Chairs for Charity a HUGE Success

As Published in The Langley Advance
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
by Heather Colpitts
All photos by Healther Colpitts

No Sitting Down on the Job Here

Terry Smith

A new fundraising event could become an annual holiday tradition with the success of Chairs for Charity.

On Oct. 27, 19 chairs were auctioned off with the proceeds going to the Langley Christmas Bureau.

The brainchild of Carrie Thachuk of The Passionate Home store in Langley, the event featured vintage chairs decorated in various motifs and sold through either a live auction or silent auction.

"I had a goal of $1,800 [raised]," she said. The final tally came in at $2,550 which will help the bureau make Christmas brighter for children whose families could not otherwise afford to provide them with gifts.

Carrie Thachuk, owner of The Passionate Home

Thachuk custom painted 15 of the chairs, a staffer did another three and Furniture and Upholstery donated the upholstering work. The chairs had been donated.
Organizers lined up support and tailored the chairs to specific themes. There was the Langley Rivermen chair and several from the Langley Starbucks, as well as local businesses. Celebrities Gabrielle Miller (of Corner Gas) and Cari Cucksey (of Cash and Cari) also lent their support to a chair apiece.

Maryanne Lechleiter from Urban Life Media collecting the silent auction bid sheets

Two bidders sharing a laugh

Local artist Lucy Adams even provided a matching painting along with her custom chair.
The fundraiser was a great deal of work but now that Thachuk has had time to sit and think, she's looking at having this event again in the future.She said those attending the auction helped make the decision. "People can't wait for next year," Thachuk said. "I think we're going to do it again."

hcolpitts@langleyadvance.com

1 Fish 2 Fish Fresh Seafood Market Celebrates Sustainability

For Immediate Release:  October 28, 2011

Langley, BC: As the first fish market in the Vancouver area to join the Ocean Wise™ program in 2009; to Heather Jenkins and her staff at 1 Fish 2 Fish Fresh Seafood Market, protecting and sustaining seafood and fish stocks has always been a top priority. With overfishing continuing to threaten our oceans today, Jenkins and her team are set to raise awareness about the Ocean Wise™ conservation program by celebrating Ocean Wise month with the 2nd annual Sip and Slurp event on Thursday, November 17th.

While throwing a party seems an odd way to turn the tide on overfished or depleted seafood and fish stocks, Jenkins thinks the best way is to lead by example and show customers and guests how delicious and accessible sustainable seafood is in the lower mainland. “We are proud to be an Ocean Wise partner and look forward to a great evening with our customers filled with award winning wines, Ocean Wise hors d’oeuvres and a raw Oyster bar.”

“In British Columbia we are fortunate to live along a coast line that provides us with a fish and seafood bounty unlike many,” remarked Jenkins “With more than 400 known species of marine fish living in the ocean waters off our coast, enjoying the bounty can sometimes come with negative impacts like pollution and an altered ecosystem.” Jenkins’ hopes that by hosting the event customers and guests leave having experienced a local and sustainable selection of Ocean Wise™ options that are available to them.

The 2nd annual Sip and Slurp event will be a fantastic evening with a collection of seafood hors d’oeuvres and wines, but it will also be informative with a display of Ocean Wise™ products, recipes, oyster shucking and cooking demonstrations. To Jenkins, it is about sharing with the public that 1 Fish 2 Fish value where their products come from and how they arrive in the market. “Ultimately we want our guests to have a great time, but to leave more knowledgeable about how the seafood they purchase impacts our oceans and rivers.”

Last year’s event sold out quickly and was a huge success. “We haven’t even started selling tickets yet and customers are asking if we will be hosting an event again this year,” notes Jenkins. “We expect tickets will go quickly, so stop in or give us a call to reserve yours!” Tickets will be available starting Saturday, October 29th for $30 through 1 Fish 2 Fish Fresh Seafood Market and include an evening of Ocean Wise™ creations expertly created by Mizuna Culinary, wines and pairings by Township 7 Vineyards and Winery and guest Oyster shucker and producer, Rob Tyrone most fondly known by his Ocean Wise™ certified Effingham Oysters.

