangout at The Helm (30 Years of Vancouver’s HIV Cases Reported)

Raul — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:51:17 +0000

photo credit: achimh

This Sunday, June 5, marks the 30th anniversary of Vancouver’s first reported cases of the deadly disease that we now know is HIV/AIDS. As you may all know, HIV/AIDS is one of the causes I hold near and dear to my heart. I found out that in the last 30 years, British Columbia has earned global recognition for being on the cutting edge of HIV/AIDS research, treatment, care, and support. From what I hear, the Dr. Peter Centre’s unique model of HIV/AIDS health care has helped garner that international acclaim. Even more so, it appears that in March of this year a report by the Provincial Health Officer recommended that the Dr. Peter Centre’s model be expanded throughout BC.

At the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation, we’re helping to rebuild lives shattered by HIV/AIDS, addiction, mental illness, poverty, and discrimination because of gender and sexual orientation.

It does appear fitting that this Sunday the second annual fundraising event, The Hangout, is being held to raise money for the Dr. Peter Centre. This year The Hangout will be a tea dance from 2pm-8pm at The Helm, one of my favorite restaurant and lounges, and feature local DJs, door prizes, a silent auction, and an art show/sale. The Hangout is an event that is organized by Perry Boldt, Trevor Loke, Rich Overgaard and Ricardo Coral (all of whom I think are good friends with some of my friends as well), and the event aims to inspire a younger generation to take on the HIV/AIDS cause.

The Hangout will have two guest speakers, Shirley Young, Dr. Peter’s Mother will speak about her son’s trials with HIV/AIDS and the need for a new generation to take on HIV/AIDS in the coming years; and my good friend and MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert will speak about the importance of community engagement for the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at Priape (1148 Davie St) or Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium (1238 Davie St); and all proceeds from the event will be donated to the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation.

What: THE HANGOUT
When: Sunday, June 5 from 2pm to 8pm
Where: The Helm, 1180 Howe Street
Why: To raise funds for the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation

Bid For My 100,000th Tweet (for @BCCancer) #b4hb100k

Raul — Wed, 25 May 2011 23:42:17 +0000

Yeah. I’m 200 tweets away from 100,000 (yes, one hundred thousand tweets). In 3 years. How much is that per day? Per week? Per month? In doctoral dissertations? I don’t know, but people have started to make guesses as to what I will tweet, etc. And some people have suggested that maybe I should make this a charitable event. And I think that’s a great idea.

So I’m opening a Bid For My 100,000th Tweet. If you are a business who would like me to promote your stuff, you can bid a monetary donation to the BC Cancer Foundation. As you all know, this is a charity of choice for me. I’ve lost a number of my loved ones to cancer (most recently, my dear friend Derek K. Miller aka Penmachine) and I would like to raise funds for this important cause.

You may ask – what is the value proposition of my 100,000th tweet. Well, for one, I have a fairly sizable readership, both on my blog and on my Twitter account (with over 7,400 followers). And since it’s a milestone tweet, it’s quite likely that my tweet will be retweeted many times. And who knows, maybe even the mainstream media will pick it up. And maybe TechCrunch or Mashable will pick the story up. And this would lead to even MORE exposure.

So, I’m opening the bids on the comments below. If you bid on Twitter, you can use the following tweet:

“I’m bidding [X] dollars for @hummingbird604 ‘s 100,000th tweet in support of @BCCancer #b4hb100k”

Obviously, I’ll announce the highest bidder on my 99,999th tweet, and I’ll post the promoted tweet on the 100,000th. I’ll be monitoring my own Twitter stream and post periodic updates too. I think this would be a fun way of raising awareness of cancer research and doing something fun for charity.

I’m off to Calgary to speak at the Canadian Association of Geographers and then I’m speaking at Social Media Camp Victoria 2011, where I am hoping I will be posting my 100,000th tweet. I’m hoping that maybe we can organize a little celebration for that. I apologize in advance if you ask me to retweet stuff, as I’ll have to monitor my tweets closely (200 is not that far away and we still have 1 week to Social Media Camp Victoria.

Bake for the Quake (fundraiser)

Raul — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 05:08:56 +0000

My friends Melody Fury (GourmetFury) and Joy (GourmetEd) are putting together a fundraiser for Japan called “Bake for the Quake“. I’m slightly nervous about how much baking I’m going to eat at this event, but really delighted that they took on this awesome event, to take place on April 20th from 6:00pm to 8:30pm at the Roundhouse Community Centre.

I know first hand and from personal experience how much hard work it is to organize a fundraiser (and trust me, we don’t do these things because we are in it for any sort of personal gain – it’s just the feeling that we can help in some small way) so I’ll be very happy to spread the word about Bake for the Quake. You should totally attend.

