Variety - The Children’s Charity of British Columbia

Kids Coin Drive for Variety

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:20:00 -0800

The 9th annual Kids Coin Drive for Variety launched yesterday at the Variety offices in Burnaby! It was an incredible day - 9 of the families involved in the Coin Drive came out to share stories and fundraising tips. After the press conference, families and other attendees enjoyed a BBQ lunch in the sunshine and a performance by up and coming country singer AJ Woodworth.

Thanks to everyone who came together to make the day possible!

Help out these Coin Kids raise money for Variety by dropping off your coins at any MarketPlace IGA, BMO or Chevron around BC or at a host of other locations. You can also donate online. Click here for more info!

Photo: Heartly, Coin Kid Mackenzie and country singer AJ Woodworth

Hop on in Hope!

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:54:00 -0800

In September 2010, a group of dedicated White Rock Fire Fighters from Local 2407 will be cycling from Halifax, Nova Scotia to White Rock, BC to raise funds for Variety! They will ride in a relay format and plan to complete the tour in less than two weeks.From now until their ride, the fire fighters from Local 2407 will be raising money by collecting pledges for their ride.

Now you can be a part of the ride and Hop on in Hope! Th...e Shore2Shore team is looking for other cyclists to ride the last leg of the trek with them, a 140km ride from Hope to White Rock. The Hope to White Rock ride will be on the final day of riding, Tuesday, September 21st. Start time will be 10am and is expected to finish by 4pm.

Participants should be experienced cyclists and able to maintain a pace of 25 km an hour. There will be brief stops every hour as well as a police escort the entire way to ensure the safety of all riders.

There are several options to get involved and join the ride. All levels of donors starting at $1,000, will receive a custom jersey and the opportunity to ride with the team. Donors of $2,500 and up qualify for the following women’s or men’s road bike: $2,500 – Allez X3/Dolce X3, $5,000 – Allez Sport/Dolce Sport V, $7,500 – Ruby Elite/Roubaix C2, $10,000 – Amira Comp /Tarmac, $50,000+ – Amira/Tarmac SL3 DA.

Interested cyclists must register by September 6th by contacting Tara Kurtz, Variety Special Events Coordinator at 604.320.0505 or tara.kurtz@variety.bc.ca. All proceeds go directly to Variety. The ride from Hope is supported by Specialized and Peninsula Cycles in White Rock.

Courtenay Radiothon

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:00:00 -0800

The 2nd Annual Courtenay/Campbell River Variety Children's Radiothon raised an amazing $32,008 (thousands more than last year!) for kids in the area who have special needs! A huge thank you to all of the donors, sponsors and volunteers who made this event the success that it was! See you next year!

Food Fight raises thousands!

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:30:00 -0800

Thanks to the droves of foodies who came down to the Vancouver Convention Centre yesterday for our newest fundraiser, Food Fight! The Battle for Brunch. It was great to see everyone coming together for delicious food and a very worth cause. Six Chefs from some our favourite restaurants participated in the event, bringing their best brunch dishes with them. Contenders were LIFT Bar & Grill, MARKET at Shangi-La, O'Douls Restaurant and Bar, River Rock Casino Resort, Tight-Na-Mara Seaside Resort and YEW Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Chef Eric Edwards of Tigh-Na-Mara in Parksville, with his delicious Warm Nanoose Edibles Spinach Salad and Sweet Potato Waffle with Pecan Compote was declared the Food Fight Champ! Runner up with Chef Oliver Beckert of YEW Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel who made an incredibel Crab and Poached Egg Sandwich and Donuts with Small Quenell of Chocolate Mascarpone.

Vancouver personality, Fred Lee, did a fabulous job as emcee and auctioneer. The event raised over $38,000 with almost $12,000 brought in through the live and silent auction alone.

A huge thank you to our sponors, MarketPlace IGA, the Vancouver Convention Centre and Flower Box as well as all participating restaurants, Emcee Fred Lee, Ray Shum of Tempest Photo and the dozens of volunteers who helped the event run so smoothly.

Prince George Radiothon

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:32:00 -0800

The Variety Children's Radiothon in Prince George has raised an incredible $45,063 in two days! What a supportive community. Thanks Prince George - all funds raised at the Radiothon will stay in your community to support children who have special needs and local organizations. Way to go!

Food Fight! The Battle for Brunch!

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:49:00 -0800

Food Fight! The Battle for Brunch, Variety's newest fundraiser, is coming up Sunday, June 27th at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The Executive Chefs from your favourite restaurants will be there so make sure you are too! Enjoy the delicious brunch offerings of each of the 8 chefs and bid on fantastic live and silent auction items. It is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and all proceeds benefit Variety!