1 Fish 2 Fish Fresh Seafood Market has been serving the local community for over 13 years, providing chemical free, wild and sustainable seafood choices for their customers. A proud supporter of the Nickomekl Enhancement Society, an organization dedicated to protecting and restoring wild Salmon stocks in the Fraser Valley, and certified Ocean Wise™ partner, 1 Fish 2 Fish Fresh Seafood Market is open 7 days a week with a seafood selection that is the best in the lower mainland.

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Media Contact:
Kristine Carrick
Urban Life Media
Office: (604) 510.5456  Mobile: (604) 831.2598
Email: kristine@urbanlifemedia.ca

The Passionate Home makes the Homepage of House & Home Online

Carrie Thachuk, owner of The Passionate Home in Langley, British Columbia has become one of only three stockist in the province of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

Canadian House & Home blogger, Beth Edwards, also recently discovered Annie Sloan Chalk Paint during a trip to the Cotswolds and upon her return saw the press release that Urban Life Media distributed on behalf of The Passionate Home. Imagine Carrie's surprise when her photo and shop information was featured front and centre in Beth's blog post (as shown below). Click here to visit the blog post on House & Home.

Electric Drag Racing Truck Visits Global TV

The automotive students at Delta Secondary School have built Canada's first electric drag racing truck which they took to the track at Mission Raceway to set Canada's speed record for an electric drag racing vehicle.

Urban Life Media reached out to Global TV and when the morning producer heard about the story they invited Instructors Casey Mynott, Duncan Cowan and student Emery Pope down to the studio for a visit. They chatted outside with Sophie Lui (thankfully the rain held off just long enough) and Katelyn got to take the truck for a spin.

Thanks so much for having us Global TV!

They were also featured in a story in the South Delta Leader on Friday, October 7, 2011.

Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu visits Social Media Week Vancouver

Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu visited the Social Media Week Vancouver conference on the day of his first "Tweet the Chief" session to field questions from engaged citizens.

Chief Chu sat with @beeTraveler (twitter) for a few minutes to get his point of view. It was picked up by CNN ireport today...

 

Click here to view the clip

This is a great video of Mark from Amuse Consulting talking about the power of social media, particularly Twitter.

This was filmed by Tracey from Moenby Media at the Leading Women in Social Media Mashup at the ING Cafe in Vancouver during Social Media Week Vancouver.

Social Media Week Vancouver Closes in on 2,000 Participants

For Immediate Release, September 17, 2011

Vancouver, BC – Vancouver’s largest and most comprehensive social media conference, Social Media Week Vancouver, has wrapped up the week with 2,000 registered attendees. Not your traditional conference, Social Media Week Vancouver provides free event access for registered participants through a distributed conference platform. Canada’s only host city for the fall conference, events are slated to start at 9am Monday, September 19th.

Held for the first time in New York City in early 2009, Social Media Week is a global platform that connects people, content and conversations around emerging trends in social and mobile media. Vancouver is one of twelve global locations hosting the now, bi-annual conference.

“The response leading into the weekend has been fantastic,” says Shane Gibson, co- founder, Socialized! Ltd. and event co-organizer. “We expect more registrations as we set to kick things off with the Blogging summit at 9am on Monday morning.”

If you haven’t heard about Social Media Week Vancouver yet and aren’t registered, you can still get in on the action. “People interested in checking out parts of the conference can jump online and sign themselves up,” notes Anthony Caridi, President and co-founder of Socialized! Ltd. “The best part about this conference is that there are topics that everyone will find relevant.”

New to social media? Interested in harnessing the power of social media for good and not evil? Events ranges range from the basic Social Media 101 to the Social Good summit, an event that brings together local influencers who have used social media to build communities around culture, non-profit and sustainable initiatives.

When we asked co-organizer, Shane Gibson what excited him most about the start of Social Media Week Vancouver he had this to say, “We have some exciting speakers who are presenting at our Enterprise 2.0 summit on Friday, the final day of the conference. Attendees will hear first hand from executives from leading companies that are using social media to transform the way they lead, market and manage their organizations.”
Bring your favourite techy tool to capture the day; Enterprise 2.0 summit boasts a packed agenda that includes keynote speaker, Eric Weaver, VP and Social Business Strategy and evANTgelist for Ant Eye View, and wraps up with a CEO panel that includes Jeff Booth of BuildDirect.com, George Moen of Blenz Coffee and Amielle Lake, CEO Tagga Media.
To learn more about Social Media Week Vancouver (SMWV) connect with us through www.socialmediaweek.org/vancouver or on Twitter @SMWVAN #SMWVAN and Facebook.