The Longest Game of Hockey (Fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis)

Raul — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:56:38 +0000

I’m a sucker for fundraisers (as you can tell from last week’s Fashion’s Night OUT! in benefit of Out on Schools). So when my good friend (and fellow PhD) Beth Snow pitched me to write about her current project (engage in the longest game of hockey, a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) I knew I had to blog about it. Even though I really don’t like hockey all that much, I love Beth and she’s my friend and the cause is near and dear to my heart.

Photo credit: Eric T on Flickr

From the information she sent me:

The fundraiser will involved 40 women – myself included – attempting to break the record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest hockey game ever played – 10 days of non-stop hockey. We’ll probably be playing in 4 and 6 hour shifts, with 4 hour breaks in between for sleeping/eating. As I’m sure you can imagine, this is a *huge* undertaking and we are going to need tonnes of volunteers to support us as we are not allowed to leave the facility for the duration of the game. Plus, of course, we want as many people to donate as possible and are looking for both individual donations and big sponsors (and people can sponsor a day, a player, our food, etc.). And the goal of the event is to raise awareness about cystic fibrosis

Not surprisingly, in preparing for this undertaking, my friend Beth read about Eva Markvoort (whom you may remember from the 65 Red Roses documentary), and it’s only fitting that in full-circle mode, I blogged about the recent concert at Massey Theatre in memory of Eva. This is such a great cause.

Beth’s page on the LGH page is here. And she also blogged about it. Hopefully a company will be willing and able to sponsor her project, as I know how much of the success of FNO and all of my events and fundraisers is greatly thanks to the support of donors, supporters and sponsors.

BC Sparkle Gala 2011

Raul — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 02:10:03 +0000

I’ve been an ardent supporter of the Starlight Children’s Foundation, for many reasons, not the least the fact that I have 9 nieces and nephews (by blood, and many more who are children of very close friends of mine). I have been invited to attend the Starlight Children’s Foundation’s sixth annual fundraising gala, “Sparkle”, Saturday March 12, at Performance Works. This signature event will be hosted by CTV and Rita Rogers from the Vancouver Canucks and will include special guest Sam Sullivan and her son five year old Baird (you may recall Baird from my blog post when I gave away a Finnspiration Bear).

Guests attending the event will be entertained throughout the evening with the sensational sounds of local jazz favourite Lesismore, a fabulous fashion show hosted by Vladimir Markovich of BC Fashion Week, featuring fashions by JC Studio and incredible prizes and a live and silent auction that includes a Grey’s Anatomy set visit.

I will be a guest of the Starlight Children’s Foundation and will be attending BC Sparkle 2011 on Saturday March 12th.

WHERE - Performance Works 1218 Cartwright St., Granville Island
WHEN – Doors open at 7pm
WHAT -Jazz by Lesismore; Fashion by JC Studio; Raffle, Live and Silent Auction
HOW – Attire: West Coast Chic
BUYING TICKETS – Get your tickets here

The Starlight Children’s Foundation is a non-profit organization that exists to help seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. For more than 20 years, Starlight Children’s Foundation has committed itself to improving the quality of life for children with cronic and life threatening illnesses and life -altering injuries by providing entertainment, education and family activities that help them cope with the pain, fear and isolation of prolonged illness.

I hope folks will find it interesting to attend the BC Sparkle 2011 Gala, as it promises to be a very fun event, and a charitable one to boot!

Take 5 Café Supports Pink Shirt Day (Anti-Bullying Campaign)

Raul — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:28:22 +0000

It feels awesome when one of your (if not your most favorite) coffee shops support campaigns that are near and dear to your heart. I recently learned that Take 5 Café (the awesome coffee shop that is a mere 2 blocks away from my office at The Network Hub and where I have met many a friend for a cup of coffee) is supporting Pink Shirt Day (February 23rd this year). I have written about it before here and here).

The Take 5 Café team delivered a batch of pink cupcakes to my office, but I wasn’t there. I can only imagine how fast they were consumed!

Vancouver based coffee house Take Five Café™ is on board as a sponsor and supporter of this year’s “Bullying Stops Here – Pink Shirt Day” Campaign with CKNW on February 23rd. Throughout the month of February, Take Five Café locations will be selling Pink Cupcakes with all the proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver. This year Take Five Café will also be selling the official Pink Shirt Day T-Shirts leading up to February 23rd. The delicious chocolate cupcakes are baked daily in the Take Five Cafe kitchen in East Vancouver and will be sold for $2.00 each.

Initiatives like this make me feel so happy about my choice of coffee shops. It’s true, bullying should stop and I’m delighted to hear that Take 5 Café is fundraising with this program. Kudos to them.

National Wear Pink Day 2011 Events in Vancouver

Raul — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:32:47 +0000

Photo credit: GABY on Flickr

It’s hard for me sometimes to write about cancer. People I love are currently affected by cancer, and I lost two of my aunts and my grandmother to the disease. Gynecological cancers scare the heck out of me, for obvious reasons. I ask my Mom to check herself on a regular basis, and perhaps I’m paranoid but I strongly believe in early detection. I have Blogathoned in support of the BC Cancer Foundation and thus I make an effort to write about fundraisers towards cancer research. Thus why I am writing about National Wear Pink Day 2011. I have donated to friends of mine who run in the Weekend to End Cancer. Also, I have a good friend from Montreal (Christine, aka @MuseCrossing) who is a breast cancer survivor.

