The daffodil pin is available by donation, enabling everyone to give courageously. Donations from every pin will be dedicated to supporting people living with cancer, funding research to outsmart cancer and preventing cancer before it starts. And one thing every fashionista should know is that supporting an important cause is always in season!

Also, on Daffodil Day, show your support and stop by Fountain Square at the Vancouver Art Gallery.  Members of the public are invited to show their support for friends or family facing a cancer journey as part of this event. The annual daffodil campaign is designed to unite our communities in the fight against cancer; remind British Columbians that there are many ways to reduce the risk of cancer; and encourage courageous giving so the Society can continue to invest in outstanding research, deliver caring support programs and lead prevention initiatives.  Opportunities to add the name of a loved one to the Field of Hope start at 9:00am  The official festivities are from 11:30am to 1:00pm.

Dining Out For Life is an annual fundraising event involving the generous participation of volunteers, corporate sponsors and restaurants. In exchange for their financial support, restaurants are listed in a city wide marketing campaign in an effort to increase customer traffic.

With over 230 participating restaurants across greater Vancouver, this event is sure to both satisfy the palates of Vancouver’s foodies and the needs of these two amazing charities.  25% of your food bill will benefit Friends For Life and A Loving Spoonful.  This year, Sumac Ridge Estate Winery will be providing their continued support for the Vancouver edition of Dining Out for Life as a title sponsor.  Sumac Ridge will donate $1 for every bottle of Sumac Ridge wine sold in the month of March to help support people living with HIV/AIDS.

With the flexibility of having breakfast, lunch or dinner at great restaurants around Vancouver, this is a great reason to go out for a meal.  Some MMV-familiar restaurants participating in this event include CRU on West Broadway, Corner Suite Bistro de Luxe in Downtown, Socie+y in Yaletown, and Fraiche in West Vancouver.

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A Loving Spoonful provides free, nutritious meals to men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in Greater Vancouver and the surrounding areas. In the last year alone, A Loving Spoonful has provided over 100,000 meals to those who need it most. Meals are delivered weekly by a team of dedicated volunteers. ‘The Spoon’, as it is affectionately known, operates five distinctive meal programs, ensuring that each individual client receives a food service that best suits their needs. One of these programs is ‘The Family Pantry’, a unique and pro-active food service that provides pantry essentials, fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy products to families living with HIV/AIDS.

Friends For Life supports people living with life-threatening illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, their families and their caregivers. This leading wellness centre was formed with the belief that no-one should face a serious illness alone, and offers a broad range of complementary and integrative therapies aimed at shifting the focus from illness to wellness. Programs include massage/body work, yoga, Naturopathic and Traditional Chinese Medicine, a nutrition/meals program and care for individuals confined to their homes.

]]> http://modernmixvancouver.com/index.php/2010/01/20/rtl-help-haiti-thursday-january-21/feed/ 0 http://modernmixvancouver.com/index.php/2009/11/04/wear-else-support-for-dress-for-success/ http://modernmixvancouver.com/index.php/2009/11/04/wear-else-support-for-dress-for-success/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:00:44 +0000 vanessa http://modernmixvancouver.com/?p=2833 Bring in a gently worn party dress and Wear Else will give you $50 toward a new one!

The mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.  I personally think Dress for Success is an excellent charity to support female empowerment through “suits to self-sufficiency”.

This holiday season, Wear Else will be supporting the Vancouver Chapter of Dress for Success. From October 23 to November 18, three Wear Else locations (Park Royal, West 4th and Oakridge Centre) will collect gently used holiday wear for the Dress for Success program. On November 18th, after all the Holiday Outfits are collected, the flagship West 4th Ave location will host a special Holiday Styling Event for Dress for Success Alumni where these lovely ladies will have the opportunity to choose one of the beautiful holiday outfits you have donated. These women are about to attend their first holiday events at their place of employment and Wear Else would like you to help us assist them in looking and feeling confident and beautiful!

Start the gift giving season early this year and donate your gently used holiday dress or pant suit at Wear Else’s Park Royal, West 4th Avenue, or Oakridge locations.  Customers that bring in holiday wear will feel good when they receive a $50 gift certificate to purchase a new dress but will feel even better knowing they are contributing to Dress for Success!