Socialized! Ltd. is Vancouver’s premier social media marketing agency leading the way in helping organizations to be fully socialized and independently able to navigate and prosper within the social web. Our practices and methodologies are based upon Shane Gibson’s books Sociable! ‐ How Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Up-side Down and Guerrilla Social Media Marketing co-authored with Stephen Jagger and Jay Conrad Levinson respectively. Socialized! delivers a variety of solutions that help organizations harness the power of social media including assessments, training and coaching by our team or social media presentations at conferences by our Chief Social Officer Shane Gibson.

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Media contact:
Kristine Carrick,
Urban Life Media
T: (604) 510-5456
C: (604) 831-2598
E: kristine@urbanlifemedia.ca

McBurney Junction adds to the Junction Family

September 16, 2011
For Immediate Release

Vancouver, BC: The ever evolving lifestyle store, McBurney Junction Furniture and Interiors has added to their Junction family with the launch of their new online store www.RebelJunction.com. Rebel Junction is North America’s first authorized online retailer of the popular German jewellery line, Thomas Sabo.

With the introduction of the famed jewellery line, through their Langley, BC based shop-in-shop boutique last December, the launch of their online retail location was a natural step. “The response we have received from our in-store and online customers has been fantastic,” says Karla Barton, Founder and President of McBurney Junction and CEO of Rebel Junction. “Our goal is to offer Thomas Sabo jewelry lovers an VIP shopping experience through a trusted online retailer.”

No stranger to creating a quality online shopping experience, McBurney Junction and their Junction brands also includes an additional online retail store, Charm Junction. Charm Junction launched in early 2010 and is one of Canada’s premier online shopping destinations for Pandora Jewellery. “We represent these trend-setting jewellery lines with great pride,” notes Barton. “Providing our customers with first class customer service and sales support is where we stand above other online retailers.”

The online Junction brands provides customers 7 day a week customer care support, flat rate shipping, 30 day hassle free returns and never charge a restocking fee. As an authorized Thomas Sabo reseller, the Rebel Junction online boutique offers collectors a unique opportunity to shop an extensive selection of Thomas Sabo collections including their sterling silver and watch collections, with an exclusive online shopping experience. Shoppers from Canada, the United States and the UK can browse each of the three Thomas Sabo jewellery collections including Thomas Sabo Sterling Silver, Thomas Sabo Charm Club and Thomas Sabo Watches.

A jewelry line based in Germany, self-named, Thomas Sabo created his own silver jewellery company in 1984 founded on high-quality pieces and trend setting designs. The Thomas Sabo brand now has retail partners in 43 countries world-wide.
McBurney Junction Furniture Ltd. is more than a furniture store – it is your lifestyle source. Join us and our other Junction brands online today at www.mcburneyjunction.com
McBurney Junction, your lifestyle store.

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Media contact:
Kristine Carrick,
Urban Life Media
Mobile: (604) 831.2598
Email: kristine@urbanlifemedia.ca

Thoroughbred Racing Community Takes Positive Steps in Supporting Newly Retired Racehorses

VANCOUVER, SEPT. 9, 2011: Hastings Park race days are dwindling in the 2011 season and the New Stride Thoroughbred Adoption Society is running full gallop into the off season with their largest annual fundraiser, The Shed Row Fall Market. Now in its third year, this annual market is key to supporting the adoption society (new stride) as they ready to care for retired racehorses through the fall and winter months.

2011 has been a year of positives in the mind of New Stride Thoroughbred Adoption Society president, Marcy Emery, “It’s been an eventful year for our society both in a recent name change to help better reflect our mission and in the steps taken by Hastings Racecourse with the creation of a new funding initiative that will help to support newly retired race horses.” In 2011 the Thoroughbred horse community came together in an effort to ensure that these animals are being given appropriate aftercare as their racing days come to a close.

“Owners, trainers and management at Hastings have created a funding initiative aimed at assisting New Stride with funding from owners’ purse money,” notes Emery. “The program is still in its infancy and will take time to grow into a steady source of funding, but it is a tremendous step for our organization.”