From the information I was sent by EndCancer.ca

A staggering one in seven Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast or gynecologic cancers in their lifetime. National Wear it Pink Day is about bringing attention to these staggering statistics, and raising awareness about the Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend to End Women’s Cancers benefiting BC Cancer Foundation.

To motivate a large number of people to get involved in fighting women’s cancers, we need your help. Please, invite your readers to consider some of the following actions:

1. Wear something pink on January 26th
2. Register for the 2011 Weekend on January 26th
3. If already registered for 2011, commit to getting at least 1 other person registered to walk.
4. Host a Pink Party, and let the Weekend office know about it by emailing vancouvercoaches@endcancer.ca or calling 604.684.9255.

And as I was finishing this post, I was informed that there will be a Pink party at Shoppers Drug Mart store at Granville/Dunsmuir, with The Beat Radio and their street team on site from 11 am-3 pm. I might drop by given that my office at The Network Hub is super close.

Consider participating in Wear Pink Day 2011 events, and/or donating. I certainly will.

65 Red Roses Benefit Concert (win tickets)

Raul — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:00:23 +0000

Blogging has been for me a labour of love. Sharing my story with the world for almost 5 years now has become so important to my life that I have committed to maintaining a full-time academic/consulting life and social media/blogging life. One of the bloggers I didn’t get to meet and wish I had is Eva Markvoort (a New Westminster blogger well known for her blog 65 Red Roses). Eva Markvoort passed away last March after a lifetime battle with cystic fibrosis. My good friend Kim Bowie is organizing a benefit concert at the Massey Theatre in New West on Feb 11th.

Headlining is Dan Mangan with the Zolas and Hannah Georgas as well as Corrina Corrina. All of them are doing it for free with all ticket sales going to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Eva’s name. Dan performed the closing track on Eva’s multiple award winning film, 65_RedRoses. Philip Lyall co-directed the film and he will be emceeing the event.

I have been given a pack of 4 tickets for the concert with additional perks. The bands have all agreed to meet the winners backstage and hang out with them. The winner of my giveaway will get 4 tickets, meet and greet with the bands and transportation to and from the event, plus signed stuff from the bands. To enter my giveaway, drop a comment on this blog post telling me about your favorite flower and/or color. I do know from what I have read that Eva’s favorite color was red (hence the title of her blog, 65 Red Roses). This is an amazing opportunity to see some spectacularly good musicians for a very good charitable cause and I would strongly encourage you to buy tickets to the concert. The link to the Facebook event is here.

You have until January 26th at 5pm to enter my giveaway. You can also earn an additional entry to the contest by tweeting the text below:

I want to win tickets to the 65 Red Roses concert from @hummingbird604. Support the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation! http://is.gd/uK6AbG

White Spot’s upcoming Christmas Lunch for Charity (Dec 25th)

Raul — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:46:23 +0000

White Spot has been really community minded, from what I have experienced. Recent donations to the Vancouver Food Bank and last year’s recycling projects really stuck with me. So I was really excited when I learned that White Spot has a Christmas Lunch for Charity. I didn’t even know it had been going for so long! White Spot sent me some information on the Christmas Lunch for Charity.

A holiday tradition for more than a decade, the Richmond Centre and Kingsway Vancouver White Spot locations will open their doors on December 25th to serve up delicious White Spot favourites and raise the spirits of those in need.

White Spot understands the importance of giving back to the community during the holiday season and employees will volunteer their Christmas Day to generate much-needed funds for this year’s charity partners: Richmond General Hospital Foundation and Variety – The Children’s Charity. All staff and management will generously donate their time, tips and all net proceeds from the sale of food.

WHAT: White Spot Christmas Lunch for Charity
WHEN: Saturday, December 25, 2010
TIME: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: The following White Spot locations will be open on Christmas Day to support Richmond General Hospital Foundation and Variety – The Children’s Charity:

Richmond Centre
Unit 1902 – 6551 No. 3 Road
Richmond, B.C.

Kingsway and Knight
1467 Kingsway
Vancouver, B.C.

It’s heartwarming that corporations put their money where their mouth is and continue organizing this type of community events. I look forward to hearing how it went (since I am on holidays, as you read this post).

World AIDS Day 2010 (Vancouver and beyond)

Raul — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:58:28 +0000

Three years ago, I Blogathoned for A Loving Spoonful, a fantastic Vancouver charity that provides meals to patients afflicted with HIV/AIDS. I learned about the fact that November was officially proclaimed Red Ribbon Month through the We Care Red Ribbon Campaign. The red ribbon symbolizes the continuous fight against the deadly disease. Vancouver is home to one of the world leaders in HIV research, Dr. Julio Montaner. And recently, A Loving Spoonful celebrated it’s 20th anniversary. According to the Joint Programme of the United Nations on AIDS (UNAIDS), 56 countries have either stabilized or achieved significant declines in rates of new HIV infections.