**Only one dress and $50 Gift Card per customer.

Did you know that more people die from vending machines than shark attacks? Although sharks have been portrayed by media as ruthless killers, they are a misunderstood animal and rarely attack or even kill. On average, only 5 people die worldwide from shark attacks each year. In 2007, only a single person died from a shark attack. Meanwhile, up to 80 million sharks are killed each year for shark fin soup…

Come find out what Shark Truth has in mind to help save the sharks as you join them at their launch event at Wild Rice (117 West Pender Street) on November 19th, 8pm to 10pm, for some fundraising, facts and fun.  Hear from world renowned researcher and IUCN Shark Specialist Group Co-Chair, Nick Dulvy share his research findings on shark behaviour and population. Best of all, come mingle with fellow foodies and sample some of Andrew Wong’s local, modern Chinese cuisine with cool drink specials, door prizes and an awesome raffle draw.

Tickets are $20 (includes appies) and can be bought here.

Movember Changes the Face of Canadian Men’s Health One Moustache at a Time

It’s November 1st today – so don’t be alarmed if guys who previously had clean-shaven faces start growing a bit of fuzz on their upper lip (also known as the “hairy ribbon”……)!  To be honest, I’m not a fan of moustaches – however, in the name of charity, I will suck it up and put up a post on Modern Mix Vancouver raising awareness about Movember!!

Movember is a global charity event that invites men to grow moustaches (or Mos) for the month of November. The moustache serves as the ‘ribbon’ and the vehicle by which participants in Movember raise funds and awareness for men’s health – specifically prostate and testicular cancer. Movember aims to reduce the number of preventable male deaths by raising funds and creating awareness for cancer affecting men.

The idea for Movember was sparked in 2003 over a few beers in Melbourne, Australia. The guys behind it joked about 80s fashion and decided it was time to bring the moustache back. In order to justify their Mos (Australian slang for moustache), they used their new looks to raise money for prostate cancer research… never dreaming that facial hair would ultimately lead to a global movement that would get men talking about a taboo subject – their health. Since Movember’s inception, over 372,000 Mo Bros have grown moustaches to change the face of men’s health.

As for the ladies, while growing a Mo is left to the guys, Mo Sistas (women who support their guys) form an important part of Movember by recruiting Mo Bros, helping to raise funds and attending the highly anticipated Gala Partés.

So, where does your monetary support go to? The money raised in Canada goes directly to Prostate Cancer Canada. Prostate Cancer Canada will use the money raised by Movember for the development of programs related to awareness, public education, advocacy, support of those affected, and research into the prevention, detection, treatment and cure of prostate cancer.  Last year, in 2008 the Movember campaign in Canada raised $2.4 million making it the largest charity event for men. Significantly, awareness of men’s health issues has improved with Movember helping to spread important health messages directly to thousands of Mo Bros & Sistas.

Here, watch the video:

And for those who are keen to get even more involved, here is a Movember Contest you can enter!

“Dress to the Nines.  Lives depends on it.”  Clever slogan, eh?…for the BCSPCA Animalia event on November 4, 2009.    Animalia is the BCSPCA’s (Vancouver and Burnaby Branches) preeminent fundraising event, in support of the shelter’s ongoing fight to end animal cruelty.  This year, a reception-style cocktail party (including cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction) will be hosted at the OPUS Hotel (322 Davie Street) in Yaletown. Vegan appetizers will be served, look forward to:

• Grilled Asparagus with a lemongrass, ginger & tea vinaigrette
• Empanada, with corn, pablano chili & tofu ricotta
• Grilled Mochi, veganrella cheese
• Baked Green Baby Zucchini ‘cannelloni’ stuffed with mushroom duxelle

Doors open at 6:30pm.  Tickets can be bought for $50 on the BCSPCA Events Website.

I went to Changes Clothing and Jewelry Bar (4454 West 10th Avenue) last week to consign some of my clothing items that don’t quite suit me anymore, but would be great for someone else – an Abercrombie hoodie I never got around to wearing, ballet flats that were a bit too tight, etc.

“As fall approaches so does the urge to add to your wardrobe, and you may start wondering how you’re going to afford to purchase all of the fabulous pieces that beckon you to buy them; Changes has your solution. With beautiful brand name garments at affordable prices you will find you no longer have to curb your urge.”

