ANKORS Blog

ANKORS thanks everyone for helping make the 17th annual AIDS Walk such a wonderful success. It would not have been the same without you.

SIGHTS:
a beautiful day, provided by the lovely Kootenays … thank you for not raining, thereby breaking a several year tradition of rain for the walk.

SOUNDS:
Eddy Music for the PA system (Chloe for delivering it to the park and Frank for setting it up), Moving Mosaic Samba Band for getting us to the park with good rhythm and a party atmosphere, White Lightning Blues Band for the great music while we ate such yummy food (getting to that next), AND Amberstar Pyper for the song … it’s always a pleasure to hear you sing.

MORE SOUNDS … OUR WONDERFUL GUEST SPEAKERS:
Alex Atamanenko, MP BC Southern Interior; Michelle Mungall, MLA Nelson-Creston; Cynthia Quinn-Young for the Grans To Grans; Karen Leman, ANKORS Support and Outreach Worker.

TASTES:
Amanda’s restaurant for the burgers, the Kootenay Baker for the buns, Kootenay Co-op for the veggie burgers and dogs, buns and condiments, Oso Negro for the amazingly good coffee and Burl from the IBEW for the coffee urns, Remedy’s Pharmacy for the water to keep us all well hydrated along the way, Save-on Foods for the grocery gift card, Safeway for the grocery gift card, Extra Foods for the grocery gift card and Walmart for the gift card with which we bought the plates, cups and cutlery.

TOUCHED … BY THE GENEROSITY OF THOSE WHO DONATED PRIZES AND SILENT AUCTION ITEMS:
Araya Day Spa, Beyond the Fringe, Community Acupuncture Clinic, Cowan Office Supplies, Deanna McClure RMT, Enso Hair Design, Erik Treijs RMT, Eryn Prospero Pottery (beautiful mug), Global Underground, Love of Shiva, Main Street Diner, Malcolm Elliott RMT, Maplerose, Max & Irma’s Restaurant, Michael Kirby RMT, Mountain Baby, Mountain Waters Spa, NDCC (2 swim passes), Otter Books, Outer Clove Café, Secret Garden, Still Eagle, Thor’s Pizza, Thru the Looking Glass, Vadim Kristopher Hair Salon and Waves Hair Design.

VOLUNTEERS (we couldn’t do it without you!):
Heather, Maxx and all the folks who helped at the registration; Tara for doing the warm-up, David Boyd for saying an opening blessing, all the marshalls who kept us safe along the way: Rob, Joshua, Kirk, Tara, Serge and Carmen; Don Crowe and the cooking crew: Brad, Drew, Glen, Ingrid, Richard, Jason and Malcolm.

OTHERS:
Nelson Fire Department for hanging the AIDS Walk banner, City of Nelson for the street barricades, Nelson & District Community Complex for the use of the Rotary shelter and BBQ at Lakeside Park, Nelson City Police for the escort,

And to anyone whom i have missed: we thank you and appreciate you even if we have somehow neglected to record your name here.

What a marvelous community we are all part of … Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Please rush down to 101 Baker for your very own free SAVE THE DATE  AIDS Walk for Life 2011 fridge magnet!!  Check the ANKORS website for more information on the AIDS Walk.

These are our wonderful sponsors for our up coming event the 72 Hour Art Slam!!  Time is ticking to register for this incredible and exiting event!  All artists, artistic types, musicians, theatre folks, writers,  poets, performers, can participate to create a piece of art, music, sculpture, weaving, poem, picture, performance, you name it with chance of winning $250 1st prize, $150 2nd prize, and $50 for third!!  The 72 hours starts on August 19th with an inspiration package and runs over the weekend to August 22nd.  On August 26th we will host the Grand Art Exhibition of all pieces created down at the Prestige Resort Hotel here in Nelson where the public will vote on their favourite pieces.   The event will feature wine and cheese, art works, and performances starting at 7pm.  To register please call 250-505-5506 and speak to Carmen or Brahm at ANKORS to get your registration package, or download from our blog (http://ankorsblog.inthekoots.com/2011/07/21/72-hour-art-slam-registration-form-plus-rules-regulations/)!  All monies raised through this event will go to the AIDS Walk (Saturday, September 17th) which supports people living with HIV/AIDS here in the Kootenay Boundary.