An estimated 2.6 million [2.3 million–2.8 million] people became newly infected with HIV, and while the rates of infection are declining, there’s still much work to be done. Today we celebrate World AIDS Day and the We Care Ribbon Campaign.

The Red Ribbon is the symbol of hope and solidarity for those affected by HIV/AIDS and was developed by the Visual AIDS Artist Caucus in 1991.The We Care Red Ribbon campaign intends to base its efforts around this integral symbol to promote the themes of the campaign and encourage the Vancouver community to Spread The Love, Stop The Virus! HIV/AIDS: Together we can protect each other.

The Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction Christmas Stocking Fundraiser

Raul — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:51:07 +0000

Mental health is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. It’s a topic that continues to be stigmatized yet mental illnesses are pervasive in Canada (statistics show that 1 in 5 Canadians will be affected by mental illness in their life time). That’s 20% for those who are counting. And yet we continue to stigmatize the topic. I take offense with this stigmatization and thus am happy to promote charitable events that are dedicated to bettering the lives of people afflicted with mental illness.

Patti Schom-Moffatt, the general manager of Edelman Vancouver, informed me about the work of the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction, and their intention to fill the Christmas stockings of residents this holiday season. I asked Patti to send me some information, which I quote below.

The Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction is run by Vancouver Coastal Health, has been operating for about two years and serves complex concurrent disorder clients who are challenged by severe mental illness, chronic addiction and significant physical health issues. About 75 percent of residents (it has beds/rooms for 100) were homeless or at significant risk for homelessness prior to being admitted to the Centre.

The clinical program is strength based, which is very unique in Canada. It focuses on what people can do, instead of what they can’t. On their assets rather than deficits. The first 30 days are intense and used to help stabilize the person — go through detox, get their meds right, begin the process of engagement. Then they spend the next many months learning the skills they will need to live as independently as possible once they leave the Centre.

Some will need permanent care. Some will need palliative care because their physical health issues are profound. And some will return to community living with the right supports. Everyone will need some support.

While there are operating dollars available through the health authorities,there are no dollars for things like clothing or in the case of Christmas, gifts. And because of the circumstances of complex concurrent disorders, the majority of residents have lost the support and connection to their families, so they are alone.

Patti mentioned that they’d like to provide a memorable Christmas and are looking for individuals and/or businesses to consider sponsoring the residents. The Centre has 100 residents so need $10,000 or $100/resident. The money would be used to buy them a gift and some warm clothing, pajamas, a sweater, a jacket. The basics. Tax receipts would be available through the Vancouver Coastal Health Foundation.

I would like to encourage my readers to consider donating to this worthy cause.

Starlight Children’s Foundation Inspiration Bear (Finnspiration)

Raul — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:10:03 +0000

Cancer, as many of you may know, has touched my family and friends personally (I lost 2 aunties and my grandmother to various forms of cancer). I have done Blogathon two years in a row raising funds for the BC Cancer Foundation. Thus, whenever I receive any requests to highlight fundraisers associated with cancer, it’s almost sure that I will say yes. This time, The Starlight Children’s Foundation approached me to inform me of their 2010 special edition teddy bear, which has been named in memory of Finn Sullivan, an extraordinary little BC boy who has inspired the fundraising of over a half a million dollars for cancer research.

Finnspiration Bear is the name of this cuddly bear, and proceeds from its sales ($20.00) will help the Starlight Children’s Foundation in their goals to grant wishes and create beautiful memories for seriously ill children and their families. I was told a bit about the origins of the Finnspiration Bear:

Finnspiration Bear was designed with love and laughter by Finn’s twin brother Baird, and big sister Sarah. He has big brown eyes just like his namesake, and a touch of pink – Finn’s favourite colour. The rabbits on Finnspiration’s paws capture his joyful and energetic mantra. Finnspiration Bear’s long bunny-like ears are a tribute to Finn’s favourite and much-loved ‘Pink Bear’ – a soft rabbit toy that brought him comfort through many difficult times during his brave life.

The Finnspiration Bears can be purchased for $20.00 at any Toy R Us nationwide and online. All net proceeds will be donated to the Starlight Children’s Foundation in support of seriously ill children and their families. For more information on the Starlight Children’s Foundation you can visit their website.

I have been bestowed with one Finnspiration Bear to give away to one of my lucky readers as well. For a chance to win this Finnspiration Bear, I’d like you to comment on this post mentioning what inspires you to grow. It may be a specific quote, it may be knowing that you want to be better for your spouse/partner/friend/yourself/your children. What/who is your main source of inspiration? I will have to say that my Mom, my family and my friends all inspire me. My former PhD advisor, my colleagues also are sources of inspiration.

