Each spring, COBS Bread and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada host a joint campaign to raise funds and awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across the country. This year, COBS Bread has created a new limited-time scone flavour for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Strawberries & Cream. This year’s scone fundraising weekend is on Saturday, May 12 and Sunday, May 13 where COBS will be donating 50¢ from every scone sold to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“It has been a pleasure to increase our involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters over the past three and a half years. We continue to be impressed with the care and dedication shown by the organization’s volunteers and staff, and look forward to many more years of this beneficial relationship,” says Michelle Duck, Marketing Manager of COBS Bread.

Each of the 123 Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies depends on donations to help recruit volunteers and reach more children. Funding received from companies like COBS is used to conduct background checks on volunteers to ensure child safety and provide ongoing support for children, families and volunteers to build long-lasting relationships.

“COBS Bread has raised more than $95,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters since 2009, which has allowed agencies across the country to provide many children with the support of a mentor. In addition, COBS has raised awareness of the urgent need for more Big Brother and Big Sister volunteers. COBS’ in-store campaigns have inspired many men and women to volunteer their time to provide encouragement and support to a young person in need in their community. We are so grateful for COBS’ support of mentoring,” says Justine Greene, Executive Director of Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland.

The limited edition Strawberries and Cream Scone is full of strawberry pieces and has strawberry cream cheese folded throughout and is topped with a decadent cream cheese icing. It is only available until May 16, so make sure you get it before it is gone!  To find your closest COBS Bread location in Vancouver, click here.

On Tuesday March 20th, Vancouver’s Spring Advertising is celebrating the first day of spring with the public Boink Day Pogo Challenge benefitting the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.  From 7am to 7pm at the Vancouver Art Gallery (Georgia Street side), for every pogo bounce performed by participants, Spring Advertising and will donate ten cents to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. In other words, it’s a dime a “boink.” The public can also make a cash or non-perishable food donation. For every $1 donated, the food bank can purchase $3 of nutritious fresh fruit, vegetables, and eggs.

Pogo sticks will be provided on site. Or, participants can bring their own.

By Manveet Virk, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

Bring out your best little black dress and black tie for the LBD Soiree Fundraiser at Fortune Sound Club on Saturday March 3, 2012.

Trying to give back to the community is on everyone’s agenda these days, but what if you can do it while having the perfect excuse to get all dolled up and spiffed out? Join the local not-for-profit group Help Change My City (HCMC) at the LBD Soiree on March 3rd at Fortune Sound Club to help raise funds for the Battered Women Support Society’s My Sister’s Closet boutique shop. With the goal of raising $1000, there is plenty of incentive for all those coming out such as performances by StillettoFit’s burlesque beauties, over 15 giveaways, a silent auction and best of all, the perfect avenue to connect and mingle with fellow young professionals. Tickets are set at just a $10 minimum donation. RSVP or learn more about the event at facebook.com/helpchangemycity.

“It’s not just a drop in the bucket.  Its the chance to participate in change. It’s the opportunity to share the message. It’s all about the love. Love Love.”

By Eudora Koh, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

Last week, I was among a fashionable, artistic and elegant crowd at Hawksworth Restaurant for the unveiling of Sancha Jewelry’s latest and greatest, the Love Love Project, which has generated buzz for its initiative to help create positive change in the world. Love Love allows and encourages consumers to wear uniquely hand-crafted jewelry pieces not only in the name of fashion and style, but also in love and goodness.

The goal of Love Love is to bring awareness to and raise funds for international water related crises around the world, through sales of the jewelry and the discussion that emerges from it. At this particular time, all profits from Love Love sales will be donated to Oxfam Canada to raise money for the drought in East Africa. As for the pieces in the Love Love Project, there are three in the collection—a bangle, a necklace and a pendant—each is handmade in copper, a natural element noted as a positive conductor of energy, and all pieces are available in tarnished or rose gold copper.

The designer behind it all is the radiant and very talented Sancha Tatlock. Sancha Jewelry features Canadian hand-crafted designs featuring many raw and organic materials such as gemstones, crystals, antique relics and precious jewels, all of which Sancha believes has their own power as natural elements. Sancha explained to me that her designs have been inspired by her love for nature and the wilderness, both in which she was surrounded while growing up as a child.

Combine that passion for nature with an attraction to reading French fashion magazines, and that epitomizes Sancha’s bohemian childhood.  Sancha also has a love for water and the ocean, inspiring some of her other collections, such as Resort, which consists of sea shell designs and turquoise-blue tones. Speaking specifically to the Love Love Project, Sancha says “The Love Love Project was inspired by the work of Japanese scientist, Masaru Emoto who studied water’s response to positive and negative emotions”.

Currently, Love Love Project pieces, as well as selections of Sancha’s current and permanent collections, are available at these independent Vancouver boutiques: Dream, Little Dream, Spill It Sister, Body Politic, Tenth & Proper, and Dr. Vigari Gallery. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, consider purchasing some jewelry for your loved ones while supporting a fashionably worthy cause, all in the name of Love Love. For more information (including price points and how to purchase online) about Love Love Project and to view its entire collection along with Sancha’s other collections, visit the website: http://www.sanchajewelry.com.

