The Variety Show of Hearts Telethon has been entertaining British Columbians for over 50 years and last year, it inspired local musician Todd Richard to support Variety BC in a very unique way.
Follow Your Heart with Todd Richard and Variety BC
“My wife and I watch the Telethon year after year,” Todd told me over the phone last week. A semi-finalist in CBC Music’s Searchlight with multiple BC Country Music Award nominations, two albums under his belt, and numerous singles to country radio Todd has been growing his fanbase in the Canadian country music scene.
The Show of Hearts inspired Todd to start donating proceeds from merchandise, popcorn sales, and more to Variety. “It started in that way but I had a song I thought would be really cool to use, titled ‘If I Could Change The World With Just a Song’, and so I started brainstorming about doing this song and releasing it for Variety.”
Todd’s vision was to produce the song in a ‘We Are The World’ style, and that’s where more collaborators came into the mix. He contacted producer Jeff Johnson, who helped co-write an original song, just for this purpose, and the momentum grew from there with country artist George Canyon also coming on board along with a host of others.
“It was the fastest song either of us had written, like it just wanted to be on paper.” Todd and Jeff had the created the song so quickly and were excited about the end result. They presented it to Variety, with guitars in hand, and they just knew a lot of the organization’s member would be able to relate to it. “We have a really cool song here, it’s just really uplifting and powerful.”
The result is Follow Your Heart, available now for just $0.99 on iTunes with all proceeds going to Variety BC.
For more information, follow Todd on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, along with Variety BC on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to download Follow Your Heart on iTunes to show your support, and get your toes tapping!
Variety – the Children’s Charity steps in where health care ends, providing direct help to children with special needs in BC and the Yukon. For over 50 years Variety has ensured children have the support to reach their potential. Rebecca Bollwitt, of Miss604.com is a proud Board Member of Variety BC.
Follow Your Heart collaborators: Todd Richard, Jeff Johnson (Bailey Way Entertainment), George Canyon, Wes Mack, Todd Richard, Ty Waters, Becca Hess, Rod Black, Rick Tippe, Phil Puxley, Shylo Sharity, Gord Maxwell, Ty Waters, Trevor Murray, Tianna Lefebvre, Mike Sanyshyn, Damian Marshall, Brad Darrid, Emily Chambers, Tommy West, Emily Taylor Adams, Kirsten Bunyan. Musicians: Jay Buettner, Jeff Johnson, Ryan Stead, Rob Becker, Jay Benison, Sheldon Zaharko, Jordan Oorebeek, Soren and Janice Lonnqvist.
Hop on the Stanley Park Easter Train for an egg-citing Easter ride through Stanley Park. After the train ride, purchase carnival strip tickets so your kids can enjoy fun activities.
Stanley Park Easter Train
Enjoy a carnival style event with the themed train rides, Easter Bunny and egg hunt, mini golf, bouncers, face-painting, plant a posy craft activity and an expanded food and beverage service: Cloud Nine Cotton Candy, Innocent Ice Cream and Insomniac Coffee.
Where: Located just off Pipeline Road in Stanley Park, via the West Georgia Street park entrance.
When: April 8 and 9 (train only) 10:00am to 5:00pm
April 13-17, 2017 from 10:00am to 5:00pm
Last train is at 5:00pm, last egg hunt is at 4:40pm
Tickets: Ages 3 and up $6, free for children under 3.
Carnival activities: 2 tickets $5; 3 tickets $7; 5 tickets $10 Buy advance tickets now via Ticketleader. Buy same-day tickets in person at the ticket booth next to the train, starting at 10:00am.
Tickets are sold in half-hour time slots. They are good for one train ride during the time slot shown on the ticket and for one entry to the other activities. On rainy days, you can stay dry with a covered train and line-up, and indoor egg hunt. More information is available on the Stanley Park Easter Train website.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Review — This trip was in partnership with Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory. Views are my own. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
Paddling a river to a spectacular waterfall, cooking up foraged ingredients on a farm with locals, and putting our Gore-Tex to the test in a mountain rain forest in the Pacific Northwest at the base of a volcano. John and I spent the last shoulder season discovering three sides of Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory, where we got in touch our Pacific Northwest cores and explored Oregon in a new way.