Get your tickets now by clicking here or calling 604.320.0505.

Abbotsford Dance Showcase

Tue, 25 May 2010 15:47:00 -0800

Abbotsford Dance Centre presents the 4th Annual Dance Showcase for Variety - The Children's Charity. Come down to the Clarke Foundation Theatre at 3300 Prentis in Mission on Sunday, May 30th at 2:30pm to enjoy children's dancing from 20 different local dance schools. Call 604.855.7861 or email info@abbotsforddancecentre.org for more information. Tickets are $10 with all proceeds to Variety.

Kelowna Radiothon big success!

Thu, 20 May 2010 16:26:00 -0800

The 6th Annual Kelowna Variety Children's Radiothon aired last week, May 12th and 13th on Power 104FM and raised an incredible $27, 104 which beat last years total by a few thousand dollars! It is great to see a community come together and do something positive. All funds raised at the Kelowna Radiothon will stay in the area to help kids who have special needs and organizations that support children.

Our next stop is Prince George on June 23rd and 24th on 97FM The Wolf so tune in if you are in the area!

Miss World Canada and Miss World Teen Global

Mon, 10 May 2010 16:24:00 -0800

Miss World Canada and Miss World Teen Global works to empower young women to make a difference. As presenters of the pageant for the last six years, Upstage This! Productions has since raised close to $100,000 for children's charities.

This is a pageant with a purpose combining traditional elements with an emphasis on fundraising. The delegates are judged poise, confidence, interview skills, talent and 10% of their mark comes from their fundraising for Variety.

The 2010 event was held on Friday, May 7th at the Chandos Pattison Theatre in Surrey. Shayla Radli was crowned Miss Canada Teen Global and Denise Garrido was crowned Miss World Canada. A big congratulations to the winners and all of the delegates! Your fundraising efforts were truly incredible - Variety is so appreciative!

Pharmasave sells record amount of Gold Hearts!

Wed, 05 May 2010 13:48:00 -0800

Pharmasave Drugs has raised an incredible $37,000 for Variety through the sale of 2010 Gold Hearts! That is $7,000 more then last year's total which is a fantastic feat! Over the last 11 years, Pharmasave has raised $322,000 for Variety through Gold Hearts sales thanks to the amazing support of their stores and customers. A huge thanks to Pharmasave and their generous shoppers!

Upcoming Urban Variety Event!

Mon, 03 May 2010 09:31:00 -0800

Head down to the Lamplighter Public House at 7pm on May 18th and get involved in Urban Variety. Click here for more info.

Vernon Radiothon

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 02:15:00 -0800

LISTEN UP!

Way to go Vernon! You helped Variety raise $37,800 for kids in the area who have special needs! All funds raised stay in the community to support local families and organizations.

Next stop, Kelowna on May 12th and 13th on Power 104FM.

Miss World Canada and Miss World Teen Global

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 02:14:00 -0800

Miss World Canada and Miss World Teen Global

Miss World Canada and Miss World Teen Global works to empower young women to make a difference. As presenters of the pageant for the last six years, Upstage This! Productions has since raised close to $100, 000 for children's charities. The 2008 competition raised over $22,000 for Variety - The Children's Charity.

This is a pageant with a purpose combining traditional elements with an emphasis on fundraising. The delegates are judged poise, confidence, interview skills, talent and 10% of their mark comes from their fundraising successes. Upstage This! Productions takes great pride in making this event the most exciting, entertaining and affordable one of it's kind while still giving substantial donations to charity.

The event is being held on Friday, May 7th at the Chandos Pattison Theatre in Surrey. Tickets are $25 and available through Variety at 604.320.0505 or through Miss World Canada at www.missworldcanada.org or 778.994.4922.

Best of luck to all of this year's delegates in their strive for excellence and fundraising endeavours!

Volunteer Week

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 02:13:00 -0800

Thanks to Variety helpers during National Volunteer Week, April 18-24

Volunteers give of their time, their skills and their caring, without expecting anything back. They work toward change and the betterment of our communities and country.

Variety volunteers exemplify this definition, donating many hours of their free time to help in the office or run our fundraising events while providing an enthusiastic public face to an organization that cherishes its grassroots heritage.

In January over 2,700 volunteers helped at our Show of Hearts Telethon, contributing 8000+ hours of service over the weekend. Not surprisingly, our volunteers are often active in other ways and with other organizations in their communities.

The theme of National Volunteer Week 2010 is From Compassion to Action, a fitting tribute to people who take their compassion and transform it into action, one hour at a time. For Variety volunteers, it is not enough to feel sad that there are kids whose lives are difficult. They want to do something.

Visit www.volunteer.ca/nvw to watch an inspirational video on the effects that Canada's volunteers are having on this country.

