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Media statements – Applications open for regional event funding support

  • Applications open for 2023-24 Regional Events Scheme
  • Total funding of up to $1.1 million available for smaller and developing regional events across WA
  • Includes $250,000 for events supported through the Regional Aboriginal Events Scheme
  • Supported by the McGowan Government through Tourism WA

Regional event holders are encouraged to apply for funding available through the 2023-24 Regional Events Scheme, which opens today.

 

Event holders can apply for funding between $5,000 and $40,000 for events to be held between 1 July, 2023 and 30 June, 2024.

 

The annual funding round supports smaller and developing events in regional Western Australia, with a total pool of up to $1.1 million of funding available.

 

The funding includes $250,000 for the Regional Aboriginal Events Scheme (RAES) – an increase of $100,000 on the previous funding round – to support events that showcase and celebrate Aboriginal activities and experiences through the leadership and participation of Aboriginal people.

 

Sixty-eight regional events around the State were awarded funding under the 2022-23 RES, including seven through the RAES, such as the A Taste of Broome Festival and the Karijini Experience.

 

The scheme is supported by the State Government through Tourism WA and Royalties for Regions.

 

Applications close at 5pm, Tuesday 18 October, 2022. For more information or to apply, visit http://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/res.

 

Comments attributed to Tourism Minister Roger Cook:

 

“Our regional events play such an important role in showcasing the unique places that make our State a popular holiday destination for visitors, particularly as we reconnect with the world and draw back international visitors.

 

“I encourage all eligible regional event holders to apply for the Regional Events Scheme to help their event become even bigger and better, and appeal to an even more diverse audience.

 

“These events help create a vibrant atmosphere, give people a time-specific reason to visit, and help to generate media coverage in our regions, which is all great news for local businesses.”

           

Comments attributed to Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan:

 

“It is great to see events happening all around the State which not only bring communities together but also attract visitors from near and far, supporting regional economies and jobs.

 

“The Regional Events Scheme provides a significant boost to regional event holders, supporting them to pursue their program of activities with confidence.

 

“Events are an essential part of the fabric of Western Australia’s regions, celebrating our communities’ diversity and talents, while providing opportunities for connection and support – essential to help maintain strong, robust communities.”

 

Minister’s office – 6552 6500

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Cancer Care Events & Support Groups

Mindful Meditation

Third Wednesday of each month 12:10 – 12:50 p.m.

MercyOne Richard Deming Cancer Center

411 Laurel Street; Suite 3300, Des Moines, IA 50314

Conference Room

Free of charge

This is a drop-in group intended for cancer patients and survivors and their families. If you have questions, please email kylie.cooper@commonspirit.org.

Living with Cancer Support Group

Last Monday of each month 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

MercyOne Richard Deming Cancer Center

411 Laurel Street, Suite 3300, Des Moines, IA 50314

Conference Room or join us virtually via Zoom

Free of charge

Registration is required. Please call our office at 515-643-8206 or email nscalco@mercydesmoines.org to register. Zoom link will be sent a few days prior.

Caregiver Connection and Support

Third Tuesday of each month 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

MercyOne Richard Deming Cancer Center

411 Laurel Street; Suite 3300, Des Moines, IA 50314

Conference Room

Free of charge

Registration is required. Please contact Kathy Koenig at kathy@caregiverconnection.net to register.

Being with Art Together

New audio program presented by the Des Moines Art Center

4700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA

Hours: Tues–Wed 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Thur–Fri 11 a.m. –7 p.m. | Sat–Sun 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Please contact Mia Buch for more information and collaborative events with area cancer centers. 515-271-0349 or mbuch@desmoinesartcenter.org.

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Passionate volunteer calls for local support of Terry Fox events

Passionate volunteer calls for local support of Terry Fox events

This year’s theme is, ‘I’m not a quitter,’ and the strategy is all about ‘asking a little from a lot,’ orgranizer told four North Simcoe councils

As Don Chapman said recently, “We’ve got the best brand in the world. Nobody that I know of badmouths Terry Fox.”

Chapman is the spokesperson and key contact of 20 volunteers, himself included, associated with Terry Fox in the Heart of Georgian Bay.