72 Hour Registration Form

72 Hour Art Slam Rules & Regulations

Please click the links above to download or print off the 72 Hour Art Slam Registration Form and also to read the Rules and Regulations for the contest.  If you have any questions please contact Carmen or Brahm at 250-505-5506.  All participants need to register by the latest August 19th at the orientation meeting down here at ANKORS 101 Baker St. Nelson!  Please read our article on the particulars of the competition fundraiser at:

http://ankorsblog.inthekoots.com/2011/07/13/ankors-72-hour-art-slam/

The unveiling 72 Hour Art Slam Event will be held August 26th at The Prestige Hotel Resort in Nelson.  Please stay tuned for details….

http://ankorsblog.inthekoots.com/2011/07/19/72-art-slam-artist-call-poster/

This summer at ANKORS, we are planning an innovative and exciting event called a 72 Hour Art Slam. An art slam is an art competition—with a twist. Purely relying on creativity, originality, endurance and caffeine, teams or individuals will have 72 hours to create and submit an original piece of artwork. Participants can submit a film, poetry, theatre, song, painting, sculpture, dance—any type of artist expression. The only rules are the theme and prop (as given at the kick-off meeting) must be present in the final product, and the deadline is absolute. There will be CASH PRIZES ($250 for first place, $150 for second place and $50 for third place!).

The competition will be held Friday August 19th to Monday August 22nd here in Nelson BC. There will then be a Showcase event with all of the art on Friday, August 26th. So even if you do not participate in the competition, be sure to come to the Showcase at the Prestige Resort Hotel in Nelson for an inspiring evening!

The principal objective of this event is to address the social issues and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in our community, while celebrating artists and art in our community. 100% of the money raised from the event goes to supporting individuals affected by HIV/AIDS, such as subsidizing health care costs. However, this event also aims to join the community together through art. By keeping the event parameters open, we hope to draw all different genres of art and artists.

This promises to be an exciting, inspiring and multidisciplinary event that will resemble a major art opening and experience. Moreover, any participant who enters a tangible art piece will be given the option (by ‘given the option,’ we really mean strongly encouraged) to donate the art work to the silent auction at the Showcase–the artist will get 50% and 50% of the auction price will go to the ANKORS AIDS Walk for Life Fund!

We are encouraging everyone to enter, and be part of Nelson’s first ever Art Slam. Tell your friends who may be interested as well!

There is also a $20 entry fee to the competition. However, this entry fee is really a donation to the ANKORS AIDS Walk Fund, and is tax deductable. If you are unable to pay this fee, we have set up a scholarship in which participants can apply to and try to have their entry fee covered. Moreover, if you are wanting to participate in the event, but not enter the contest, the entry fee is $15.

For more information, or to register, contact Carmen or Brahm at aids-walk@ankors.bc.ca or 250.505.5506. We look forward to your entries!

A HUGE thanks to our sponsors: Columbia Basin Trust, Prestige Lakeside Resort & Ric’s Grill, and Nelson Brewing Company!

The night of Saturday August 14th was an incredible night filled with music, comedy, silent auction action, and commenced with the naming of our “2010 AIDS Walk For Life” winning theme song.  Titled “I Don’t Dance Alone”, the winning song was passionately written and performed by the one and only Amberstaar Pyper.  All of the theme song entries were solid tunes written by a talented group of singer songwriters.  Beautiful melodies each and everyone, drawing inspiration from a variety of styles.  We had artists representing blues, folk, rocknroll, hiphop, electropop, jazzy, funk, and Baltic Roma brass. 

The finalists

Amberstaar PyperWhat a crowd!!

What a crowd!!

 There were sing-a-long songs (Meg Stewart’s “Rainbows All Around Us”), songs that brought tears to our eyes, songs that rocked out (The Black Albino’s), and songs that taught us something.  Amberstaar’s winning song “I Don’t Dance Alone”,  took the night and the contest with the most heart felt and powerful performance from lyric to melody.  With the support of our sponsors Oso Negro Coffee, The Nelson Brewing Company, Eddie Music, Big Cranium Design, The Hume Hotel, plus all the business’s that donated items to our silent auction, and our audience of just under a 100 people, brought our fundraising total to $2700!  Thank-you Nelson for your incredible support.

For more coverage check out Bill’s Blog: www.bill.inthekoots.com