Treat yourself and your partner to a glamorous evening inspired by the nightlife of Shanghai in the 1930s, the golden era when the city was known as the Paris of the Orient, June 8 at the Delta Ocean Pointe Hotel.
Meet Me in Shanghai is both a fundraiser and the 25th anniversary gala of the Victoria Dragon Boat Society.
At the event, guests will be transported back in time to the Dragon Club at the heyday of the era, with live jazz, dancing, fine fashions, traditional street-style dining, cocktails and a gambling den. Suggested attire is Asian-inspired/1930s reception style.
Slip into your finest Qipao (for the ladies) or your best suit and hat to celebrate the Double Fifth Festival (fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar) for an indulgent evening to celebrate.
Proceeds from the event will support of the upcoming Victoria Dragon Boat Festival, which will showcase the multicultural communities of Victoria.
Tickets are $130. Doors open at 6 p.m. Saturday June 8 at Delta Ocean Pointe Hotel, 100 Harbour Rd. For all event inquiries, please contact Jennifer at [email protected] or purchase tickets online at .
Victoria book prizes accepting entries
Submissions are being accepted for two Victoria Book Prize Society awards 鈥� the $5,000 City of Victoria Butler Book Prize and the $5,000 Victoria Children鈥檚 Book Prize.
The prizes showcase the literary achievements of authors and illustrators who make Greater Victoria their home. The City of Victoria Butler Book Prize is awarded to a local author for the best work of fiction, literary non-fiction or poetry published in the preceding year.
The children鈥檚 book prize is awarded to an author or illustrator of children鈥檚 or youth literature.
The Victoria Book Prize Society is a volunteer-run organization that establishes the policy and criteria for the prizes, appoints the juries and administers the competitions.
Books must have been published between April 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019, to qualify. The deadline for submissions is May聽22.
For applications and guidelines, go to or .
Welcome spring at annual聽garden sale
It鈥檚 time once again for the Shelbourne Community Kitchen鈥檚 Garden Sale, Saturday, May 4 at St. Aidan鈥檚 Church, Saanich.
This is the third year of the annual fundraiser, which features a selection of annuals, perennials and vegetable plants, garden tools, Mother鈥檚 Day gifts, up-cycled garden decor and other items for your garden. There will also be crafts for children.
The Shelbourne Community Kitchen is a community resource for individuals and families living on low incomes, who have difficulty finding sufficient nutritious food on a consistent basis.
The group provides small-group cooking, pantry and gardening programs, which encourage community building, while participants acquire food skills and learn how to find nutritious food affordably.
Free admission. The sale runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Aidan鈥檚 Church, 3703 St. Aidan鈥檚 St., Saanich.
For more information, go to .
Wilson company backs聽autism group
Wilson Sporting Goods recently announced a partnership with Autism Speaks, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to the needs of people with autism and their families.
Under the partnership, Wilson will create limited-edition baseball products to raise awareness of autism. Wilson will also donate $100,000 this year to Autism Speaks to increase advocacy and support, provide information and resources and advance research into causes and better interventions.
An estimated one in 59 children are affected by autism. Autism Speaks is dedicated to enhancing lives today and accelerating a spectrum of solutions for tomorrow.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to embark on this relationship with Wilson and are truly grateful for this support,鈥� said Lisa Goring, Autism Speaks strategic initiatives and innovations officer. 鈥淭his partnership will help us meet the diverse needs of people with autism, through every stage of life.鈥�
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and nonverbal communication.
For more information, go to .
Bring empties to聽help聽Cool Aid
Your empties become filled with hope at the Bottle Depot Drive for Cool Aid, throughout the month of May.
Simply place your refundable bottles and cans in the yellow and blue charity bins found outside the company鈥檚 three outlets during May.
The money raised will help provide affordable housing, health, dental care, employment programs, nutritious meals and healthy recreation for Victoria鈥檚 vulnerable.
The charity bins are located at 655 Queens Ave., 3961 Quadra St. and 4261 Glanford Ave.
For more information, go to .
Poetry will focus on聽nature
Enjoy an evening of poetry that focuses on society鈥檚 relationship with nature at the Green Muse, Tuesday at the Greater Victoria Public Library鈥檚 Central Branch.
The event is hosted by City of Victoria poet laureate John Barton in celebration of National Poetry Month.
Barton will host a reading by local poets Sonnet L鈥橝bb茅, Philip Kevin Paul and former Victoria poet laureate Yvonne Blomer.
