Festival of Lights set for Monday

Here and Now column by Dan Hilborn
Published Nov. 29, 2003


Come out to the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown Hotel on Monday to see the start of the second annual Festival of Lights, a fundraising event for the folks at the Rotary Club of Burnaby - Deer Lake.

So far, nine different Burnaby companies have signed on to raise and decorate their own trees, which will be on display for shoppers to cast votes on, while making a donation to a worthwhile cause.

"It's the season of giving and this is a great way to get involved," said Evelyn Gut, director of sales at the hotel and one of the organizers of the festival.

Last year, the inaugural Festival of Lights at the Hilton raised almost $8,000 for the Rotary Club, which helped fund the group's project in literacy, the arts, health and the environment.

For a small donation, the public can vote on their favourite tree, and enter a draw for the chance to win an all-expenses paid weekend stay at the hotel. There will also be a collection box set up to gather toys for the Burnaby Christmas Bureau.

There is still space available for other companies to sponsor their own tree, for information on how to get involved, call Gut directly at 604-639-3722.

HOP ABOARD HISTORY

Looking for that perfect Christmas gift for a local history buff? Then why not check out the T-shirts, sweatshirts and tote bags produced by the Friends of Interurban 1223 - the society that is rebuilding the 92-year-old tram car that once rode through Burnaby.

The society just issued its latest newsletter which highlights the incredible work that has gone into restoring this piece of local heritage. Since moving into a city-owned warehouse on Royal Oak Ave. two years ago, volunteers have logged an impressive 8,000 hours of time on the project.

The work is "difficult, often dirty and always labour intensive," says Pixie McGeachie, president of the society. "Today, the 1223 is well on its way back to its handsome 1925 appearance."

For those who would like to make a more significant contribution, the society is always looking for sponsors to help complete the rattan seats, wooden benches and windows.

For more information on buying T-shirts and totes, call Barry Sansom at 604-435-9802.

For sponsorships, call Ed Eckley at 604-526-7125.

RUN GROWS TO NEW HEIGHTS

The second Annual Heights on the Run has surpassed all expectations.

The run, which is sponsored by Scotiabank, enjoyed 36 per cent growth in both the number of participants and the amount of money it was able to donate to the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society.

A cheque worth $3,000 was presented by to the firefighters to help fund their CPR program, which teaches basic life-saving skills to ever Grade 10 student in Burnaby.

On hand for the cheque presentation ceremony were Heights merchants kevin Perry of Scotiabank, Mymee Chow, president of the Heights Merchants Association, and Michael Hurley and Jim Peever, president and treasurer of the firefighters society.

Scott Fraser, executive director of the Heights Merchants Association said the event is rapidly gaining momentum thanks to the long list of participating sponsors. for more information on how to get involved in the fast growing community event in north Burnaby, visit the website www.burnabyheights.com.

GOOD NEIGHBOURS

Kudos to the board of directors at South Burnaby Neighbourhood House, which recently celebrated another year of growth in the city.

According to SBNH board chair Shelley Mills, the group was able to expand its level of service and add several new programs to the many worthwhile offerings they make available to families.

This year, Neighbourhood House opened a new kindergarten and before and after school care program in the Stride neighbourhood, offered summer day camp programs at four local schools, helped 454 low income earners with their income tax returns, and opened a new multi-lingual volunteer support program with assistance from the United Way, in addition to many, many other programs.

The number of people who benefited from SBNH programs included 3,100 children, 302 youth and 2,830 adults. There were a total of 293 volunteers who helped out and a total of 63,936 contacts were made with either those volunteers or staff.

The entire board of directors were reelected, including Mills, vice-chair Blair Fryer, treasurer Gladys Brundett, secretary Harman Pandher, and at-large members Lila Caldera, Dan Chapman, Harminder Sanghera, Surrinder Singh and Ava Turner. The lone new board member is Dina Tabuzzo.

"My first year as chair has been a rewarding and fulfilling one," Mills wrote in her annual report. "I am proud of what has been accomplished and the challenges that lie ahead."

BUSY WITH FILM

Gabriela Schonbach has to be the busiest documentary producer in Burnaby.

Her most recent work, Quiet Mind, Meditation for Real Life, is currently playing on Vision TV, while she prepares for several other projects that are expected to hit the airwaves in the coming months.

Each episode of Quiet Mind looks at one of six different forms of mediation - Hatha yoga, Metta mediation, healing Qijong, Zen Buddhism, Miksang photography and Christian mediation - through the eyes of an acknowledge master of the craft.

The series was filmed in Vancouver, Halifax, San Francisco, Manila and Singapore, and is billed as the first series co- production between Canada and Singapore.

While most of the series has already aired, the episodes on Miksang photography run tonight, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m., and the final installment on Christian mediation runs next Saturday, Dec. 6 also at 7:30 p.m.

Soon after this series is complete, Schonbach will wrap up her next project - The Daniel Igali Story, a profile of the world champion and former SFU wrestler. That documentary is expected to be broadcast on the CBC's Life and Times in March 2004.

Schonbach is also working on a much-anticipated documentary based on the book Weird Sex and Snowshoes, written by Vancouver Sun film critic and CBC commentator Katherine Monk.

"I know it sounds strange, but I've assembled a really strong team for doing Weird Sex," she says in one of the more interesting press releases to cross this desk all year.