By Eudora Koh, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

One kind action leads to another.  That’s the message The World Kindness Concert is trying to promote, by uniting people through the powerful medium of music. The non-profit organization has been holding the Concert for the past 11 years, and has been attracting more audience with each year. In fact, this is the first time that the Concert will be held at The Centre For Performing Arts (777 Homer Street). This year, the Concert will be on Friday, November 4th.

The World Kindness Concert focuses on eliminating all things negative such as bullying, cruelty and abuse to humans, animals, and the environment, violence and suicide. We have all heard about or been exposed to negativity, hate, and bullying at some point or another, so it is so refreshing to hear about a group that is genuinely trying to promote kindness and kind acts, to make everyone’s day that much better. Proceeds from the Concert will be donated to anti-bullying programs and initiatives.

Aside from the message of kindness, love, and compassion, it’s impossible to over-look the top entertainment lineup that the World Kindness Concert has in store for audience. Some of the artists and performers include Dirty Radio, ABRA Cadabra, Shari Ulrich, The Vancouver Children’s Choir, Warren Dean Flandez (Finalist on ‘Cover Me Canada’), and so much more. Come enjoy a positive and energetic entertainment event that is sure to have you up on your feet and singing (and possibly even dancing!) along to the music. You will feel good too, knowing that you are participating in such a worthwhile cause that is so important to maintaining a happy and healthy world.

Click here to purchase tickets online to The World Kindness Concert.

This year’s Compassion into Action event will be held at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Wednesday September 28th between 8 am to 2 pm and is hosted by Nature’s Path, which is an organic foods company based out of Richmond, BC.  Bring a food bank donation to the north plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery and enjoy a tasty organic breakfast and live music!

This event in the last two years has raised over $300,000.00 in food and funds – that’s enough to feed 12,000 families in need!  Everyone is encouraged to stop by, enjoy a healthy organic breakfast and in exchange make a monetary or non-perishable food donation to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.

EVENT UPDATE: Lots of food – different varieties of Nature’s Path cereal, organic milk, yogurt, organic donuts, Ethical bean coffee, etc. Photos from the event:

Donate $10 to $20 and get a re-useable tote bag. Donate $20+ and get a Compassion into Action T-Shirt.

Different types of cereal at the event. Works like a gumball machine - twist the knob and cereal comes out.

Play Plinko at the Vancity booth and win a cardboard piggy bank, basil seeds or a re-useable shopping bag.

Also ran into Ryan Kesler and Fin of the Vancouver Canucks. They were in downtown for a separate event - Raise a Reader.

In support of Breast Cancer Awareness month this October, Tic Tac Canada is donating $25,000 to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada and will be launching a limited edition Pink Grapefruit flavour. The Breast Cancer Society of Canada is a registered, national, not-for-profit, charitable organization dedicated to funding Canadian breast cancer research into the detection, prevention, treatment and to ultimately find a cure for the disease that women fear most. All month long, the Tic Tac Canada Facebook Page will be posting up pink-related promotions, giveaways and prizes. They’ve even designed a new Tic Tac character to represent their support for the cure!

As for the limited edition Pink Grapefruit Tic Tacs, they come in a “100 mint” 49g container which is almost 3x the usual size of Tic Tac boxes.  They are pink, fruity but end with an unusual minty aftertaste.  Pink Grapefruit Tic Tacs will be available in October at grocery and convenient store retailers across Canada, including London Drugs, Shoppers Drug Mart and 7-11.  To enter to win your own Pink Grapefruit Tic Tac prize pack, be sure to “Like” the Tic Tac Canada Facebook Page.

CONTEST: Win a Tic Tac Prize Pack from Tic Tac Canada with Pink Grapefruit Tic Tacs, buttons, t-shirts and stickers!  Comment below this blog post with who you’d share your Pink Grapefruit Tic Tacs with and why, if you won the Tic Tac prize pack.  Be sure to provide your email address so we can contact you if you are the winner.  3 winners will be chosen on October 30th.  Open to Canadian mailing addresses only.   GOOD LUCK!

The 4th Annual Vancouver Timeraiser is part volunteer fair, part silent art auction and part night on the town.  Artwork pieces are purchased from local artists from around the lower mainland and put up in a silent auction on the event night, happening this year at The Waldorf Hotel (1489 East Hastings).  The big twist is that, instead of bidding dollars on the artwork, you bid volunteer hours!  Throughout the evening, different “agencies” (aka. charity groups) will be at the event to assist you in matching your skills to their needs. If you have the winning bid you have 12 months to complete your pledge before bringing the artwork home as a reminder of your goodwill.

I went to Timeraiser last year year and had a really positive experience.   I was one of the lucky ones who tied for bidding the maximum amount of hours (125) on a piece by Vancouver-based Krig Krug, and went on to be the person who actually won the artwork.  (If multiple people bid the maximum amount of hours on a piece of artwork, a random draw is conducted).  I’m nearly finished my 125 hours of volunteering – I did most of my hours at the BCSPCA (event planning) and Theatre Under The Stars.  Come see for yourself – click here to purchase your tickets ($20) online.

Event Agenda for Timeraiser 2011:

• 7:00 pm Doors open
• 8:00 pm Volunteer matching begins
• 9:00 pm Silent Art Auction begins
• 10:00 pm Auction closes
• 10:30 pm Winners are announced

See below for a selection of the artwork that will be available to be bid on:

Click here for an event recap about Timeraiser 2010 at The Roundhouse in Yaletown.