I will draw a random winner from all entries I receive until December 5th at 5:30pm.

Share DDB

Raul — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:26:45 +0000

I had the pleasure of attending Share DDB, a fundraiser and silent auction organized by local interactive/digital/social media agency DDB. Invited by my good friend Chris Walts, it was a great opportunity to see good friends and spend time with them as well as bid on some great items, all for a great cause.

Kudos to DDB for organizing this wonderful event.

UPDATE – my friend Chris Walts just updated me with the following information:

The event was a huge success, we raised over $20,000 to be split between The James Lee Foundation and the Lookout Emergency Aid Society.

Distributing warm beverages to the homeless in Vancouver

Raul — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:16:11 +0000

photo credit: bobster855

Walking in the freezing cold last night made me realize how lucky I am to have a warm and dry bed to sleep in, warm clothes and an income. Many folks out there don’t have any of those. While I have seen a lot of conversation around finding shelters for the homeless and donating clothes (my good friend Rebecca wrote a list of places to donate blankets and other clothing in Vancouver), I haven’t seen much in terms of interim measures.

I thought that maybe I could get people to rally around offering warm beverages to people in need on the streets or at shelters. Asked on how I would operate the distribution, I really don’t have much of a clue. I’ve not had much time to give it thought, but I figure that at least I could get people to volunteer and maybe we could organize a Tweetup or something to distribute. Or as Mike suggested, maybe have people donate to the Salvation Army.

What I do NOT want to do is to drive all efforts to just ONE charity. There are many, many other very worthy charities out there and I’m not fond of always channeling resources and energy to just one. So, I’m looking for ways to help not only the Union Gospel Mission or Covenant House, but other places like WISH, etc.

I’m sure Vancouver is scrambling to find spaces to accommodate all the homeless people out there, and I’d like to help in any way I can. Thoughts, everyone? Do feel free to share this post widely.

The Arts Studios (Vancouver Coastal Health) Silent Auction and Holiday Sale

Raul — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 22:52:48 +0000

You all may know that I co-organize Mental Health Camp Vancouver (and I spearhead the Mental Health Camp movement as well) with my dear friend Isabella Mori. I have a very big stake in de-stigmatizing mental illness, and thus I’m a big supporter of anything that is associated with, and promotes wellness, health and de-stigmatization for folks afflicted with mental illness.

The Art Studios is a program within Vancouver Coastal Health that offers art classes, art workshops and mental health programming to Vancouver residents (age 16 – 90 yrs) who are living with mental illness. This is a unique program that currently services 300 residents in Vancouver who live with mental illness. The Art Studios is in high demand with approximately 100 people waiting to participate in their first art class.

I asked Lisa Wallace from VCH to share some of the stories of the participants in the program.

Sandra is one of the active participants of the program. Sandra was diagnosed at the age of 14 with schizoaffective disorder. Not allowing her diagnosis to dictate her life, Sandra went on to get a university degree and work a 9-5 job. When Sandra suffered a relapse in 1998, she was forced to quit her job after working for eight years. Discouraged and concerned now without her day to day working routine, Sandra discovered The Art Studios. Through her time at the Art Studios, Sandra rekindled her interest in painting, received valuable support, and created new friendships.

Darcie is another active participant of the Art Studios program. Darcie suffered severe depression as a result of a car accident and subsequent back injury. Prior to the accident, she was worked as a nurse and had a busy, full life. Darcie has been a participant of the studio for the past three years. She feels that it provides her with “a place of both understanding and acceptance; a place to socialize, to meet new friends, and a place to go when I need some gentle support”.

The Art Studios has been an important piece of Sandra’s and Darcie’s recovery. It has given them a sense of belonging and community, art skills and opportunities, empowerment and hope for the future.

On Thursday, November 25th, at the Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street, Vancouver, from 12-8pm. Sandra and Darcie will be one of the many participants of the Art Studios’ selling their works of art at the Art Studios’ Annual Winter Sale and Silent Auction. Lots of wonderful Vancouver businesses have donated items to the Silent Auction. The Art Studios greatly benefits from public support at this event. Art Studios artists keep all monies from the sales of their own art. All funds raised through the Silent Auction and admission donations go towards additional quality art supplies for the Art Studios. Please consider attending and buying some of these fine works of art.

The Facebook page for the event is located here.

Fun 1, Cancer 0: A fundraiser

Raul — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:22:03 +0000

My good friend Greg Mitchell is fundraising this year for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society of Canada and he is organizing a fundraiser this upcoming November 10th, aptly titled “Fun: 1 – Cancer: 0: Kicking Blood Cancers To The Curb One Step At A Time”. As you all know (if you’ve read my blog for any length of time), I lost my 2 aunties and my Grandmother to cancer. So I’m always supportive of any cancer-related charity, and even more so when the fundraiser is a good friend of mine. In Greg’s own words:

I am TRI’ing to raise money in memory of all those we have lost but also to support those who have survived Blood Cancers (Leukemia / Lymphoma). This is a battle we cannot afford to lose, and by taking on the challenge of a Triathlon, it is a small way that I can give back and contribute to this fight.

