Fundraising | ariane c design

Fundraising

Apr23

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Rare Finds 2013 at VanDusen Garden

Posted in: Charity, Cocktails, Dining, Events, Fundraising, Vancouver, Wine

[Executive Chef Dana Hauser, Pastry Chef Stephanie Greenslade at 2012's Rare Finds]

Rare Finds is an annual fundraising cocktail party to benefit the Rare Disease Foundation. The 2013 event will be held at VanDusen Botanical Garden, hosting many of Vancouver’s top chefs and pastry artists in a naturally beautiful setting. Now in its fourth year, this popular event will include both a silent and live auction, delicious bites, and open wine and rare martini bars. I attended last year—it was a fabulous night on the town. Here’s a photo set from that memorable evening as well.

The Rare Disease Foundation is committed to growing and developing a community that provides a new approach for rare disease research and care. The organization provides funding to inspired clinicians and scientists for their patient-focused projects.

These studies directly impact the care and the quality of life of a child affected by a rare disease. Event proceeds will benefit these extraordinary children.

As a media sponsor this year, I chose to highlight a few of the chefs that will be creating their rare finds at the upcoming event.
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Apr11

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Ceroc Around The Clock

Posted in: Dance, Events, Fundraising, Vancouver

Ceroc Around The Clock is a 12-hour dance event involving dance groups and performers part of the regular summer lineup at the Kitsilano Showboat. Local dance teachers and businesses will also partake in the event being held at Cambrian Hall on Main and 17th.

Dancers will raise money by collecting pledges for the amount of hours they dance, or they may pay an entry fee at the door to participate.

Dance workshops will be held in the afternoon, followed by a Ceroc lesson and dance party in the evening. The Welsh Society of Vancouver have kindly donated the Cambrian Hall for the event and COBS Bread will be providing free food for all participants.

The is an all-ages event with Ceroc Vancouver hoping to raise $5,000 on April 27.

Come join in the fun and see you at the Showboat this summer!
Mar15

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2013 Healthy Chef Award Winners

Posted in: Dining, Events, Fundraising, Health, Vancouver

This year’s BC Produce Marketing Association (BCPMA) and BC Chefs Association’s (BCCA) Healthy Chef Competition turned out some delicious and beautifully-composed dishes in a packed room of food lovers earlier in the week at Vancouver’s Hyatt Regency Ballroom.

Now into its 14th year, this foodie-lovers event (featuring music and both silent and live auctions) also serves as a fundraiser for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
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Feb19

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FWE Gala: La Dolce Vita

Posted in: Charity, Cocktails, Events, Fundraising, Networking, Vancouver, Wine

This is my third year covering the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs Gala; each year, the theme and guest speaker changes however the message and camaraderie don’t.

This year, a La Dolce Vita theme was chosen to highlight the 11th annual event that raises funds to help support women in their journey to entrepreneurship.

A silent auction was held throughout the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel’s ballroom lobby while an accordionist entertained guests.

By 6 pm, the room was fully packed with women (and men) from all industries, mingling and networking over wine and canapés.

[eBay Canada founder/Gilt Groupe's Alexis Maybank]

I had a few moments to sit inside the beautifully decorated ballroom with keynote speaker Alexis Maybank. Alexis started eBay Canada in 1999, leaving the US for one year to live in Toronto. She’s currently part of the Gilt Groupe duo, an online shopping site currently worth over $1 billion dollars with more than five million members. Together with fellow New York City mom Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, they started with a combined passion for sample sale shopping that’s led to an enormously popular “flash sale” e-commerce site. Gilt Groupe is now the go-to source for online fashion deals.

[Alexis Maybank, Emcee Monika Deol, Pamela Martin]

Alexis has a business background, and spent the 90’s in Silicon Valley, honing her e-commerce, product development, and marketing background. She’s all about creating online experiences.

As I spoke with Alexis, it dawned on me that even though last night was her first Canadian speaking engagement, she does as much as possible to support female entrepreneurs as a member of New York City’s FWE. She’s also involved with two organizations, Springboard Enterprises (on the Media/Tech Council), and Girls Who Code (on the Board of Directors), fostering high school girls to continue their tech/coding interests, even though “it’s not cool”.

And if that’s not time consuming enough, she’s recently been added to the Audubon Society’s board of directors.

