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one little ticket, one big lift
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What's NewFebruary 2010A big "THANK YOU" to VANOC for donating over 9,000 Olympics and Paralympics tickets to Kids Up Front! If you wish to donate 2010 Olympic tickets, please contact Joyce Louie at 604.266.5437 ext.1 or via email at joyce@kidsupfrontvancouver.com. Tax receipts will be issued as long as ticket purchase is provided. January 2010Volunteers & Staff at Kids Up Front Vancouver would like to wish everyone all the best for the New Year! Kids Up Front would like to extend its sincerest thanks to all of our generous supporters! To date, our programs have distibuted over 136,083 tickets to kids and families across Greater November 2009Kids Up Front Vancouver would like to thank the Face The World Foundation for their generous donation of a $10,000 grant. The grant will go towards Kids Up Front’s Community Access – Sport and Culture for All Kids. Another big thank you goes to Vancity for awarding Kids Up Front Vancouver with a $7,000 grant for the Positive Ticketing Surrey project. The project will award social responsibility in youth with community centre passes and event tickets. October 2009The 19th Hole fundraising event held at Terminal City Club on October 29th was a big success. The guests at the golf and spa themed event had a great time going through the "9 Holes", and more than $40,000 was raised for Kids Up Front! To view photos from the 19th Hole event please click here. Thanks to the KRG Children's Charitable Foundation and Today’s Parent, Kids Up Front won Today's Parent Reader with a Cause Award and $2,000 in prize money. For the full story see "In the News" below. September 2009Kids Up Front would like to extend a big "THANK YOU!" to all of our supporters. To date, our programs have distributed over 126,000 tickets to children and their families across Metro Vancouver - over $3.1 Million of great sporting, cultural, and entertainment experiences! July 2009The 5th Annual Charity Golf Tournament in support of Kids Up Front took place at the beautiful Furry Creek Golf & Country Club on June 18th. Over $16,000 was raised for Kids Up Front! A big thanks to everyone who participated in this year's golf tournament. Kids Up Front is forever grateful to the Shasta Consulting Group, Optimum Strategies, Dundee Private Investors and MacKenzie Financial Services for their very generous and ongoing support of Kids Up Front. June 2009
Thank you to everyone who attended the Hair Farmers concert in support of Kids Up Front. The concert was a blast and raised $6,500 for Kids Up Front! Mark June 2010 on your calendars for next year’s Hair Farmers concert! A big thanks to Dean Prelazzi for organizing the event, the Backstage Lounge for hosting the event, and the Hair Farmers for providing fantastic musical entertainment. May 2009
On May 30, 2009, CIBC held a Grand Opening ceremony for its newest branch, at Robson and Denman streets in Vancouver. Kids Up Front participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremonas the recipient charity for the event. CIBC generously donated the proceeds from the grand opening barbecue to Kids Up Front, as well as a $5,000 grant. A big thank you to CIBC, and to all who participated in the festivities! Pictured above are Sundresan Pillay (CIBC Branch Manager), the Honourable Hedy Fry (MP, Vancouver Centre), Irene Ing (CIBC Vice President, Vancouver Lower Mainland), Spencer Herbert (MLA, Vancouver-Westend), Cindy Graves (Kids Up Front Executive Director), Rod Fossen (CIBC Associate Vice President), and David Fawkes (CIBC General Manager). Kids Up Front Reaches 100,000 Ticket Milestone!Since opening our doors in Vancouver in 2004, Kids Up Front has been working to provide underserved young people with access to sports, recreation and arts and culture, one ticket at a time. As of January 2009, Kids Up Front has provided 100,000 quality experiences to kids and families across Greater Vancouver, providing access to quality events that would otherwise not be possible. Thank you to all of our ticket donors and supporters for allowing us to reach this milestone and help make dreams come true! In the NewsSpare ticket? Give needy kid a rare outingGroup offers big lifts to underprivileged children
Photograph by: Ian Smith, PNG, The ProvinceTheir motto is "One little ticket, one big lift" and Kids Up Front are hoping to provide big lifts to underprivileged kids by sending them to Olympic events through donations of unwanted Olympic tickets. VANOC has provided the group with 9,000 Olympic tickets that will be distributed to needy children through their 100 partner agencies such as the Salvation Army, Metis Family Services, Canuck Place and the B.C. Federation of Foster Parent Associations. But executive director Cindy Graves is hoping for even more tickets from individuals who aren't planning on reselling the tickets they can't use. "These are kids who are living in the Downtown Eastside, many of them, and the chance to get access to a hockey game or even a movie is so far outside of their reality that they can't even imagine it possible," said Graves. "We're really giving them inspiration to think that they too can belong and they too can have access to these events that otherwise they couldn't imagine doing." Graves said for many ticket holders, money isn't the issue so they don't scalp or resell tickets they can't use and may not realize the benefit of providing their seat to a child. "We just want to get the word out that there is another option for people