Tonight! JTMF West Artists For Life!

Great Artists, Great Party, Great Cause! JTMF Artists for Life - May 4th at the Citadel Club

This Saturday Night I will joining friends and community members at the annual JTMF Artists for Life event.  This will be the third year I've gone (I missed the first year because I was in a show) and I am looking forward to it.  It is the brainchild of Top 40 Under 40 Joyce LaBriola who formed the satellite organization as a offshoot from the original JTMF that she was a founding member of years before in New Jersey. Anyhow, it's a great cause and a GREAT PARTY!  This year the event has moved to the Citadel Club and I am looking forward to celebrating and raising money for a good cause in the new digs!

JTMF West is a local arts organization, created with the mandate of raising funds for HIV/AIDS and LGBT youth support services. 2013 Artists for Life raises funds for HIV Edmonton, Camp fYrefly and YESS.

This year Wil is the featured artist. Named 2005 WCMA Entertainer of the Year and selected as the songwriter for Travel Alberta’s “Remember to Breathe” campaign, Wil uses his legendary live performances to develop a roots-rock sound and create a style that is honest, edgy and raw, yet achingly beautiful all at once. One such performance was written up by the Calgary Sun as having so much “power and soul it could stop your heart.”

After the show, hosted by Breakfast Television’s Bridget Ryan, attendees will enjoy a catered reception sponsored by Alley Kat Brewery and verleo interiors, a silent auction filled with items donated by local artists, and a post-show dance party by local star Audrey Ochoa and the Crashers, plus the DJ stylings of The Urban Monks and a special appearance by The Carolines.

Tickets are $50, which includes the full night of entertainment, catered reception and silent auction. VIP Tickets are available for $100 and include entry into a special prize draw to win a trip for 2 to Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and $1,000 in Fairmont Gift Cards, courtesy of Minsos Stewart Mason. A silent auction rife with donated art from local artists completes the evening.

Fans may also purchase $20 tickets for the dance party only.

Doors open @ 6:30pm. WiL takes the stage at 7:00pm, Audrey Ochoa & The Crashers @ 9:15pm.

What I love about this event is that not only are you raising money for some really great causes, but it is a fabulous party.  It is never the same twice because the line-up changes yearly and it supports both Artists and those in need. There are a few VIP tickets left (but not many) so I recommend you get them now! There are also some great options if you can't afford the VIP tickets, so it is a very inclusive event. Oh, and did I mention the Open Wine Bar? I suppose it's bad if I say that's my favourite part...

JTMF West - Artists For Life

I had a great time for a great cause on Saturday Night.  JTMF West held it's 3rd Annual Artists for Life event at the Catalyst Theatre.  The theme was divas and the entertainment was fabulous.  We were treated to musical sets from Lindsay Walker, Lesley Pelletier and The Fab Tiff Hall; Send in the Girls showed us pretty much everything with their sizzling burlesque routines; Three lovely ladies from Rapid Fire Theatre made it on the spot with some improv; and we ended the evening with a whole lotta dancing to the Bridget Ryan Hare Band Experience.  Best of all, the charity raised a lot of money for HIV Edmonton and Camp Fyrefly.  So great to have such a fun evening helping people!

* This marks #23 in my 2012 theatrical goal - I count it because of the kinds of things I saw and I was in a theatre!

I'm On The Top of the World...

This weekend I travelled to Jasper with AM for a lovely weekend of rest and wine and lots of talking about the stuff of life.  It was delightful.  AM had won a wonderful prize at last year's JTMF Artist's For Life fundraiser for 2 nights at the Jasper Park Lodge (along with some other perks - it was a really great prize and is available for winning this year!). I was fortunate to be able to join her on the adventure.  We had enough discussions on the ride and at the Lodge about FinallySauces to make our plans for the company for the next year. We saw Elk and Deer and Sheep and Coyotes and Canada Geese galore.  We took lots of pictures of the beautiful mountains. We sang along to the piano during dinner and were applauded by a table of Australians that we did not know were listening.  We drank wine and ate fabulous food.  We walked and shopped and napped and read. I got my hair cut and love it.  I drove there and back and we talked... lots.  It was wonderful.  There was something about the air, something about the mountains,  something about running into a pair of Elk on the way home after a gourmet dinner, something about the staff who addressed AM as milady as he brought in our luggage... there was something wonderful about the whole weekend...