Over the past few months, Chapman had approached the four North Simcoe municipal councils of Midland, Penetanguishene, and Tay and Tiny Townships with the same request: to participate, to donate, and to encourage others to get involved in Terry Fox Day on Sept. 18.

Since Terry Fox ran for cancer research in 1980, over $850 million has been raised by the Terry Fox Foundation in annual events commemorating the courage and bravery of the national icon.

I’m Not A Quitter is the theme for 2022, and Chapman presented this year’s pitch to the councils.

“In 1980 Terry said, ‘Nobody is ever going to call me a quitter.’ He never quit on his dream – and neither will we,” said Chapman. “That man, that hero, ran over 3,000 miles and ran a marathon a day doing it on one good leg. Is that the mark of a quitter? Absolutely not.”

Due to COVID-19 and health protocols regarding social distancing, the local income raised in 2020 was $87,000. A strategy for smaller donations from more people, as well as individual fundraising challenges that could be completed on a minimal scale, resulted in the organization raising $104,000 in 2021; ranked 16th in Ontario and the best result for the municipalities since 2006.

Chapman told the councils that the strategy this year would continue to be aimed at “asking a little from a lot,” but that a return to big parties and events had been mandated nationwide.

In North Simcoe, the 2022 Terry Fox Run will be held at Perkinsfield Park located at 43 County Road 6 in Tiny.

Already, the volunteers have made their presence known at several parades and festivals locally, where they have t-shirts for sale advertising the charity. Boot drives from firefighters will allow for donations via cash or card through a tap option.

“Nobody makes money off Terry but the Foundation,” assured Chapman, who noted that only money going to administration and overhead of 21 per cent is taken from the total donations, with the remaining 79 per cent issued directly to researchers. “No fee, no minimum contribution, no cost… everything is donated.”

Council members across the municipalities praised Chapman and his efforts with the promotion.

It was the first such presentation viewed by Tiny Coun. John Bryant, who thanked Chapman. “You speak so passionately about this issue; you touched my heart.”

Coun. Mary Warnock of Tay said to the public, “If you haven’t been, you should go. It is a very emotional day, and when everyone comes together and the numbers that they get out there – it’s a very special feeling.”

Midland Coun. Jonathan Main complimented Chapman on his “infectious positivity” while Deputy Mayor Mike Ross appreciated the out-of-the-box flexibility of past events through the difficulty of a pandemic.

Coun. Brian Cummings of Penetanguishene told Chapman, “I had the opportunity to meet Terry when he walked through Oakville, and I experienced and felt his drive – his motivation – for a cause he really felt he could beat. (With my whole family) being involved in the Cancer Society (of Canada) at that time, we just felt that energy that came from him; and I feel that same energy coming from you.”

MidlandToday asked Chapman through email what impact he was expecting to receive by delivering the presentation to the North Simcoe councils.

“As key influencers and leaders of our community,” Chapman replied, “I hope they will encourage others to get involved. I also hope they will continue to support our requests for goods and services which enable us to send all donated revenues we generate to our Foundation.

“I also believe that we can build a more cohesive community by sharing ideas and programs like this across our municipalities,” he added.

Archives of Chapman’s council presentations for the Terry Fox in the Heart of Georgian Bay are available on the Midland, Penetanguishene, and Tiny Township municipality YouTube channels.

For more information about the Terry Fox Foundation, visit www.terryfox.org

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Pioli believes ‘concomitance of events’ was behind Milan’s ‘fantastic’ support last season

Pioli believes 'concomitance of events' was behind Milan's 'fantastic' support last season

Head coach Stefano Pioli has once again praised the AC Milan fans for the part they played in helping the team win the Scudetto last season.

Milan upset the odds in many ways by emerged as the champions during the 2021-22 campaign. Not many people had the Diavolo down as serious contenders to win the league, but they showed their spirit throughout the season and ultimately put together a run of six straight wins to end the season.

Pioli spoke yesterday evening at the ‘House of BMW’ event in which he participated together with Ettore Messina – the coach of Olimpia Milano who are champions of Italy in the basketball league.

As reported by Tuttosport, the Milan coach in particular focused on the support that the Rossoneri received from the fans throughout last season, as they travelled in their thousands (sometimes more) around the country to support the team.

