Have you voted yet? Voting ends August 31 at 11:59pm

There are only a few days left to vote for Rebuilding Rwanda - so please cast your vote daily and help me win the $5,000 prize. Click the link below to vote and read about my intentions for the money. Thanks - now get voting!

The PR agency wants to do a media campaign around the finalists and winner so I'll keep you updated...

https://www.releasethegoodness.ca/Vote.aspx

On another note, I am looking for more artists to donate to Art for Africa - the fundraiser I'm throwing on April 8, 2010 at The SHAMBA Foundation. Please pass along my email artforafricainfo @ ymail.com to ALL the artists you know.

Please Vote and release YOUR goodness!

About a month ago I came across a contest that Nestea is running. Normally I don't enter online contests, at least not with any hope of winning, however I just found out that I am a finalist for the $5000 grand prize! You can read my entry and intentions for the money at the link below.

PLEASE VOTE daily for Rebuilding Rwanda, here is the link: https://www.releasethegoodness.ca/Vote.aspx

"A new era dawns on Rwanda"

Here's a short article that was in the Globe and Mail a few days ago. I thought it may interest you.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/a-new-era-dawns-in-rwanda/article1259916/

It's been a great day

The venue is confirmed!
Thanks to Inga at Shamba for donating their beautiful downtown venue for Art for Africa on April 8, 2010 at 6-9:00pm. www.shamba.ca

Ticket is booked

I'm literally jumping up and down as I type this, which makes it somewhat difficult to type. I've JUST booked my ticket to Rwanda and am officially looking forward to three weeks in Africa! OMG OMG OMG. I'm not sure what to do with myself. haha

Counting Down

After a great week visiting friends and family in Northern Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, it's time for a quick update. (random tidbit - in one day of my vacation I was in 3 provinces, 3 times zones, 5 cities, and travelled for 16hrs...and never left Canada!)

First, thank you to everyone who is volunteering to help with the fundraising event in April, 2010. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your time and your enthusiasm.

I've got a small committee formed to organize and run Art for Africa on Thursday, April 8th and I'm very close to securing a venue sponsor as well as a food and beverage sponsor. It's amazing what people will do for you if you just ask! More to come on these generous sponsors soon.

As I mentioned previously, my goal is to raise a minimum of $10,000 for Global Relief and Development Partners (www.grdpartners.org) to help Rwandan entrepreneurs create jobs and rebuild their country after the 1994 genocide.

In order to do that, I need your help. So, if you know any of the following, please ask them to email me at artforafrica (at) ymail.com:

1. Artists to donate one or two pieces of art (min value of $150 per piece)

- will consider all mediums - sculptures, paintings, photography, etc

2. Rwandan musicians and/or dance group(s)

3. Volunteers for the event - 8 required to do various tasks

4. Art "director" - someone with a flair for aesthetics and creativity and who can make a room look spectacular

5. A computer whiz - to help with the website, SEO and analytics

6. Sponsors - an event sponsor, a "surprise" gift sponsor (especially anyone in the travel industry should contact me about this!), and other misc. sponsors - details can be discussed one-on-one.

The Art for Africa website will be up and running in a few weeks so you'll be able to donate to GRDP and buy event tickets. I'll keep you posted on it's progress.

IF YOU ARE READING THIS BLOG, PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SO WE CAN RAISE AS MUCH AWARENESS ABOUT THIS GREAT ORGANIZATION AND THEIR INITIATIVES.

XO

Rwanda Fact - Rwanda, just south of the Equator in central Africa, is a mountainous land. This tiny, landlocked country—the continent's most densely populated—gained independence from Belgium in 1962. Conflict and civil war between ethnic Hutus and Tutsis have marked the country's history. In 1994 the genocide of some 800,000 Tutsis by Hutus occurred before Tutsi forces could gain control of Rwanda.