and, if they can't use their ticket, then Kids Up Front exists to put a child in need into their seat." All donors get a tax-deductible receipt for the face value of the ticket as long as they have a receipt. Kids Up Front has provided more than 140,000 tickets to Greater Vancouver kids since June 2004. To donate, call 604-266-KIDS (5437) or go to www.kidsupfront.com. Tickets can be dropped off at their offices at402--134 Abbott St. in Gastown from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays. grindlay@theprovince.com Fred UnLeeshed Fred Lee, Vancouver Courier Published: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Fore: Global TV news anchor Sophie Lui was master of ceremonies at Kids Up Front's inaugural 19th Hole gala, a unique golf-themed fundraiser held at the Terminal City Club. Two hundred golf enthusiasts shelled out $200-a-ticket to play a round of nine "holes" inside the members-only club. Headed by executive director Cindy Graves and foundation prez Marty Zlotnik, the event raised a reported $50,000 for Kids Up Front programs and services to assist lives of marginalized youth and low income families.
"When a child sees his hero right in front of him, it's a life-changing experience."
John wins a $2,000 donation to Kids Up Front Foundation, from Today's Parent and KRG Children's Charitable Foundation.
John Dalziel was at a hockey game at Calgary's Saddledome when he noticed a lot of empty seats around him. That's when the idea struck: If Dalziel, then a sales manager in the broadcast business, could convince corporations to donate their unused entertainment tickets, he could get kids who couldn't afford them into the best seats in the house. Finding donors and distribution agencies for the tickets was surprisingly easy. Now underprivileged kids could enjoy what more fortunate children take for granted: hearing a symphony, watching the ballet or cheering at a sports event.
A decade later, Kids Up Front Foundation has lifted the spirits of more than 500,000 children at a value in excess of $13 million. Now operating in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto, the organization partners with nearly 500 charities so kids who need a break from their challenges get to see their heroes up close.
Like Justin, an ll-year-old child prodigy violinist, who sustained brain damage following an accident: When Itzhak Perlman came to town, Kids Up Front made sure Justin was front and centre to hear his idol live in concert. It was an experience of a lifetime, says Dalziel, who reads everyone of the thank-you notes that fill his mail box. "It is clear from the gratitude of these kids that a ticket is more than just a ticket," he says. "It is a true nourishment of spirit."
Why he won: "Kids Up Front is a simple idea that has a big impact," says Today's Parent editor-in-chief Caroline Connell. "We're happy to support it."
What the money means: "This award will help fund our Can't Use Your Ticket? Redistribution program, as well as Kids Count!" says Cindy Graves, executive director of Kids Up Front Vancouver. "In that program, we add special-treatment extras like meals, transportation and autograph sessions with celebrities, so kids living in poverty feel like true VIPs."
TP - Randi Chapnik Myers 204 Todaysparent.com OCTOBER 2009 Charity puts "Kids Up Front" at Shen Yuen Published: June 30, 2009 Kids Up Front, a national charity that collects unused tickets for concerts, sporting events, and local plays and donates them to underprivileged children, will give a special “thank you” to a Vancouver group on Friday. The Vancouver Shen Yun Organizing Committee donated 525 tickets to the charity, enabling children to attend several Shen Yun Performing Arts shows at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in April...[Read More] Red Fox Fun at Sun Peaks Resort April 17, 2009 Thanks to Kids Up Front, Red Fox youth leaders participated in the annual "Sun Peaks Shares" event. This event sponsored by numerous businesses at Sun Peaks, provides a total ski and snowboard vacation to youth and families who face barriers to participating in winter sports. Local Charities Get Creative with Donating Options April 2, 2009 Amidst the economic crunch, two non-profits show the public that it doesn't take much to help those in need -- and to have fun doing it. Kids Up Front, which collects and redistributes tickets for events to underprivileged kids, recently saw a sharp decrease in corporate giving, so they launched kidsender.com in February... [Read More] Kids Up Front Featured in Ming Pao Saturday Magazine! Published: March 7, 2009
Job Skills Put to Good Use
Published: March 4, 2009 It took Cindy Graves about two minutes to find Marian Lewandowski a position when he inquired about becoming a volunteer with Kids Up Front. The international foundation works to give underprivileged children cultural and educational experience by collecting unused tickets for concerts, sporting events and plays and redistributing them to registered charities. Kids Up Front Takes Children to Head of the Line Group also helps provide chance to improve quality of life through medical assistance
Published: December 10, 2008
At first blush, Aidan Calhoun seems like your ordinary 11-year-old Grade 5 pupil. As many kids his age do, he loves sports, music and Nintendo games. He is a happy kid, who wants to be either a professional wrestler or monster-truck driver. But Aidan is rather extraordinary. First, his unique charm and winning smile make him instantly adored. Despite his positive attitude and engaging personality, Aidan has not had an easy life.