Emery notes this is where the annual Shed Row Fall Market helps fill the funding gap. “The market is our largest annual fundraising event away from the track. Money raised on October 1st and 2nd will help us fund spaces to take on new horses this fall.”
Planned the weekend before Thanksgiving, the Shed Row Fall Market invites visitors to Fields and Flowers Farm on Saturday, October 1st and Sunday, October 2nd. For a minimum donation of $2.00, the public are invited to visit the working horse farm and purchase heritage vegetables, locally grown fruit and festive preserves for their Thanksgiving tables.

That won’t be all that is available at this year’s event; visitors to the market will be able to sample everything from artisan cheeses and hand crafted baked goods to handmade jewelry, art, fresh flowers and more.

People are passionate about horses and New Stride’s support comes from a wide range of people from horse owners to animal lovers who simply appreciate the beauty of these animals. Visitors to the Shed Row Fall Market will be able to meet with some of the ex-race horses who are destined to become much loved companions as they move to a new stage in their young lives.

The market will be held rain or shine in the covered shed row of Fields and Flowers Farm Gate Store at 900 232 Street, Langley. Fields and Flowers Farm owners Barb and Onno are long standing supporters of New Stride and the proud owner of Musing, a former racehorse and National Champion sport sire. For more information and a list of vendors visit www.theshedrowmarket.com or follow @ShedRowMarket on Twitter.

New Stride Thoroughbred Adoption Society was founded in 2002 and has since facilitated adoption and provided care and retraining for non-competitive and injured Thoroughbreds. More information about the foundation and horses available for sponsorship or adoption can be found by visiting www.newstride.com

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To arrange an interview, farm visit or for additional information please contact:

Kristine Carrick
Urban Life Media
Office: (604) 510-5456
Mobile: (604) 831-2598
Email: kristine@urbanlifemedia.ca

Delta Secondary School Electric Drag Racing Truck

The students of Delta Secondary School built Canada's first electric drag racing truck in their shop and Instructor, Casey Mynott asked Urban Life Media to help them share their story and celebrate their success.  Our media and public relations strategy resulted in coverage from GlobalBC, City Tv's Breakfast Television, The South Delta Leader and 100.5 The Peak.

The above video is the City TV Breakfast Television segment that aired on September 6, 2011.

Stayed tuned...the truck is heading back to the track in an effort to set a speed record.

DIYers Welcome Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to BC

  For Immediate Release, August 24, 2011

Langley, BC: DIYers, or do-it-yourselfers are rejoicing all over British Columbia with The Passionate Home’s recent announcement - Carrie Thachuk, The Passionate Home owner has inked a deal with Annie Sloan to become BC’s first retail distributor of the coveted Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

A lover of breathing new life into old pieces, Carrie Thachuk bubbled with excitement as she spoke about becoming BC’s first Annie Sloan mini-stockist. “The options with this product are endless,” exclaims Thachuk. “The flexibility Annie Sloan’s chalk paint and waxes provide people who would like to refinish furniture pieces are only restricted by their own creativity.”

Annie Sloan, a trained painter and creator of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, resides in Oxford, England and is well known and respected for her publication 'The Complete Book of Decorative Paint Techniques’. Followed world-wide by industry professionals and DIYers alike, Annie Sloan introduced Chalk Paint in her Oxford shop back in 2000 and the product has taken off.

“There is so much to learn about the product line,” notes Thachuk. “Top of the list – you do not need to do all the prep-work in order to achieve that stunning finished piece.” The Passionate Home store owner tells us that means in most cases, no stripping, sanding or priming is required before hitting your soon to be upcycled treasure with new paint. If you are a fan of French Country, Shabby Chic, or the distressed look then this product should be on your do-it-yourself list.

The Passionate Home have hit the ground running as Annie Sloan’s first mini-stockist in BC and already has had visitors to the store asking about the product. Come September, Carrie Thachuk will also be certified by Annie Sloan to host workshops and teach others how to use the paints and waxes with their own projects. To learn more about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint The Passionate Home has created an inspired list of reasons why this paint, above others, is so fantastic.

