Robert Scales of VancouverAccess2010.com recently approached me to see if I could help run a contest to give away his tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony. Wanting to do more than simply hold a draw, Robert had the fantastic idea to also raise funds for the BC Wheelchair Sports Association.
We only have about 10 hours to run this contest in order to get the tickets to the winner on time so here’s how it will work:
The page will generate a list of all donors for us and from that list, a winner will be drawn at random.
It’s pretty much a win-win situation. A cause is supported, you learn more about the upcoming Paralympics coverage on VancouverAccess2010.com, (& Miss604.com) and someone gets to attend the Opening Ceremony with a friend — for $10.
The ceremony will not be televised live as CTV will be taping it and airing it on Saturday March 13th.
The contest will close at 12:00am March 12th (that’s midnight tonight) and I will notify the winner by the email they supply on the donation page. 100% of the donations will go directly to the BC Wheelchair Sports Association as they are registered with CanadaHelps.
Thank you and I hope everyone really enjoys the excitement and amazing athletic performances of the Paralympic Games.
Update: Due to an error with the CanadaHelps site last night we have extended the contest until 8:00am Friday March 12.
All donations of at least $10 are contest entries and must be received through the online donation page. The winner will need to arrange to collect their tickets from Robert tomorrow, Friday March 12th, 2010. Two tickets will be awarded, valued at $370 for the pair.
Vancouver’s favourite outdoor Shakespeare experience, Bard on the Beach, will be back again this summer with a fully-packed performance schedule.
My Bard on the Beach contests last year were my most popular of 2009 so I’m pleased to announce ad help promote the productions that will take place June 3rd – September 25th, 2010.
Main Stage Tent
Much Ado About Nothing: June 3 to September 25
Antony and Cleopatra: June 16 to September 24
Studio Stage Tent
Falstaff (Henry IV, I & II): July 1 to September 22
Henry V: July 14 to September 24
Special Events
Bard Explored: June 26, July 17, August 7 & 14
Forum: Shakespeare at War: July 12
Bard-B-Q & Fireworks: July 21, 24, 28, 31
Celebrating Red & White: August 14
Opera & Arias: La Bohème: August 30 & September 6
Tickets are $35.50 (evenings) and $18.75 to $29.50 (previews & matinees). Shows July 1st to September 25 are $38.00 (evenings) and $20.00 to $31.50 (previews & matinees). Tickets go on sale this coming Monday, March 15th and it would be best to plan your summer events now as shows often sell out.
The Gastown Business Improvement Association founded the Gastown Blog in the summer of 2009 to breathe some new life into this historic community. With daily features, history lessons and business profiles, it’s a one-stop source for Gastown information.
Over the last few weeks the Gastown Blog launched an initiative to put QR codes on old buildings where passers-by can scan the code and call up a post from the blog about that building. Ray Kanani, who worked on the project, explains in this video:
Your smartphone’s camera acts as a scanner while processing the symbol, which looks like a scrambled bar code. The QR code contains information that can be accessed with an iPhone or Blackberry application, instantly calling up a webpage with Vancouver Archive photos and historical facts about the building.
You can find these QR code stickers on over 20 buildings in Gastown and they’re hoping to expand. If you happen to walk by a building with the QR code sticker in the window, give it a try and learn more about the neighbourhood. The QR code technology is still pretty new to Vancouver (although it was developed in 1994) and it’s currently widely used in Asia.
The challenge was to see which school across Canada could raise the most in support of Spread the Net’s mosquito net campaign with UNICEF. On Monday I sat down for a chat with campaign co-founder, Rick Mercer who is the host of CBC’s The Mercer Report. We chatted about SFU’s victory and how social media played a role.
You can listen to our conversation by clicking on the player below:
Kudos to SFU’s UNICEF Club and all SFU students for a job well done raising $16,000 this school year. The Spread the Net Challenge will kick off again next fall however you can still learn more, donate or participate anytime, online.
Location
Robson Square, with the relay looping around Howe, Georgia, Granville, Smithe, Bute and Robson
Time
2:00pm March 11th until 2:00pm March 12th, 2010
Events
Robson Square will host live entertainment as well as sponsor activities, sport demos and cultural craft displays. You will be able to skate for free on the ice rink and the free zipline will open up again March 12th at 10:00am.
We only have about 10 hours to run this contest in order to get the tickets to the winner on time so here’s how it will work:
