On Thursday, January 27, Nu-Vision's Zambia Workteam 2011 hosted a Dinner & Fundraiser at the Travelodge Hotel Airlane, with special guest speaker, Dr. Janice Stein.
Over 250 people attended the event, which was a major fundraiser for our team's projects. Our goal is to raise $15,000 for the work we will be doing at Lifesong School in Kitwe, Zambia in July 2011. We have already raised several thousand dollars through our TBSO Balcony Fundraiser earlier in January, and other initiatives such as a "dress-down day" at the Lakehead Public School Board Office, and private donations.
The evening began with guests arriving to be seated at their assigned table with a table host and sponsor, who paid $200 for the meals for the 10 people at their table. The idea was to invite people who might consider donating to our projects at the end of the evening. Almost every space at the 27 tables were filled, making the total in attendance over 250 people! We were so pleased to see our event so well attended.
Rev. Nancy, our team leader, led the evening with a welcome, grace, and introduction of our special guest speaker, Dr. Janice Stein, University of Toronto professor and Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs, and frequent guest on TVOntario's program, "The Agenda". Dr. Stein spoke for about 20 minutes on the topic of "Africa on the Brink". She told of promising signs in Africa of economic development, saying that, in 2011 and beyond, Zambia will likely be one of world's top 10 growing economies. Rather than focusing on the troubles of Africa, such as the alarming rate of HIV/AIDS infection, corrupt government and poverty, we can take hope that working alongside Africans to help improve the education and health care systems will enable Africa to become self-sufficient. Dr. Stein's talk was informative and engaging, and we greatly appreciated her generosity in taking time out in her busy weekend schedule in Thunder Bay to address our group and guests at our fundraiser.
A buffet dinner was served next, with salad, pasta with meatballs, bread, veggies and dip, and squares and cakes for dessert. During dinner, people were encouraged to come up with a question at their table to ask Dr. Stein, and she very graciously answered them after dinner. Len Anderson, Chair of Nu-Vision Ministry Canada, then thanked the group for coming, and gave a brief history of Nu-Vision Ministry Canada. He also presented Dr. Stein with a thank-you gift and honorarium.
The Zambia Workteam 2011 then did a presentation with a PowerPoint slideshow, introducing the team, outlining what the 2010 team did at Lifesong School, and then told of what we hoped to accomplish at the School in July. Rev. Nancy, Doug and Daphne did a fantastic job, and people came up to them afterward and said how much they enjoyed it.
People then had an opportunity to make a donation to the Zambia Projects 2011. The next day, after a preliminary count, we are thrilled to say that our Fundraiser greatly exceeded our expectations, raising over $10,000 for Zambia! The team is over the moon, and we would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of our friends, family and colleagues for making this event such a resounding success!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
A Successful Start to Fundraising
On Thursday, January 13, we had our first formal fundraising event - a Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra Balcony Fundraiser. We sold 171 tickets, which made $855.00 for our Zambia projects!
Besides the fundraising, the Balcony Fundraiser gave us a chance to wear our new team t-shirts, which were really eye-catching. We also were able to set up a booth in the main lobby alongside "Caring Hands", which sells lovely recycled paper jewelery made in Uganda.
At our booth, we promoted our Dinner & Fundraiser with guest speaker, Dr. Janice Stein, which will be held on Thursday, January 27 at the Travelodge Airlane Hotel. We also had available some general information brochures which contained information about what our team will be doing in Zambia, a donation form, and information about Nu-Vision Ministry Canada.
It was wonderful to see how many of our friends, family, co-workers and others came out to support our efforts, and we would like to say "thank you" to everyone who braved the cold and snow to do so. It was a great encouragement for us to keep going in our efforts to raise money for our projects in Zambia.
Besides the fundraising, the Balcony Fundraiser gave us a chance to wear our new team t-shirts, which were really eye-catching. We also were able to set up a booth in the main lobby alongside "Caring Hands", which sells lovely recycled paper jewelery made in Uganda.
At our booth, we promoted our Dinner & Fundraiser with guest speaker, Dr. Janice Stein, which will be held on Thursday, January 27 at the Travelodge Airlane Hotel. We also had available some general information brochures which contained information about what our team will be doing in Zambia, a donation form, and information about Nu-Vision Ministry Canada.