“The fans were fantastic. There was a concomitance of events in our path. We hadn’t won for a long time. The fact that we didn’t start favourites, we are a very young team and our way of playing also involved them. Playing at San Siro was a fundamental aspect that will give even more confidence to the whole team during this season,” he said (via MilanNews).

On the pressures of management, he added: “We are always under scrutiny. We play every three days and we have daily balances. I feel at ease to get to a result. I honestly believe I have a balance that allows me to isolate myself. I can’t worry too much about what is said outside. I think there is little balance, both for good and for bad. I try to maintain great confidence in my players, always.”

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Kawartha Lakes Pride Week drag events being met with community support — Lindsay Advocate

Kawartha Lakes Pride Week drag events being met with community support — Lindsay Advocate

Library system seeing increase in request for more reading material that features diverse lifestyles

By Roderick Benns

Family-friendly drag events across Canada, many hosted by local libraries, have been targeted by a deluge of hateful comments, CBC News is reporting – but the same can’t be said locally.

The national broadcaster is reporting that multiple threats during Pride month have occurred, prompting multiple police investigations and renewed concerns about the safety of the LGBTQ community.

But Rylee Rae, an organizer of Kawartha Lakes Pride Week which starts next week said there has been only one comment about keeping drag away from children “and it was challenged with love from our supportive community.”

“We have an amazing team of drag artists, some who work professionally with children as their day gig, who are partnering with Kawartha Lakes Library to host a Drag Queen Story Book time and a cozy reading tent at our Pride in the Park event on July 8,” says Rae.

The drag artists are bringing in a collection of LGBTQIA+ literature to share.

They will also be performing a family friendly version of their acts during the day while another version will be available for adults during the evening.

“We are doing our best to normalize and familiarize folks with drag culture and encourage people to express themselves in new and fun ways,” Ray said.

Marieke Junkin, manager programming and public services for Kawartha Lake Library, said the library has celebrated Pride in our branches “for several years now,” which includes their Storytime programs hosted by various members of Kawartha Lakes Pride.

“The response to these events has been very positive and we have received zero criticism for hosting such programs,” Junkin said.

She says library staff have also noticed an increase in the amount of families and caregivers who are actively requesting material for children that feature positive images and storylines of diverse lifestyles and non-traditional family structures.   

“We have been pleasantly surprised to find these books then go on to circulate well at all 14 of our library branches.” 

The collection of Pride material has been built by a demand from the community as a whole, she says, and not from any particular interest group. 




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Celebrate Your Awesome sees record support at annual event

Celebrate Your Awesome sees record support at annual event


June 23, 2022   ·  
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By Sam Odrowski

An in-person celebration of all backgrounds, ages, religions, and sexual orientations returned to Mill Street on Saturday (June 18) for Celebrate Your Awesome’s annual Pride and Diversity Day.

It’s the first time in two years a celebration’s been held at Mill Street, with the annual event being marked virtually in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

This year’s turnout was fantastic, surpassing attendance numbers from 2018 and 2019. Celebrate Your Awesome founder and committee member Jim Waddington said the event has grown leaps and bounds.

Fellow committee member, Ricky Schaede called the event a “smashing success.”

“We weren’t quite sure what to expect, just because the last in person event had been so long ago,” he said. “But I think that it was like way more people than we’ve ever had before, and it was such a positive response.”

From early afternoon to late at night on Saturday, Mill Street was filled with live entertainment, featuring bands, soloists, dance groups, choirs, and drag queens.   

“I think people really enjoyed the daytime drag performance, the street was absolutely packed,” Schaede said. “The crowd really seemed energized and really into it.”

For the first time ever, Celebrate Your Awesome held the “Queerly Here” art market at Mill Square Park.

Schaede said there was lots of talented artists set up with booths showing off their work.

“That was an interesting new element of the event this year… a highlight for sure,” Schaede noted.

The celebration also featured “Community Zones”, which had booths from an array of social services and not-for-profit organizations providing information to attendees.

The need is strong for an event like Pride and Diversity Day for members of the 2SLBGTQIA+ community in Dufferin County, according to Schaede.

