Make Olympic dreams come true, sponsor cyclist on 1,000-mile ride
Whether you believe in the folklore of Phil, the Pennsylvanian groundhog from Punxsutawney, predicting six more weeks of winter or choose to believe that spring will arrive on the usual official date of March 20, we still have six more weeks of winter. I am keeping my galoshes, snow boots, umbrella, hat, gloves and even a pair of sunglasses close by because I don’t know what kind of weather Mother Nature will throw at us with her mixed messages.
One point I can be clear on is what a busy, creative and generous city Kelowna is. The city just hosted the country’s best chefs for the Canadian Culinary Championships, and I congratulate B.C.’s Alex Chen from Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar in Vancouver, who was the Gold Medal Plates winner for 2018.
This Friday, when we tune in at 3 a.m. to watch the Olympic Winter Games opening ceremonies from Pyeongchang, South Korea, I will feel a sense of pride for my country knowing I have financially contributed to helping our athletes by attending the Gold Medal Plates events.
One way that you can continue to support our Olympians is by supporting a local cycling hero, Stephen Sargeant, who has signed up to cycle 1,001 miles from Lake Louise, Alta., to Whistler on a sponsored bike ride for Gold Medal Plates and the Canadian Olympic Foundation.
Sargeant is a senior transportation engineer with a passion for cycling. He is the sole rider representing not just Kelowna but B.C. on this gruelling eight-day ride, starting June 17.
If you are compelled to sponsor this amazing person, who I am proud to say is a friend of mine, go to the website 1001.goldmedalplates.com, where you will find his name and more information about the ride. Every dollar raised will be matched by the federal government through its Next Generation Initiative.
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Love is in the air this weekend when Jazz Cafe Kelowna presents Cari Burdett at 6 p.m. Sunday. This award-winning vocalist will stand on the Kelowna Forum stage to perform with her band, which includes: Marc Atkinson, a gypsy jazz guitarist (The Bills, Marc Atkinson Trio); Meredith Bates, a Juno-winning violinist (Pugs and Crows, Kamloops Symphony, Annie Lou); Adrian Dolan, on piano, accordion and mandola (Rankin Sisters, Barney Bentall); and John Lee, on double bass (George Colligan, Brad Turner and Cyrus Chestnut).
Burdett’s sultry mezzo vocals will transport you into the nightclubs of Paris, Rome, Berlin and New York as this multilingual singer fills the room with enchanting vocal stylings reminiscent of 1940s French swing, Spanish gypsy jazz and aching Italian love songs that sizzle with energy and passion.
With both classical and opera training, she earned her music degree from Montreal’s McGill University for opera, and a master’s degree in performance voice from the Royal Academy of Music in London. She currently lives in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island.
Tickets cost $25 and can be reserved by calling 250-763 -6141 or emailing fabulousPR@gmail.com. Tickets will be available at the door, cash only, if any are left at that point. Doors open at 5 p.m., and as it’s Sunday, the show will start early at 6 p.m. The Kelowna Forum is at 1317 Ethel St.
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Also this weekend is the Black Cat Cabaret hosted by the New Vintage Theatre. Each year, as a platform to celebrate the reveal of their upcoming season, artistic director Bonnie Gratz hosts a fundraiser that includes a competition of 10-minute plays written and performed by local theatre enthusiasts, as well as a series of skits and songs that will feature many of the favourite New Vintage performers, such as Ashley and Cory Armour, Doug Brown, Erik Chirkoff, Graham Daly, Angela Lavender and Dana Murphy. Tickets cost $33 (with all fees included) through Select Your Ticket. Showtime for Saturday and Sunday is 7:30 p.m. at the Black Box Theatre, 1375 Water St., in the back of the Kelowna Community Theatre.
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The Balance Well-Being Centre will start a weekly event called StoryTelling Tuesday, which will be held at Rusty’s Sports Lounge, 1525 Dilworth Dr.
This gathering invites Okanagan residents to hear inspirational stories from our creative community. The evening begins at 5 p.m. with live music and refreshments. After an hour, guests are invited to sit and listen to inspiring stories told by special guests who are asked to speak for approximately 15 minutes each, telling about their experiences, obstacles and successes.
Some stories may be funny or perhaps sad or sentimental, but most will be inspirational and told in a safe environment with no judgment. Limited tickets are available for $10 in advance through balancewell-being.com or 250-718-7356. Tickets at the door cost $15.
*** Last year for Valentine’s Day, I wanted to do something special for my husband, so I hired the White Sails A Cappella Chorus to visit him at the building site he was working on at Sunset Ranch to sing him a love song while his co-workers sat and watched on their lunch break.
Yes, he was embarrassed and, yes, his friends chuckled at this kind of sentiment in such an unusual location, but we still talk about it, and I know for a fact that he was touched by the gesture.
This year, I have to find another creative way to tell my man how much he means to me, but if you are looking for a special way to tell your partner, then I suggest booking your Valentine’s choir by text or call at 250-7177969, or email to valentinesingers@outlook.com.
It costs $35 a song and arrives with a flower and a card and, of course, a lasting memory of a redfaced loved one getting singled out and sung to on a very special day! ***
Tonight, I am attending Sister Act at the Kelowna Actors Studio. I am so excited about seeing this musical and I can’t wait to tell you all about it for next week. Anna Jacyszyn is an awardwinning jazz singer. Email her at artafactevent@gmail.com.