It was wonderful to see how many of our friends, family, co-workers and others came out to support our efforts, and we would like to say "thank you" to everyone who braved the cold and snow to do so. It was a great encouragement for us to keep going in our efforts to raise money for our projects in Zambia.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Our General Information Brochure
Here is a brochure we have made up about our Zambia Workteam 2011, its goals, a donation form, and information about Nu-Vision Ministry. Click on the image to view a larger version.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Fundraising Begins & Tourist Week is Planned
December was a very busy month for our group, as plans started to gel.
First, since we now had seven confirmed members on our team, it was time to look at our tourist week options. Eleanor had suggested to us, having led several teams, that it was a good idea to have some time together following the work to "debrief", as some of the things we would experience might be difficult for us, such as the poverty. Lifesong School for Orphans is targeted at orphaned children, including children who are "single orphans" (i.e. those who have had both parents die), and "double orphans", i.e. those who have not only lost both parents, but who've also experienced the loss of subsequent caregivers. Since HIV and AIDS are so rife throughout Africa, and Zambia has one of the highest rates of infection, this is not an uncommon situation.
Jeanette was tasked with planning the tourist week. Since Zambia shares the spectacular and famous Victoria Falls with Zimbabwe, she decided to include some time there, as well as some time in South Luangwa National Park, which has some of the best game viewing in the country. So, after some discussion and e-mails back and forth with the group members, it was decided that the group would fly down to Livingstone for three days, staying in a bed and breakfast on the Zambezi River, and decide there what activities they would like to do, such as visiting the Falls, a day trip to Chobe in Botswana for game viewing, boat trips on the Zambezi, etc. Then, the group would fly to Mfuwe, via Lusaka, to stay at a safari camp in South Luangwa National Park for three days. There, we would have the opportunity to do both driving and walking safaris from the camp. Most of the group will be staying in luxury safari tents (with en-suite bathrooms, electricity and real beds!) on the banks of the river, and are very excited to experience being "up close and personal" with game, albeit hopefully not too close and personal! Finally, it was decided that, after the safari camp, the group would spend a night at a local village that has opened its doors to tourists, and we will have the opportunity to participate in village life, such as food preparation, fishing, church services and visits to the local clinic.
December was also a busy month firming up fundraising plans and getting them under way. We were fortunate to be able to secure a Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra balcony fundraiser for Thursday, January 13. The idea is, the group sells tickets in the balcony seats for a TBSO concert for $15 each, and for every ticket, the group makes $5. Although we cannot advertise too widely as to compete with regular ticket sales, word-of-mouth is our primary method of promotion, and so far the group has sold a fair number of tickets, and Daphne and Moira have become our "power sellers"! At this concert, we will also have a booth set up in the lobby with information about the Zambia Workteam 2011, with pictures from last year's mission trip, and information about the 2011 project and our future fundraising events, specifically our Dinner & Fundraiser on Thursday, January 27 at the Travelodge Airlane Hotel.
This event was planned at the suggestion of Eleanor, who said that a dinner with a special guest speaker had proven very successful with past teams. We were fortunate to learn, through Daphne and Moira, that Dr. Janice Stein, a well-known television political commentator who is the Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and a University of Toronto professor, would be in Thunder Bay for a conference in late January, and she graciously agreed to give an address at a dinner and fundraiser for us. So, on Thursday, January 27 we will be having this major fundraiser.
Adding to our group promotion is Doug's hard work at designing a team logo and having t-shirts printed up. We are happy to say that they are now ready, and that we will be able to wear them at the TBSO balcony fundraiser on Thu. Jan. 13 and the Dinner & Fundraiser on Thu. Jan. 27. It will be a good, visible way to show our team unity and promote our project.
It has been a busy couple of months, therefore, securing our flights and tourist week activities, planning fundraising events and preparing promotional materials. E-mails have been flying fast and furious between the members of the group as well plan all of these things; we are grateful we live in this age of technology which enables us to be so instantly connected to one another.
After the TBSO balcony fundraiser, we will be having our next planning meeting on Wednesday, January 19th at the Nu-Vision Office at 1171 Oliver Road, primarily to go over final details of our Dinner & Fundraiser the following week. If anyone would like more information on anything, please call our team leader, The Rev. Nancy Ringham, at 939-1103.