I am sponsoring Greg’s fundraiser by giving a door prize (a 1.5 hour workshop on social media strategy). From the feedback I have received, this is perhaps the most popular of all the social media workshops I have given in the past couple of years.

WHAT: Fun 1, Cancer 0: Fundraiser for Leukemia/Lymphoma Cancer Society
WHEN: Wednesday, November 10 at 8:00pm
WHERE: Library Square Public House, 300 West Georgia, Vancouver, BC
WHY: Because it’s a very worthy cause.

So what does the fundraiser entail? From the Facebook event page:

$20 gets you in the door, a drink, and ALL proceeds go to Team in Training to fight blood cancers. And because November 11 (remembrance day) is a holiday, there isn’t even a good excuse to miss this awesome event! All proceeds will go toward the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s efforts to fight blood cancer. It will be a kick-ass concert and it will be for an extremely important cause. Cancer has affected all of us in some way, but if we face it head on, we can make a difference. Thanks so much for your support!

I will be there and I hope to see you there too.

Inner-City School Playground: Green in the City Laura Secord

Raul — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:56:22 +0000

Children’s education is a really important topic for me. While I teach at the higher levels, I have nieces and nephews of grade-school age, and I am outraged at some of the news I’ve been hearing on elementary school closures.

My friend Kate Milberry alerted me to a fundraising campaign project that her kids’ school (Laura Secord Elementary School) is putting together for a seismic upgrade. And they need YOUR votes! This Aviva Fund campaign is particularly relevant as

From the proposal:

Laura Secord School is located in East Vancouver in an inner-city neighborhood with a diverse mix of cultures and families actively invested in their community. The school began a seismic upgrade of our 88-year-old building in December 2009. Almost all of the existing playground equipment had to be torn down to make way for portable classrooms to house a student body of 650 elementary school students. All that remains for intermediate students is 1 basketball hoop, 2 swings and an old wooden structure. The school has had to implement separate recesses for primary and intermediate grades because of a lack of space and safety issues. We would like to see our kids be able to play together as a unified group again.

As my friend Kate says, and I agree completely, the real story is really about improving the green quality of their urban space and building community around physical activity, play and nature. From what Kate tells me, “the great thing about the playground is that it will be for the entire community (not just Secord kids/families) – a real place of community outdoors (and wheelchair accessible too).

I love their motto: “I take care of myself, I take care of others, I take care of this place.” You can vote for this project on the Aviva Fund page (requires registration, but it’s a simple enough process). Please consider voting for them! Vote now!

The 20th Anniversary of A Loving Spoonful #ls20

Raul — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 17:00:30 +0000

I was invited to attend the 20th anniversary of one of the charities I’ve championed the most in the past (in 2007, I Blogathoned and raised funds for them. It was an excellent party at 560 Club (on 560 Seymour Street). Aided by numerous sponsors and volunteers, Marc Smith (a good friend of mine, and founder of Amuse Events) put together a fantastic event to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of A Loving Spoonful.

Some info about A Loving Spoonful:

A Loving Spoonful is a volunteer-driven, non-partisan society that provides free nutritious meals to people living with HIV in the Greater Vancouver area. Our belief is by meeting this fundamental need, we improve our clients’ health and well being, enabling them to focus on life’s other challenges. A Loving Spoonful delivers 100,000 free, nutritious meals to men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS in the Greater Vancouver Area each year. The average daily cost for each meal is $3.55.

While I thoroughly wish there wasn’t a need for a charity like A Loving Spoonful, here is to having them around for a long time!

The Healing for Paper Kite Children’s Foundation (Sep 19th, 12-5pm)

Raul — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 22:34:03 +0000

The folks at the Paper Kite Children’s Foundation reached out to me recently to inform me about an event that is taking place on Sunday September 19th (which coincides with my birthday). I’m pasting below the information they sent me, hopefully some folks will be inclined to support this charity.

About Paper Kite Children’s Foundation:
Paper Kite Children’s Foundation, a non-profit charity working to ensure that basic necessities are available to the orphanages in the state of Bihar, India. Our work empowers the children to fulfill their aspirations and end the cycle of poverty.

Healing Day:
Please join us for an afternoon of healing treatments.

This is a spectacular opportunity to experience healing treatments while supporting a worthy cause. Enjoy one or more of our Six treatments;

SHIATSU is a finger press treatment that improves the circulation, relieves stiff muscles, and alleviates stress.

REIKI is a Japanese touch therapy that uses nature’s divine energy force to promote BALANCE.

ZENITH OMEGA is a ‘Language of Light’ that RESTORES the energy flow in the body.

TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE (TCM) diagnosis, diet, nutrition and supplements recommendation, and Ear Acupuncture if needed.

SOUND HEALING uses tuning forks, singing bowls and voice to revitalize and balance your physical, mental and energetic vibration.

TRANSFORMATIONAL BREATHING is a complete self-healing system using conscious breathing by facilitating the natural healing process for all types of trauma.

PHOENIX RISING YOGA THERAPY combines elements of yoga and body-mind psychology by using your body as an access-point to discover inner-wisdom, healing, clarity and stress-relief.

All treatments are offered on a by donation basis benefiting Paper Kite Children’s Foundation. We are suggesting a minimum donation of $20.

Sunday, September 19, 2010
12:00pm – 5:00pm
1107 Seymour St Vancouver
778-322-4785

Paper Kite Children’s Foundation is 100% Volunteer run, and the area of India that they are supporting is one of the poorest places in the world.

Spread the Feeling and Hug a Bear with Kraft Peanut Butter at Vancouver Aquarium

Raul — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:57:48 +0000

photo credit: -mrsraggle-

I am well known for giving pretty damn good bear hugs, and while I’m not someone who eats much peanut butter, I do know it’s a staple of Canadian families’ breakfast. Lots of my friends who were born and raised in Canada (and even my family members in the US) do eat peanut butter and jam sandwiches frequently. So when Kraft contacted me about their campaign, I really liked it.

Kraft Peanut Butter bears Crunchie and Smoothy will be giving bear hugs and donate peanut butter jars, and I think the campaign is sweet and positive (as for each hug, Kraft will donate 1 jar of peanut butter to a food bank, more precisely to the Vancouver Food Bank, which has been in dire need this summer). I was also told that if you can’t share a hug in person, send a hug online and Kraft will make the same donation.

For more information, you can check the Spread the Feeling website. The Vancouver event is at the Vancouver Aquarium from 11:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday August 28th. You can also share hugs online!

The online hug counter started up yesterday and from the information I received, Vancouverites have already given out over 850 hugs (or 850 jars of peanut butter to be donated). Kraft will honour any hugs over the target by providing a larger donation to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. E.g. if Vancouver gives out 10,500 hugs, Kraft will donate 10,500 jars of peanut butter!)

I will definitely try to make it to the Vancouver Aquarium for this event. Sounds like fun!

An interview with @BeautyNight

Raul — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:00:37 +0000

My good friend Caroline McGillivray is the founder of Beauty Night, an amazing charitable organization that builds self-esteem in women in the Downtown East Side of Vancouver by providing them with free makeovers. Caroline and I have been good friends for a few years but I never had interviewed her to learn more about Beauty Night, so I fired her a few questions recently.

Raul - Caroline, I first knew of Beauty Night even before you and I became friends. I saw an article in the Vancouver Sun about your project and I thought it was amazing. Then we became friends and got to know a bit more about it. For my readers, could you please give us a bit of background as to why did you initiate Beauty Night?

Caroline – Thank you, Raul! Beauty Night was the outcome of my volunteer experience at WISH Drop In Centre. WISH provides meals, onsite nursing and many programs for women who are survival sex workers. Most women who become survival sex workers have experienced physical or sexual violence before the age of 18. The average age of entry into street life is 14yrs of age in Canada; 12 in BC. One night, one of the women who participate in WISH’s programs had had a bad day. She attempting to curl her hair. When I saw that she was getting frustrated by not being able to do so, I offered to help. She agreed. When she left she had an extra bounce in her step. I wondered what it would be like to do that on a larger scale to reach more women.

I spoke to the volunteer coordinator of WISH and proposed a Beauty Night for the women. With WISH’s support, we held the first Beauty Night Dec 15th, 2000. 73 participated. 14 volunteers. We provided hair cuts, manicures, skin cleansing, warm clothing and healthy snacks. When I asked for feedback, I realized how many of the participants did not have too much experience with positive touch. Most of the time they were used to people touching the because someone wanted something from them or would avoid touching them.

Why did I initiate Beauty Night? Originally because I knew how great I felt after getting a hair cut or a mini facial. I wanted to bring that to the women. Once we did our first event, I realized what we were doing was a lot bigger than I had conceptualized. Healthy touch and wellness is imperative to our well being. Babies who are not touched will die. Seniors are encouraged to have contact with living beings such as a pet to lower their blood pressure. 90% of women who end up in prison or correctional facilities have experienced.sexual violence/abuse before that age of 18. According to Anmesty International: At least one out of every three women has been beaten, forced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Many women who have experienced negative touch blame themselves. Through Beauty Night and connecting our participants to our partner organizations (that provide food, shelter, addiction services and much more), we are able to create a safe space for women to be themeselves, make friends and leave feeling good about who they are. When people feel good, they believe anything is possible.