"Volunteers are a force of nature and the backbone of social movement, change, funcation and development in Canada."

Heart Awards Dinner

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:13:00 -0800

Heart Awards Dinner

Please join us on Wednesday, June 9 at the River Rock Casino Resort — 8811 River Road, Richmond, BC, for an evening in celebration of Variety's volunteers and members who work tirelessly for children who have special needs.

Cocktail Reception ~ 6:00pm
Seated Dinner ~ 6:45pm
Dress ~ Business attire, black tie optional
Members ~ $75 per person, tables of ten ~ $750
Non-Members ~ $85 per person, tables of ten for the price of nine ~ $765
GST included, Visa and MasterCard accepted

Reservations are essential so please RSVP by May 20th. Tickets are available ONLINE or by calling the Variety office at 604.320.0505.

Masters of Ceremonies ~ Tammy Corness and Global BC’s Sophie Lui
Entertainment ~ “Elvis” aka Al Le Blanc
Door Prizes ~ Includes a one night stay for two at the River Rock!

Our generous partner, River Rock Casino & Resort offers two great packages to award dinner attendees.
Don’t feel like driving home? Stay the night for only $139 with your exclusive “Take the Elevator Home” room offer.
Please note that there are a limited number of rooms available.

2-for-1 Fun ~ Receive a “Buy 5 and Get 10 Coupon” redeemable at the River Rock Casino the night of the Awards Dinner

Food Fight!

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:10:00 -0800

Food Fight! The Battle for Brunch

Variety - The Children's Charity and MarketPlace IGA proudly present Food Fight! The Battle for Brunch, a brand new fundraising event bringing together BC's finest Chefs to create a delicious experience that will dazzle your senses! Each chef will try to win over your taste buds with their best brunch dish. Event guests will be able to enjoy each offering and will cast a ballot to declare one Chef the Food Fight champ!

We have a line up that is sure to please foodies of all ages and palate predilections! Among the contenders are Executive Chefs from LIFT Bar & Grill, MARKET at Shangri-La, O'Doul's, Stella's on Cambie, Subeez Cafe & Bar and Tigh-Na-Mara.

Sunday, June 27th from 11am - 2pm at the Vancouver Convention Centre, 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver

Tickets are $65 and available for purchase online or by calling the Variety office at 604.320.0505.

Text To Give Happiness!

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 02:10:00 -0800

This is truly a small donation for a big smile! Just in time for Mother's Day, do something special for Mom's across BC - donate to Variety and make a difference in the life of a child and their family. A quick and easy way to make a donation. Text the word KIDS to 45678 and $10 will be donated to Variety. It will be automatically added to your cell phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance.

Angel's Celebrity Charity Cookbook

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:09:00 -0800

Angel’s Celebrity Charity Cookbook benefits Variety - The Children’s Charity and Pediatric Care at three Vancouver Island Hospitals.

This cookbook contains recipes from well known celebrities and friends in the community who make a difference by fundraising and volunteering as a way to help others. Included in the book are Variety’s Vancouver Island Coin Kids, Angel, Hannah and Mackenzie as well as other kids who became superheroes as they fought life threatening medical battles. Also featured are up and coming athletes as well as young musical performers who are just stepping out into the music industry.

You can pick up your copy for a minimum donation of $35 at participating Pharmasave locations across the province as well as several other retailers. Visit Angel's Website for more information and the location nearest you.

Urban Variety Event

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:07:00 -0800

Urban Variety, a committee of Variety – The Children’s Charity designed to provide opportunities to young professionals and students to develop leadership skills and network while having fun and raising money, is having another event!

Where: The Academic, 1619 West Broadway (at Fir), Vancouver
When: Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 7pm
This is a gathering for members and anyone they would like to bring. Great opportunity to mingle and have fun!

If you are interested in getting involved in Urban Variety, contact youngvariety@variety.bc.ca

Radiothons

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:06:00 -0800

Variety Children’s Radiothons are annual events that introduce listeners to some of the children Variety has helped in various communities throughout British Columbia while raising money. All funds raised at each Radiothon stay in the community to support local families and children’s organizations. It is a fantastic opportunity for local businesses and families to get involved and help children in their area.

Radiothon's are truly community based events and their succes depends a great deal on local support. Whether donating your time or money, Variety cannot do it without your help. Radiothon volunteers are always needed so if you live in the following cities - Vernon, Kelowna, Prince George, Courtenay/Campbell River, Nanaimo or Kamloops, we will be coming to your town over the spring and summer. Click here for more information on dates.

Contact the volunteer service manager at 1.800.381.2040 or email volunteer@variety.bc.ca to get involved!