Friday, November 18, 2011

BRING A HIPPO TO HOPE HOUSE, NOVEMBER 24

Symbols of hope change lives. They stand at the head of world-altering movements. They help people face the days that threaten to be too painful for facing.
The hope-opotamus is a symbol of hope, a little stuffed animal of any colour that we can give away as a symbol of hope. And that is why we are asking you to bring a hippo to Hope House.
We are having an open house on November 24, 4:00 to 7:00. We’ll be showcasing our important work. We’ll be drawing the prize-winning names from our raffle of a WestJet trip for two and tickets to performances of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
The hippos you bring will, through the act of bringing them, become hope-opotamuses. Soon they’ll be going out to people who tearfully or smilingly approach us looking for hope and help.
You can find Hope House at 11032-89 avenue. The University is well served by transit. If you decide to drive, park on 89 Avenue, and avoid getting a ticket by getting a parking pass for your dash from our reception desk.
So join us on November 24. You’ll be giving us hope, and helping us spread it.

Sunday, November 06, 2011

THINGS ARE BETTER

Things change. There’s hope in that. The Loud and Queer Caboret is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Stories about it are everywhere. Tickets are in demand. It wasn’t a big deal for me until I understood that, 20 years ago, the event went unannounced to the public. It wasn’t safe to put on such an event in Edmonton, would not have been wise to alert the media. There was a need to protect the audience, lest anyone be discovered there by someone who might report to an employer, or a family.