This is probably the 7th year I have been a regular client of Changes Clothing – whether it’s to shop for myself, to consign my clothes, or to browse through their fabulous selection of jewelry.  If you need another reason to visit the girly boutique, Changes Clothing is having their annual birthday fashion show on Thursday September 24, 2009 from 6:30pm to 10pm. For $10 (with 100% of ticket sales being donated to Big Sisters of Greater Vancouver) the evening will feature models styled by their in house stylist, refreshments, and discounts! To purchase a ticket please call 604-222-1505.

For the MMV review of this event last year, click here.

Vancouverites! I believe common sense dictates that anything worth doing is done better in costume  – especially if what you are doing is for charity. Everyone has that inner mascot just waiting to come out, it’s time to face it and embrace it.

So….take this wisdom and run with it at the Chip’s Not Dead Yet charity race on June 20, 2009, with all proceeds going towards the BC Children’s Hospital foundation. When you register for the race, not only do you have the opportunity to race up and down W. 10th avenue dressed up in costume, but you also gain access to the largest summer street party Vancouver has to offer – we’re talking live entertainment on the Georgia Straight entertainment stage, a beer garden sponsored by Russell Beer and an expected 5000 excited people attending. Oh, and did I mention there were prizes?

This is what you’ll be racing for:

• Bridal Dash = 2 tickets anywhere West Jet flies
• High Heel Dash = $1,500 Gift Card to spend at Pacific Centre (!!)
• Underwear Dash = A backyard summer BBQ catered by Russell Beer and Memphis Blues BBQ.
• Super Hero Half Mile(ish) Dash = A trip along the Inside Passage on the new Northern Expedition presented by BC Ferries.
• Timed Wave Race = 2 people will each win 6 months of yoga each, a mat and a water bottle courtesy of Semperviva Yoga
• Canucks Fan Parade = a Vancouver Canucks forward Taylor Pyatt signed stick and a Mattius Ohlund signed Jersey.
• Rock Star Wave = 2 tickets to the upcoming Aerosmith concert and a signed Aerosmith drumhead.
• Elite Race = $20,000

Other waves you can sign up for are the couch potato wave, the Pooch Parade, the uniform dash and high school elite dash. Read more here. Those are the things you’ll be racing to win, but every registered participant will walk away with a Lululemon Tech top valued at more than the cost of registration! So grab a couple friends, brainstorm costumes over a couple beers and make sure to  register!

Here are the specs:

Where? W. 10th Ave between Blanca and Alma
When? June 20th, 2009
How much? $35 for individuals // group of 10+, registration is only $30 per person.
Why?

1. For the kids! 200% of proceeds are going towards the BC Children’s Hospital. And no, my finger didn’t just slip from the ‘1′ to the ‘2′ accidentally. 200% of proceeds will go towards this children’s charity because Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon, has agreed to match every dollar donated up to $150,000.
2. You get to dress up in costume! And run around! Like a kid!
3. You get access to the summers biggest street party! Enjoy live entertainment and a beer garden with 5000 other Vancouverites!

Hope to see you there!

With the theme honoring the “Gold and Glamorous”, the event promises to be a decadent affair attended by Vancouver’s glitterati, see and be scensters and fashionable stylistas. Delectable canapés courtesy of Elixir bistro’s Executive Chef, Don Letendre will be enjoyed along with mouth-watering cocktails. Gold-painted goddesses dance to the beats of talented DJ’s Blondtron & Krown, and guests will go home with a bag full of sponsored goodies.

Other reasons you should go: a balloon fundraiser with guarenteed prizes, drink tickets with your ticket purchase, a charitable tax receipt issued for a portion of the $130 ticket price, and, of course, another reason to glam up!  Word on the street, there will be spa professionals from a certain company (shhh) doing gold themed mini-manicures on the spot (details unconfirmed, but keep it on the downlow!).  With mingling and entertainment on two floors of the hotel, DJs in two rooms, and gift bags well worth the ticket price, buy your ticket ASAP by clicking here.

Arts Umbrella is located on Granville Island and provides the visual and performing arts education to the children of Vancouver, between the ages of 2 and 19.  The mix of topics in visual, performing and applied arts education is also exceptionally diverse and includes, architecture, cartooning, computer and classical animation, dance, film making, media arts, painting and drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, theatre and video game design.  The Granville Island facility alone hosts more than 650 classes each week. In addition, Arts Umbrella’s extensive, free-of-charge outreach programs offer arts experiences through schools and community centres in the surrounding community.