First, since we now had seven confirmed members on our team, it was time to look at our tourist week options. Eleanor had suggested to us, having led several teams, that it was a good idea to have some time together following the work to "debrief", as some of the things we would experience might be difficult for us, such as the poverty. Lifesong School for Orphans is targeted at orphaned children, including children who are "single orphans" (i.e. those who have had both parents die), and "double orphans", i.e. those who have not only lost both parents, but who've also experienced the loss of subsequent caregivers. Since HIV and AIDS are so rife throughout Africa, and Zambia has one of the highest rates of infection, this is not an uncommon situation.
Jeanette was tasked with planning the tourist week. Since Zambia shares the spectacular and famous Victoria Falls with Zimbabwe, she decided to include some time there, as well as some time in South Luangwa National Park, which has some of the best game viewing in the country. So, after some discussion and e-mails back and forth with the group members, it was decided that the group would fly down to Livingstone for three days, staying in a bed and breakfast on the Zambezi River, and decide there what activities they would like to do, such as visiting the Falls, a day trip to Chobe in Botswana for game viewing, boat trips on the Zambezi, etc. Then, the group would fly to Mfuwe, via Lusaka, to stay at a safari camp in South Luangwa National Park for three days. There, we would have the opportunity to do both driving and walking safaris from the camp. Most of the group will be staying in luxury safari tents (with en-suite bathrooms, electricity and real beds!) on the banks of the river, and are very excited to experience being "up close and personal" with game, albeit hopefully not too close and personal! Finally, it was decided that, after the safari camp, the group would spend a night at a local village that has opened its doors to tourists, and we will have the opportunity to participate in village life, such as food preparation, fishing, church services and visits to the local clinic.
December was also a busy month firming up fundraising plans and getting them under way. We were fortunate to be able to secure a Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra balcony fundraiser for Thursday, January 13. The idea is, the group sells tickets in the balcony seats for a TBSO concert for $15 each, and for every ticket, the group makes $5. Although we cannot advertise too widely as to compete with regular ticket sales, word-of-mouth is our primary method of promotion, and so far the group has sold a fair number of tickets, and Daphne and Moira have become our "power sellers"! At this concert, we will also have a booth set up in the lobby with information about the Zambia Workteam 2011, with pictures from last year's mission trip, and information about the 2011 project and our future fundraising events, specifically our Dinner & Fundraiser on Thursday, January 27 at the Travelodge Airlane Hotel.
This event was planned at the suggestion of Eleanor, who said that a dinner with a special guest speaker had proven very successful with past teams. We were fortunate to learn, through Daphne and Moira, that Dr. Janice Stein, a well-known television political commentator who is the Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and a University of Toronto professor, would be in Thunder Bay for a conference in late January, and she graciously agreed to give an address at a dinner and fundraiser for us. So, on Thursday, January 27 we will be having this major fundraiser.
Adding to our group promotion is Doug's hard work at designing a team logo and having t-shirts printed up. We are happy to say that they are now ready, and that we will be able to wear them at the TBSO balcony fundraiser on Thu. Jan. 13 and the Dinner & Fundraiser on Thu. Jan. 27. It will be a good, visible way to show our team unity and promote our project.
Our team leader, The Rev. Nancy Ringham,has begun to make connections with the Anglican Church in Zambia through the Anglican Church of Canada Global Partners office. Having been in Rwanda a few years ago and meeting the Primate of Rwanda Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini at the very end of her trip there, she was asked by him, "What took you so long to get here? You could have been visiting Rwandan Anglicans." The Cathedral of the Northern Diocese of Zambia is in Kitwe, so making links now will ensure we have some personal contact while we are in Zambia.
It has been a busy couple of months, therefore, securing our flights and tourist week activities, planning fundraising events and preparing promotional materials. E-mails have been flying fast and furious between the members of the group as well plan all of these things; we are grateful we live in this age of technology which enables us to be so instantly connected to one another.
After the TBSO balcony fundraiser, we will be having our next planning meeting on Wednesday, January 19th at the Nu-Vision Office at 1171 Oliver Road, primarily to go over final details of our Dinner & Fundraiser the following week. If anyone would like more information on anything, please call our team leader, The Rev. Nancy Ringham, at 939-1103.
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