We also bonded over our former beloved San Francisco neighbourhood, Noe Valley, and learned that we lived about four blocks away from one another (though at different time periods)! Alexis is an easy-going, soft-spoken woman who’s given a tremendous amount of her time and talent to several organizations throughout the States.

[Christina Anthony, CFA, Premier Christy Clark, Gilt Groupe's Alexis Maybank]

The evening continued with a delicious supper and live auction. Premier Christy Clark gave a speech at this year’s gala as well. Clark’s most memorable comment? “I believe that government should get out of the way of entrepreneurs like you”, with regard to Alexis Maybank. Alexis seemed to engage the Twitter crowd as well, proclaiming “It’s no longer OK to have a 30 second pitch. Find a way to get your message out in 5 to 10 seconds”.

As if 140 characters weren’t hard enough to formulate a brilliant thought.

The sold out gala saw over 500 attendees. That’s truly amore.
Feb15

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4th Annual Cupcake Throwdown

Posted in: East Vancouver, Events, Fundraising

The Vancouver Cupcake Throwdown is back for its fourth year, this time taking place at East Vancouver’s Fortune Sound Club, with 25 pro and home bakers vying for cupcake supremacy. This tasty event raises important funds for several organizations: the Friends of Raincity Housing, Five Star Footy, and Leaky Heaven Youth.

I attended the first throwdown and was wowed by so many of these little masterpieces. The images I chose for this post should give you an idea as to how gorgeous (and delicious!) these creations are.

The mission of the Cupcake Throwdown is to bring community together through culinary adventures, trying to make the world a better place…one cupcake at a time. Since 2009, Lower Mainland bakers have been going head to head for title of best Vancouver cupcake.

Along with the chance to purchase beautifully decorated gourmet cupcakes, there will be prizes and a raffle, made possible with the support of Gastown and Downtown Eastside merchants.

Comedienne Erica Sigurdson will serve as the Throwdown MC with DJ Hebegebe spinning the tunes, promising an evening of sugar-induced fun. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, contact Stephanie at: vancouver.cupcake.throwdown [at] gmail.com.

4th Annual Cupcake Throwdown
Date: February 27, 7 to 10 pm
Venue: Fortune Sound Club, 147 East Pender Street, Vancouver
Tickets: Available online for $10 (plus $1.59 eventbrite fee); includes four tasting tickets
Jan30

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2nd Annual Sing-a-Long Concert

Posted in: Events, Fundraising, Music, Vancouver, Yaletown

Join the Children’s Hearing & Speech Centre of BC (CHSC) for the 2nd Annual Sing-a-Long Concert on April 13. Last year’s packed event featured a fun-filled room with mascots, a clown balloon artist, and face painting sessions. Award winning Vancouver bilingual children’s musician Will Stroet will entertain the children again this year. Expect goodies for the kids and fun time for all.

[Musician Will Stroet with the kids]

At Vancouver’s CHSC, children who are deaf and hard of hearing are taught to both listen and speak.

And while sign language was once considered the most common and visible option for deaf and hard of hearing children, today a deaf child may begin to wear a hearing device while in infancy, learning to talk and sing like a hearing child. The combination of technology, education, and therapy makes this dynamic a reality.

2nd Annual Sing-a-Long Concert featuring Will Stroet and the Backyard Band
Date: Saturday, April 13, 10 am to noon
Venue: The Performance Centre, Roundhouse Community Arts, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver
Early Bird Tickets: $12 adults; $10 kids 17 and up; $40 family ticket including 2 kids under 17
*Early bird pricing in effect until Feb. 28

All funds raised will benefit the Audiology Program at the Centre.
Jan28

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A Benefit for The Kitsilano Showboat

Posted in: Events, Fundraising, History, Music, Vancouver

Come join local rockers 4oh4 with special guests Chapter 11 at Vancouver’s The Kozmik Zoo on Saturday, Feb 16 to benefit Vancouver’s perennial summer entertainment showcase, The Kitsilano Showboat.

This landmark spot was founded in 1935 as a community project, a place where entertainers could display their talents. It grew annually, attracting more and more talented entertainers each year while bringing joy to the audience.

In late 2012, a super high tide (aka King Tide) in combination with high winds caused major damage to the Showboat stage and facilities located at the Kitsilano outdoor pool. As a non-profit, self-supporting, volunteer organization, The Kitsilano Showboat will need to raise funds to make necessary repairs before the 2013 season gets underway.