Beauty Night is a community where we have like-minded talented volunteers, staff, contributors and participants who work together to foster healthy self esteem and self determination. 11 000 makeovers in the last 9.5 years thanks to over 400 volunteers! On a personal note, I love Beauty Night. I like having a venue for people to participate and see a direct result from their skill and effort. I believe it is empowering to all that are involved.

1/3 of our participants are mothers with children, 1/3 are seniors, 1/3 survival sex workers. We have evolved our life makeover program to include:

Creation station: fusion of literacy, arts & crafts, personal developement
Yoga/stretch classes.
Child Minding & children programming
Makeovers – healthcare & beauty practitioners volunteer their services.

Raul - I have a lot of clothing that could go to males and it’s in
perfectly good condition. Have you thought of creating, say, “Beauty
Night” for Men (of course, we don’t usually use makeup that much!)

Caroline - I think healthy touch and programs that build self- esteem are beneficial to men and women. Our board is working on developing a template for Beauty Night so we can reach more women, youth and men around the world. We are hoping to have that template developed by 2012. Our bylaws are set up so we can offer programming to men. We have done beauty night for men and street youth (up to age 29). Events have included hair cuts, air brush tatoos, relaxation massage, stretch classes and yoga (beneficial for men living with Hep C), hand scrubs, foot care (pedicures), and much more.

We have a Beauty Night coming up in August at Gathering Place Street Fair. If you are able to drop the clothing off at our booth, we are more than happy to hand it out. For many not for profits, it is difficult to store clothing. It is hard due to lack of storage space and bed bug infestation. We encourage people who would like to donate clothing to:

a) Contact our organization to arrange to drop it off on a day we are doing programs. Usually no more than a garbage bag at a time. Clothing must be clean and gently used – current – within the last two years. Things like underwear and socks are needed.

b) Do a clothing swap with like minded individuals, possibly sell some of the clothing and donate the proceeds to us.

c) Consign or sell the clothing at a consignment store, EBay, or Craigslist and donate the proceeds to the organization.

Raul - What would be the necessary steps for people to help Beauty Night grow – what does Beauty Night need now, in terms of funding, or in terms of volunteers, etc.?

Caroline – For Beauty Night to continue achieving it’s mission (to build self esteem, change lives) we need help creating a sustainable model. Thanks to our contributors and volunteers we are able to run a $280 000 program on a shoe string budget. With our 10 year anniversary celebration coming up in December 15th, we are looking for more volunteers to participate and contributors to support. Part of the celebration will be our annual Xmas Stocking Drive. Local Designer Nancy Perrault will be designing an Xmas STocking. Dressew donated the fabric. We will be asking sewers and textile classes to sew the stockings, brownie/sparks/girl guide groups to decorate them and for sponsors to fill them. We are looking for money to continue our programs and to fill those xmas stockings, people to connect us to people who might be able to help, and people who might be interesting in investing in changing the lives of many.

Thanks Caroline for sharing some of your insights into Beauty Night!

Front-line volunteering for the @UGM @Glowbal_Group Texas BBQ

Raul — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:16:48 +0000

People in Canada don’t know much of my background in volunteering, so they are always surprised when I get asked “it’s your first time volunteering at this kind of event” and I cheerfully answer “oh God no, I do this all the time“. And no, I’m not boasting. It’s just that I’m used to volunteering, and in particular, front-line volunteering.

Front-line volunteering (e.g. dealing directly with clients) has been something that I have done since I was able to understand my parents’ rationale for us their five children to do volunteer work: because an integrated human being, someone who is complete, is someone (in my parents’ and in my own view) who can do art, science, sports and volunteerism.

At the UGM-Glowbal Group Texas BBQ, I did what I think I can do best at this type of events: I walked around, served tables, offered food, made conversation and visited with the people who came to the UGM-Glowbal Group Texas BBQ hungry and in need of a warm meal. As I mentioned on Facebook, I was the guy of the moment: I was the one serving iced tea! There were so many instances when I got a lump in my throat, particularly when I heard some of these people’s stories.

Their gratitude showed in so many ways: some folks wouldn’t let me clean their table and would insist that they could dispose of their own garbage. Others automatically started helping clean up as the event was coming to a close. As I told Bill, Charles and Genesa, as a scholar of neo-institutionalism, I always observe self-organized behavior, and I noticed how other folks would make sure that nobody raised a ruckus, or to abuse the system.

It was a great experience, and I was actually pretty proud of myself, because despite my weirdly extreme sensitivity to the pain of other folks (it’s something I’ve never understood, but it’s really hard for me to hang out in the Downtown East Side without feeling actual physical pain down my spine, and shivers), but I was able to tough it out all my afternoon shift.

I am proud of having been part of this worthy effort by Glowbal Group and I want to comment Emad Yacoub and Shannon Bosa-Yacoub as well as the whole team of Glowbal Group (including the always amazing Charles Zuckermann), all the volunteers (I had a lot of fun with you all!) and obviously the wonderful UGM. I’ll definitely help out in your next event.