Established in 2003 and born from a love of breathing new life into old pieces, Carrie Thachuk and The Passionate Home provide clientele a whimsical mix of old and new. Follow Carrie`s design adventures through her blog at www.thepassionatehome.com.

Reclaim. Restyle. Redecorate.
Inspiring design for those with an eclectic sense of style.

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Media contact:
Kristine Carrick,
Urban Life Media
Mobile: (604) 831.2598
Email: kristine@urbanlifemedia.ca

Corporations Cautious About Social Media Engagement

For Immediate Release
August 23, 2011

Vancouver, BC – Global corporations are recognizing the need to engage their external audiences through social networking as the use of social media continues to play an ever increasing role in the lives of Canadians. In a recent Ipsos Reid report one-half (50 percent) of Canadians reported having a social networking profile. Corporations have taken notice. Increased corporate online engagement has some executives questioning their legal footing.

This legal concern is a top-of-mind issue for many senior executives when considering the use of social media to engage a broader community. “Many of the senior executives we collaborate with are excited about the potential that social media holds from a sales, marketing and client service perspective,” says Shane Gibson, Chief Social Officer and co- founder of Socialized! Ltd. “They also communicate a fair amount of concern around the legal aspects of social media use by their organization, employees and customers.” In Gibson’s experience, this legal gap is not given enough thought by organizations looking to capitalize on the surge in social media engagement.

Socialized! Ltd. announced in July that they will organize Vancouver’s first ever Social Media Week conference, September 19th through 23rd. Social Media Week is a global platform that connects people, content and conversation around emerging trends in social and mobile media. Vancouver is one of twelve global locations selected to host the bi-annual conference. “When planning the tracks and summits for Social Media Week Vancouver we approached Caroline Clapham of Fasken Martineau to strategically contribute to Social Media Week Vancouver from a legal perspective,” notes Gibson. “Fasken Martineau’s experience in assisting their clients with social media will help fill that knowledge gap at this September’s conference.”

Fasken Martineau is a leading international business law and litigation firm with over 700 lawyers in nine locations including Vancouver, London and Johannesburg. “Recently clients have taken an increased interest in social media issues as they relate to business,” notes Fasken Martineau Securities and Technologies Practice Group Associate, Caroline Clapham. “Clients are asking about the legal implications arising in the social media context.”

For Clapham and her firm, getting involved with an event that promotes social media education and use of best practices was an easy decision. Fasken Martineau will host the Accountability Summit at their Vancouver offices during Social Media Week. “We are thrilled to be involved with Social Media Week Vancouver and hope that through a series of lunch and learn style sessions we can discuss the legal implications of social media use and the impact that it has on businesses,” said Clapham.

Organizer, Shane Gibson is excited Fasken Martineau have come on board as a sponsor of this year’s Social Media Week Vancouver conference and look forward to welcoming the local business community to the event.

Social Media Week Vancouver takes place September 19th through 23rd and is free for registered participants. Event registration starts September 6th, but if you would like to get involved as a sponsor, volunteer or participant, please visit www.socialmediaweek.org/vancouver to learn more or contact Anthony Caridi through www.socialized.me

To learn more about Social Media Week Vancouver (SMWV) connect with us through www.socialmediaweek.org/vancouver or on Twitter @SMWVAN #SMWVAN and Facebook.
Socialized! Ltd. is Vancouver’s premier social media marketing agency leading the way in helping organizations to be fully socialized and independently able to navigate and prosper within the social web. Our practices and methodologies are based upon Shane Gibson’s no- nonsense process on getting Sociable! from his two books, Sociable! How Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Up-side Down and Guerrilla Social Media Marketing co- authored with Stephen Jagger and Jay Conrad Levinson respectively. "Socialized! delivers a variety of solutions that help organizations harness the power of social media including assessments, training and coaching by our team or social media presentations at conferences by our Chief Social Officer Shane Gibson"

Statistics within this release are based on the findings of an Ipsos Reid syndicated study, the Inter@ctive Reid Report, fielded in April, 2011. This online survey of 840 Canadian adults was conducted via the Ipsos Online Panel. The results are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

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Media contact:
Kristine Carrick, Urban Life Media
T: (604) 510-5456,
C: (604) 831-2598
E: kristine@urbanlifemedia.ca