[Kits Showboat organizer/Captain Bea’s son, Barry Leinbach, featured on a 2012 Kits Me banner]

With help from the public (that’s you), 2013 will be The Showboat’s 77th year in providing free entertainment to Vancouver.   Enjoy a great evening of food, refreshment, and live music to celebrate and support this iconic outdoor Vancouver entertainment venue by the sea.

A Benefit for The Kitsilano Showboat
Date: Saturday, February 16, 7 pm
Venue: The Kozmik Zoo, 53 West Broadway, Vancouver
Tickets: $10; RSVP to KitsilanoShowboat [at] hotmail [dot] com or phone 604.734.7332
Jan8

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Doktor Luke’s Wild West Show

Posted in: Events, Fundraising, Music, Theater, Vancouver

Doktor Luke Productions is proud to bring the Wild West Show to the Anza Club on February 2. This is a special evening of honky tonk music to benefit the Pacific Theatre, including some of Vancouver’s hottest and rising talents.

Jagged and raw, the Wild West Show will feature internationally-acclaimed Viper Central, bringing barn-burning originality to bluegrass music. Additionally, The City Slickers promises to reduce the audience to “laughter-wrought tears” with their comedy improv show. Les Petites Taquines will add their unique blend of dance to the evening, as well. Other special guests will be part of the legendary evening, all to help one of Vancouver’s most wonderful theatre companies.

Forget Paris. Forget Berlin. The producers of the spectacularly successful Wintergarten Cabaret and Wintergarten Cabaret (Deux) have hitched their cart to the rising star of the mythical frontier.

Doktor Luke’s Wild West Show – A fundraiser for Pacific Theatre
Date: February 2, doors at 8 pm
Venue: Anza Club, 3 West 8th Avenue (at Ontario), Vancouver
Tickets: $18 advance; $20 at the door; available online
Note: This is a 19+ event
Dec17

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Jim Byrnes and Babe Gurr in Concert

Posted in: Events, Fundraising, Music, North Vancouver

[Jim Byrnes]

Coming next month will be a rare chance to see two of Canada’s finest recording artists, Jim Byrnes and Babe Gurr, perform their songs in an intimate setting. A special fundraising concert is set for January 25 and 26 at the North Shore’s Deep Cove Shaw Theatre. The last three years have seen sold-out shows. The 2013 concert will benefit the First Impressions Theatre.
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Nov6

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St. Paul’s 15th Annual Lights of Hope

Posted in: Events, Fundraising, Holidays, Vancouver

[Photo credit: RayVanEng on Flickr]

Each year, St. Paul’s Hospital provides care to over 380,000 patients throughout the province. World-leading research and medical teaching initiatives form part of this valuable institution’s core. St. Paul’s was the first BC hospital to treat AIDS patients as the disease took form in the early 1980s. As primary care provider to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside residents, St. Paul’s serves the majority of the city’s most severe mental health emergency patients.

St. Paul’s is also responsible for some of Vancouver’s most complex medical and surgical conditions through the following programs:
- Surgery
- Medicine
- Intensive care
- Palliative
- Maternity
- Highly specialized clinics
- Same-day surgery
- Emergency services

For the 15th year running, the elaborate Lights of Hope display will grace the façade of St. Paul’s Hospital in downtown Vancouver. This year’s lighting will include a family-friendly celebration. Arrive at 6:30 at Burrard between Helmcken and Davie, in time for the lighting and fireworks; stay until 8 pm for an outdoor community event.

[Photo credit: dons projects on Flickr]

The Lights of Hope display is a tradition that Vancouverites either look forward to or consider a Vegas style overkill. Either way, it’s part of our city and a project that takes months of planning together with over 100 volunteers. It all starts early on a Saturday morning, when the team meets rain or shine to get the display assembled. About six hours later, the creation is ready to greet the city’s residents!

Here’s a glimpse of last year’s lighting festivities via YouTube:

St. Paul’s 15th Annual Lights of Hope
Date: November 15, 6:30 to 8 pm
Venue: St. Paul’s Hospital, 1081 Burrard Street

The Lights of Hope campaign raises funds to support the hospital’s greatest challenges, enabling them to meet urgent needs for equipment, research and enhanced patient care, when and where they arise. You can help realize their goal of raising $2 million by donating online.

The Lights of Hope display can be enjoyed nightly from November 15 to January 10, 2013.