Dear GayCalgary,
Thank you very much for the generous sponsorship we received from GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine. This year’s Femme Fatale Carnivale and the 10th Anniversary production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues were the most successful season to date, thanks in no small part to GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine!
The exact funds raised for local charities helping to end violence against women and girls is still being counted, but we can tell you this much... thanks to the generosity of local businesses like yourselves, Urban Barn, and Clairify Communications the event was a huge success and we raised more money, and reached more people than we ever have in previous years.
Vagina friendly Urban Barn donated three beautiful chairs and ottomans that were raffled off at each show, helping us raise almost $4,000.00 on raffle items alone. And thanks to increased levels of advertising from publications like yours, our total audience at both events reach almost 2000 members. Thanks Steve, thanks Rob, and thanks to the ever popular, vagina friendly, GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine!
Most sincerely,

Shone Abet
Co-Producer & Team Vagina Coach
Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues


Dear GayCalgary,
Thank-you for your support in the debut launch of GirlsGroove. WOW! It was a sold out crowd of over 400 women! An amazing and beautiful sight to see. How lovely to experience the shared energy of women groovin’ up the dance floor. Ladies, if you want to be informed of upcoming events, join the GirlsGroove Facebook group. Stay tuned for the next one which will hopefully be in June.
Also, a big thank-you to Val and Nancy for being at the front table for me, to DJ Hottboxxx for coming out from Saskatoon to spin, to those who helped bus tables when it was so super busy, for the folks who emailed and facebooked to spread the word, and for all your wonderful acknowledgement of how much fun you had. I am still swirling with the joy of it all.
Sincerely,
Sherri Olsen
www.girlsgroove.ca
www.sherriolsen.com


Dear GayCalgary,
I just recently hosted the St. Patrick’s Day Auction at The Texas Lounge this past March 14th, 2008 and wanted to say thank you to all who were in attendance that helped make a difference within our community. Sean Hogan has organized this event the last 3 years to be in conjunction with his birthday party. Instead of gifts for himself he would rather take the time to make a difference. This I feel is probably the best gift one could receive.
In the past years he has only raised just over $1000.00 per event, with 100% of the proceeds going to help Beswick House. This year he approached me to be his host and asked if I felt we could better the donation. I felt we could, so I agreed to set forth on the challenge. We had a good turn out that night, although I had hoped for more people, but the small crowd proved to be one with big hearts and were willing to dig deep for the cause. Within the first 15 minutes of the auction we had reached our first $1000.00 and kept the ball rolling from there. By about 9pm we had doubled that amount. At 10pm when all was done we had a donation of over $3400.00 for Beswick House.
I just want to take the time to thank The Texas Lounge for allowing the event to happen. I find it amazing how such a small venue always seems to have people with the biggest hearts. Kudos to you all!!
Also a big thank you to: all the sponsors, without you we could not have pulled this off; to Doug L. and CoCo for donating their time to help make a difference; and to Sean Hogan for knowing how to make a birthday party such a worthwhile time and not just another drunk fest.
I also need to thank the most important people of all from that night which is the community of Calgary for caring so much. I tip my wig to you all!!
Until next year,
kisses & huggz
MYSTARE


Dear Editor;
Every year, I as Executive Chair of Artists For Quality of Life, have an opportunity to celebrate our fundraising efforts and award community members who were instrumental for our success. Each year a different venue has been selected, and this year it was The Backlot. But how do you make it into a show bar? With one phone call we got the never-ending support of Glenn Hurst, DJ Music Services, and then we had sound. Todd Clarke and Mz. Toni organized decorations and the stage from Ideal Rentals. Then came the live video feed to all TV monitors, also videotaped by GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine.
Top it all off with silent auction items, prizes, food from Fiore’s and Manies Pizza plus champagne donated by 4th Street Liquor (not to mention performances by Kiwi, Mz. Toni, Dynamite, Wolfgang and Nina Tron, and even myself) and we’ve got more than a show bar - we’ve got a Gala Celebration!
The Plaques for 2007 were awarded to: AFQOL Executive Council: David Patten (Finance), Doug Langille (Volunteers), Tony MacLean (Executive Assistant), Eric Jackson (Entertainment), Grant Lockie (Sound God), Bernie Mathieson (Special Events), Gary Sloan (Graphics Guru), Kurtis Cronk (Prizing), Ashley Pet’s Division, Jami Symons Stylists Chair, and Scott Clark (Resident Artist).
Sponsors: Barb Stein (Uptown 17 BRZ), GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine (Multi-Media Sponsor), Glenn Hurst (DJ Music Services), and event sponsors Money Pennies, The Backlot, and Twisted Element (Hat Trick Award for sponsoring 3 fundraisers).
Special Awards: ISCCA (for their continuous support ), Dynamite and Wolfgang (Imperial Support), Cory (Beyond the call of Duty Award), Todd Clarke (Incredible Support Award), Kiwi Stevens (Lifetime Achievement Award), Krazay Steve (DJ Extraordinaire), Argentina (AFQOL Never Forgets Award).
And the Huston White Hatter Award (for superior commitment) went to Empress Lonnie Starlight.
I’d like to thank Kiwi for flying out from Vancouver to handle co-hosting duties, Coco for multi tasking beyond belief, Outlooks for their continuous support and presence at the Gala, and especially, RJ and Cliff for Twisted Element matching our Gala fundraising efforts with a cash donation. Also, the support of Barbie’s Shop, Texas Lounge/Goliath’s, Deva Dave, Ricardo at The Fixx, Ginger Group (especially Kevin), Richard and Jim from Priape, Fred at Country Furniture, U Frame It, and sorry if I missed anyone.
The support of the community for AFQOL never ceases to make us smile. Thank you, each and every one of you who give what you can, and who do what you can, to make a difference in the lives of people less fortunate than us.
Keep it up Calgary!

Linda Huston Eckess
Executive Chair
Artists for Quality of Life