The itinerary set out for us by our friends at Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory tourism office was a dream for us, so much so that I want to mention every stop and every bite we took in a bullet point list – but that would hardly make for interesting reading. Instead, I’ll highlight the three main pillars of our schedule: On the Mountain, In the Country, Around the City. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
Renowned folk group Anda Union will captivate Canadian audiences for the first time at the Chan Centre on March 26th, with their stirring, mystical sounds from Inner Mongolia. Playing rare traditional instruments, including the horse head fiddle and the two-string lute, the nine-member group blends haunting throat singing and stunning harmonies to conjure visions of Inner Mongolia’s remote regions.
Described by The Guardian as “stirring and sophisticated”, Anda Union are a band of artists brought together by a passion for preserving the forgotten sounds of their Mongolian heritage. The members, who consider themselves musical gatherers, come from different tribes united by the legendary Genghis Khan, and blend the styles and influences of their respective lineages. The result is a singular collective sound from the Mongol tradition.
Through a combination of ethereal melodies, soaring vocals, reverberating throat singing, and heart-pounding rhythms, Anda Union evoke the natural wonders of their rustic homeland.
Anda Union rose to international fame with the release of their first album, The Wind Horse (2011), and have since headlined world music and mainstream festivals. The momentum surrounding this exceptional group continues to build.
For their second album, Homeland, Anda Union worked with 14-time GRAMMY-winning producer Richard King, whose credits include Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road, The Goat Rodeo Sessions, and the film soundtrack Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Recently, Homeland was selected as one of the ‘Best Albums of 2016’ by Songlines Magazine.
As a special treat, the Chan Centre will host a free workshop with the group for all ages that includes a throat singing demonstration and lesson opportunity Sunday, March 26, 2017, 11:00am at MBA House, 3385 Wesbrook Mall, UBC. Follow the Chan Centre on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about performances this season.
Win Tickets & Dinner
The Chan Centre has offered up two tickets for a lucky Miss604 reader to see Anda Union, along with a set dinner menu for two at Sage Restaurant ahead of the show.
Click below to get another entry by posting on Twitter:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win a @ChanCentre date night with @AndaUnion tickets + pre-show dinner http://owl.li/3xAn30a5YLU” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, March 23, 2017. Dinner prize must be redeemed on the same day as the show. A reservation will be made for the winner and their guest at 5:30pm on March 26, 2017.
Kids get free admission throughout the month of March! Take advantage of up to two free child admissions with the purchase of a regular price adult, senior, or youth admission at VanDusen Garden or Bloedel Conservatory.
Spring Break at VanDusen Botanical Garden
Be inspired by VanDusen Botanical Garden’s 22 hectares of elegant landscapes with plant species representing ecosystems ranging from the Himalayas to the Mediterranean, from Louisiana swamps to the Pacific Northwest.
Find your way through a hedge maze, spot local wildlife, discover over 7,000 different plants from around the world and explore the garden on a scavenger hunt at VanDusen. Then, head over to the tropical Bloedel Conservatory and discover exotic birds and plants inside the lush dome located at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park.
VanDusen Garden is located at 5251 Oak St and open daily. Bloedel Conservatory is located at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park at 4600 Cambie in Vancouver.
Follow VanDusen Botanical Garden on Facebook and Twitter for more information. Offers are exclusive to each facility and cannot be combined with other promotions or discounts.
“My wife and I watch the Telethon year after year,” Todd told me over the phone last week. A semi-finalist in CBC Music’s Searchlight with multiple BC Country Music Award nominations, two albums under his belt, and numerous singles to country radio Todd has been growing his fanbase in the Canadian country music scene. 
