Take a seat for a good cause
Buy an original piece of art by local artists at Take a Seat for Habitat, a fundraising event that is guaranteed to make you sit up and take notice, Saturday until Aug. 26.
This is the second year of the unique event, to raise money for Habitat for Humanity Victoria to build homes for local families in need of safe and decent housing.
The concept is simple: Invite more than 30 local artists to transform, up-cycle, revise or paint a chair; invite the public to bid on them at auction; and use the money to build affordable houses for low-income families.
Robert Bateman, Miles Lowry, Carla Smale and Carol Rae are some of the 33 artists and studios who have created a one-of-a-kind piece of art for the event.
People can view the finished chairs, which all came from Oak Bay High School, around the concierge desk at Mayfair Shopping Centre from Aug. 13 to 26.
People don’t necessarily have to buy one, either; they can also vote for their favourite for the People’s Choice Award. All chairs will be available for purchase via sealed bidding. There is a minimum bid of $100 for most chairs, although individual artists have set higher minimums.
Pictures of the chairs will appear on the Habitat for Humanity Victoria website starting on Saturday. For more information, go to habitatvictoria.com.
Foreign students pitch in to help Our Place
Two foreign students in Canada to learn English got an A+ in helping the community as they pitched in to help at a local charity last month at a Volunteer Night for Disaster Aid Canada.
The students from Brazil helped make 400 hygiene kits that will be distributed to clients of Our Place. The volunteer work they performed is part of the curriculum as Global Citizen students of Stewart College, an independent language school.
Disaster Aid Canada will host its next Volunteer Night on Wednesday.
The humanitarian agency is also offering a WestJet raffle. Tickets are $20 each. The prize is two tickets for anywhere WestJet flies, taxes included. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold. Draw date is Sept. 10 at the agency’s open house. The funds raised from the raffle will directly support the Soap for Hope program.
The Volunteer Night runs 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10 at the office/warehouse, 426 William St. For more information, go to disasteraid.ca.
Credit unions unite for children
Credit unions across British Columbia might be rivals most of the time, but once a year — for more than 30 years — they rally to present a cheque to the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation.
This year, they presented the foundation with a cheque for about $260,000 during the live broadcast of the B.C. Children’s Hospital’s Miracle Weekend.
“While our greatest achievement is helping children get the quality care they need, fundraising goals go beyond providing financial assistance to the foundation,” said Val Mackey, vicepresident, human resources with Aldergrove Credit Union. “Our involvement builds community among our credit-union peers. We support each other, share ideas and learn to help reach our independent and collective goals.
“Some of us may compete in the marketplace, but when we sit at the fundraising table together, we are each other’s greatest allies. The partnership works because we all understand that our impact is much more profound when we all work together.”
The funds raised came from jeans days, raffles, pub nights, employee giving, corporate matches and annual slo-pitch tournaments.
This year, some of the money raised will go toward two pieces of equipment: an acute ventilator for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and a laser system for the urology department. The balance of the funds will go toward the Excellence in Child Health Fund, which supports the purchase of life-saving equipment, research into the treatment, prevention and cure of childhood diseases, and recruitment and educational programs for caregivers.
Credit unions in B.C. have collectively contributed more than $3.5 million since 1985 to support treatment for critically ill and injured children in British Columbia. For more information, go to creditunionsofbc.com.
Lighthouse benefits from Telus program
A Telus retiree’s volunteer work paid off, with a $3,000 cheque for the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society.
Telus recognized the volunteerism and contribution of Bill Parkes, a longtime supporter, as well as a board member of the society.
The financial contribution was made through Telus’s Charitable Giving Program, which supports volunteers and the organizations they promote through time and donations.
“This is an important local program that benefits communities, the region and the province. The society is grateful to Telus management and employees for their dedication to B.C. Heritage and community-based organizations,” said Terri Alcock, the society’s secretary/treasurer.
“We are very pleased that Bill Parkes, a Telus retiree and valued board member, has seen fit to contribute financially, as well as all his volunteer work he does for the society. His dedication resulted in Telus matching Bill’s contribution.”
The Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society has worked since 2003 to save the land, lighthouse and public access to the light station, located at the end of Sheringham Point Road in Shirley. The site has recently been designated a Canadian Heritage Site and is open to the public for the first time in the lighthouse’s 105-year history.
For more information, go to sheringhamlighthouse.org or community.telus.com.
Celebrate Canada’s 150th with paint
The Victoria Foundation is inviting all Victorians to celebrate with paint to help create the Victoria Canada 150 Mosaic mural at the Greater Victoria Public Library on Friday and Saturday.
The event is in celebration of Canada’s 150th and the foundation’s 80th anniversaries.
Over the course of two days, Victorians can converge under a marquee tent to wield paintbrushes to capture what they think represents the best of our city. People will be encouraged to paint one of 600 tiles, which, when finished, will be assembled to form an eight-foot-by-12-foot mosaic mural.
The finished mural will depict three Coast Salish-stylized orcas, designed by Victoria-based Kwagiulth artist Carey Newman and members of the Canada 150 Mosaic team.
Special guests Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, Jeneece Edroff and youth from the Boys and Girls Club of Victoria will be at the official launch on Friday.
Canada 150 Mosaic is a nationwide initiative by artist Lewis Lavoie and his Mural Mosaic team. Since May 2015, they have created murals incorporating more than 80,000 paintings from towns, cities and villages across Canada.
While each mural reflects the spirit of the communities through the eyes and creative spirit of the individuals who live there, all incorporate a train car. The cars, when joined with other murals, represent a transcontinental train. If connected, the assembled murals would be more than 365 metres in length (four football fields).
The Victoria mural will be displayed in a public space as a symbol of our community spirit and creativity.
Participation at the familyfriendly event is free, but a reservation for a 45-minute painting session is required. Walk-ins might also be accepted, based on availability. Please contact Jayna Brulotte at the Victoria Foundation at jbrulotte@victoriafoundation.bc.ca or 250-381-5532.
The kickoff event starts at 10 a.m. Friday in the courtyard of the Central Branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library, 735 Broughton St.
For more information, go to canada150mosaic.com or victoriafoundation.bc.ca.
Kids need help with school supplies
With school just around the corner, Staples, the office supply company, has launched its 11th annual Staples School Supply Drive, now until Sept. 13.
People can help the company ensure children have the best possible start to the school year by making a donation of products or cash at any Staples store.
The goal is to raise $1.7 million for students in need across Canada and ensure they have all the supplies they need for the start of school.
Proceeds raised by the program will stay in the local community. In Victoria, collected funds will go to the 1UP Single Parent Resource Centre Victoria, School District 72.
For more information, go to staples.ca/supplydrive.
Grant will send girl to special therapy
A paralyzed two year-old child’s future looks brighter, thanks to a $10,000 grant from the B.C. Hospitality Foundation, B.C. Paraplegic Foundation and Fantasy Food 2000.
Last October, Julia Grassmick’s parents discovered their two-year-old daughter in her bed, unable to move. After four days of investigation, doctors discovered a massive hematoma (blood clot) that had compressed her spinal cord. Despite surgery, the damage to Julia’s spine could not be reversed, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down.
The grant will be used for Julia to attend a program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, a facility in Baltimore that helps children with spinal-cord injuries recover to their fullest potential.
“My husband and I are so grateful for the financial assistance that the BCHF and the B.C. Paraplegic Foundation have been able to offer us,” said Melissa Grassmick, her mother, who is a former senior conference manager at the Delta Hotels Grand Okanagan Resort in Kelowna. She left her full-time position to care for her daughter.
“We are so happy to be able to take Julia to Kennedy Krieger in September to get the therapy program she needs. Thank you ever so much for your incredible support.”
In 2000, a fundraiser called Fantasy Food 2000 was held to benefit a hospitality industry worker who suffered a spinalcord injury. Since then, additional funds raised were held in trust with Spinal Cord Injury B.C. and the B.C. Paraplegic Foundation, to be given to hospitality workers at a time of financial need.
For more information, go to bchospitalityfoundation.com.