The poetry will highlight humanity鈥檚 complicated relationship with the environment, nature鈥檚 enduring resilience yet precarious future and its role as a constant source of inspiration.
The event is a partnership between the City of Victoria and the Greater Victoria Public Library, with support from the sa国际传媒 Council for the Arts and the League of Canadian Poets.
Free admission. The event runs 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30 at the Central Branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library, 735 Broughton St.
For more information, go to .
Students will build houses in Mexico
A group of Oak Bay High School students are hosting Jail or Bail, their first major fundraiser to pay for a trip to build houses in Mexico, Saturday, May 4, at the Bay Centre.
The 36 students will be journeying to Vincente Guerrero, Baja, Mexico, to participate in the Live Different program during spring break in 2020.
The program allows high school students to provide practical assistance to those living in extreme poverty. The goal of this trip is to develop the students鈥� leadership skills, while allowing them to see first hand how two-thirds of the world lives. It gives them the opportunity to make a difference and become educators on world poverty by sharing their experiences back at home.
Jail or Bail is where members of the community volunteer to be picked up by the Oak Bay Police Department and escorted to a jail constructed at the Bay Centre. Each jailed participant is sentenced by a judge and put in jail (complete with an inmate costume, fake tattoos, etc.).
The inmate is allowed unlimited phone calls in order to raise their bail amount. Once it is raised, the judge will grant their release.
During their time in Mexico, the students will build two houses. Each house costs $7,500, which means a minimum of $15,000 must be raised to pay for the supplies.
Along with building the homes, students will be spending time with local families observing daily routines that will assist in聽expanding their global perspective.
For more information, contact聽Chloe Strong at [email protected].
United Way honours major donors
Last week, United Way Greater Victoria recognized the generous nature of workplaces, organizations and individual donors at its annual Spirit Awards.
In 2018, more than 200 workplaces ran United Way fundraising campaigns, raising $4.7 million to support an inclusive community.
The funds help more than 100 programs that support about 80,000 vulnerable individuals when and where they need it most.
Proceeds support solutions to issues such as mental health and addictions, child poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, unemployment, domestic violence and seniors鈥� isolation.
Altogether, 13 United Way Spirit Awards were presented.
The most prestigious award, the Chair鈥檚 Award of Distinction, was given to Mark Lovick, of RBC Royal Bank. The award showcases an individual for extraordinary commitment to United Way鈥檚 community campaign through the workplace and individual giving.
Seaspan-Victoria Shipyards became an inductee into the Thanks a Million Club. This was achieved by exceeding $1 million in cumulative giving since starting its workplace campaign.
For more information, or a full list of winners, go to .
Dry grads get boost from聽campaign
Customers at sa国际传媒 Liquor Stores again helped graduating Grade 12 students, raising more than $280,000 as part of the stores鈥� annual Support Dry Grad Campaign for alcohol-free graduation celebrations.
The funds were collected in March at 192 stores and will support dry-grad committees at more than 335 high schools in 55 school districts throughout the province.
鈥淓very year, we are blown away by the generosity of our customers and their fervour to get behind the Support Dry Grad campaign,鈥� said Blain Lawson, Liquor Distribution Branch general manager and CEO. 鈥淭he response is testament to the level of commitment from our customers and employees to keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors, and encouraging them to participate in safe, fun and memorable graduation celebrations.鈥�
The campaign has raised more than $7.1 million since its inception in 2001.
Organized by students, parents and schools, dry-grad events allow students to celebrate in a fun, alcohol-free environment. Examples of alcohol-free graduation events planned include dances and karaoke contests.
More information can be found .
It鈥檚 time again to聽Hike聽for聽Hospice
Lace up your shoes, put on your sandals, gather a team of friends and family, challenge your co-workers or join as an individual at the Hike for Hospice, Sunday, May 5 at Fisherman鈥檚 Wharf Park.
This is the eighth year of the annual fundraising event, which benefits the Victoria Hospice and helps support end-of-life care in the community.
The event is a scenic 3.5-kilometre loop that takes participants from the Inner Harbour to the waterfront and back again.
The route is accessible for all ages and abilities. Participants are also invited to honour the memory of a loved one at the community event.
Check in opens at 9, with the hike starting at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 5 at Fisherman鈥檚 Wharf Park, James Bay.
To register, or for more information, go to .