“I think really, with this event, we want people to know that no matter where you’re from, or what your age or gender identity or sexual orientation is, that you’re welcome in this community, in Orangeville, and in Dufferin County. That there’s a place for you here and that there’s other people like you here, just to create that feeling of sort of inclusion and belonging in this town,” Schaede told the Free Press. “It’s important because for a lot of young, gay and queer people growing up here, they feel like they don’t belong and then they leave town.”

He continued, “That’s kind of a sad thing to grow up somewhere where you feel you don’t belong, and I know for myself growing up what that was like, and I decided not to leave this town.”

Schaede said, through the event, he hopes it shows people they can feel a sense of belonging right here in Dufferin County.

“There’s a place for you here,” he said. “You don’t have to be ashamed to be who you are here, and I think that’s sort of the main reason why we do it.”

Schaede added that he noticed for a lot of young people, Celebrate Your Awesome’s celebration last Saturday was their first Pride event and they got a lot out of it.

“I think it was pretty mind opening for a lot of young people. I talked to young person – they’re a queer person – it was their first Pride event, and they really enjoyed seeing all the other like queer people out there. It kind of made them feel a bit more normal, I guess,” he noted.

“It makes them feel like safer in the town, and more comfortable expressing themselves authentically.”

Schaede said he’d like to thank all the sponsors, committee members, volunteers, performers, and vendors who helped make this year’s event “awesome.”

Looking ahead to next year’s Pride and Diversity Day event, organizers plan on holding fundraisers in between to help offset the costs of putting it on. They’re also looking at hosting pop-up social events.

Schaede said to watch Celebrate Your Awesome’s Facebook page for updates and to send a message there if you’re interested in joining the committee or getting more involved.

“We’re always looking for young, energetic people who are looking to contribute,” he told the Free Press. “There’s definitely space for more people to join us.”

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$250,000 in grants awarded to support free events on Massachusetts beaches

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A beach circus, a fitness series, guided painting classes, sand sculpting, dancing and movies are all in line for a funding infusion as part of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the Department of Conservation’s Better Beaches grant program.

The program handed $250,000 in grants to 62 organizations Saturday morning to support 100 free beach events and programs this summer in nine communities from Nahant to Nantasket. The three largest grants are heading to organizations that promote racial justice, language accessibility and access for people with disabilities, following a series of hearings held by the Metropolitan Beaches Commission.

“The metropolitan beaches are extraordinary assets that belong to all the people of our region,” executive director of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay Chris Mancini said. “We’re proud to fund free community events led by organizations that celebrate and represent our communities’ cultural and racial diversity, and what we have in common: we love our beaches.”

The commission held three hearings over the past three years delving into accessibility at public beaches across greater Boston ahead of plans to publish a report and hold a summit on the topic this summer. Hearings covered multi-language signage, accessibility and inclusion.

This year’s grant recipients include Veronica Robles Cultural Center, A Trike Called Funk, and Triangle, Inc., who each received $7,500 to hosts Vamos a la Playa, a series of activities to honor Latin American Cultures; Bike to the Beach and Boogie, a bike-riding event with DJs; and Beach:Ability, a day of activities at the beach with sand and floating wheelchairs.

DCR, the Baker administration, and Harpoon Shamrock Splash helped raise funds for the grant program. DCR Acting Commissioner Stephanie Cooper said she is proud of the program.

“We are all looking forward to another great season of free events and programs on DCR’s beaches from Nahant to Nantasket,” Cooper said.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay awarded $300,000 to 67 organizations last year to support 150 free beach events and programs. It was a $100,000 increase compared to 2020.

Metropolitan Beaches Commission Co-Chair Rep. Adrian Madaro said beaches in greater Boston see more activity when there are free family-friendly events.

“They are especially important to my constituents in East Boston and all those people who rely on these spectacular urban natural resources for recreation,” he said.

Grant recipients this year also include $2,900 for the North Shore Women of Color Association to hold a workout series, $5,000 for movie nights on Revere Beach, $2,500 for the Boston Circus Guild to hold a beach circus in East Boston, $14,000 for Quincy to hold festivals, concerts and senior lunches and $3,500 to hold a waterfront festival in Hull.

“The Better Beaches Program events are as diverse as the communities that host them,” Metropolitan Beaches Commission Co-Chair Sen. Brendan Crighton said. “But one thing they all have in common is that they bring communities together to enjoy our region’s public beaches.”

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