Benefactor Boosts Ballet BC's CoffersCompany asks public to buy tickets to The Nutcracker to secure future performances
Published: December 4, 2008 By Cindy Graves An anonymous benefactor has given a lift to cash-strapped Ballet BC. The troupe says it has reached its initial goal of 7,000 tickets sold for the holiday favourite The Nutcracker. The Moscow Classical Ballet's scheduled performances will go ahead as planned. The unnamed benefactor recently purchased 1,000 tickets, valued at just under $42,000, for donation to the non-profit Kids Up Front Foundation, which distributes tickets to socially and financially challenged children and families in the Lower Mainland, the foundation and the ballet company said Wednesday. (Read More) Free tickets to Madonna give hard-working teen something to remember
Published: October 30, 2008 Shawna Carter is taking her sister Angela to tonight's Madonna concert at B.C. Place, thanks to the ticket-distribution charity Kids Up Front. At 17, Shawna, who lives in Port Coquitlam, is out of school and learning job skills through the social services agency S.U.C.C.E.S.S. (Read More) Marty Zlotnik Now President of Board for Kids Up FrontPark Commissioner Plans to Increase Growing Charity's Influence October 16, 2008 Among appointing other business leaders in the city to the Vancouver-based charity's Board of Directors, the Kids Up Front board will now be presided by Marty Zlotnik. Marty is a recognized contributor to several organizations in Vancouver, and he has ambitious plans to help Kids Up Front make a greater impact on the lives of underprivileged kids throughout the Lower Mainland... (Read More) Charity Begins at (Your) Home
Two Good Causes BC Lawyers Should Support Published: October, 2008 By Tony Wilson In all the years of doing this, I have never thrown my support behind any particular charity or cause; until now. The first is called Kids Up Front, and it distributes what lawyers, accountants and other business people often have in abundance but sometimes can't use: tickets to sporting and cultural events that the firm has already paid for. How many times have you been told at the last minute that a client can't make tonight's hockey game -- "can you find a client that might want to go?" Sometimes other lawyers in the firm will grab the tickets because a last minute client can't be found. Other times no one will go because it's too late and everyone has made other plans ... (Read More) Finalists for community awards named
Published: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 Finalists for the 2008 Spirit of Vancouver community organization award were named on Monday by the Vancouver Board of Trade. Covenant House was nominated for its services as a youth shelter, Kids Up Front Foundation for providing unused entertainment tickets for at-risk youth, and S.U.C.C.E.S.S for enriching the lives of immigrants. This year the board will honour an individual with the first Bob Ackles award for individual or team excellence in the community. Other awards include police officer and firefighter of the year. Winners will be named at a Sept. 25 luncheon. Cops ticket underprivileged children for fun
Charity sends kids to sports, art and cultural events Published: Friday, August 15, 2008 Kids up Front, a program that distributes unused event tickets to needy children, is launching a new initiative called "positive ticketing" with the Vancouver Police Department. Through the initiative, officers will give potentially troubled youth tickets to sporting, recreation, arts and cultural events. The project was made possible through a $20,000 grant from the City of Vancouver's social planning department. Kids up Front spokesperson Cindy Graves said ... (Read More) Opening the stage for all to see
Group makes theatre more accessible for children and youth with challenges Published: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 One hundred under-privileged kids, along with their parents or guardians, will experience live theatre tonight when they attend the final dress rehearsal of the musical Jekyll and Hyde at Massey Theatre in New Westminster. Cindy Graves, executive director of Kids Up Front Foundation Vancouver, said socioeconomic barriers lessen when groups like Theatrix Youtheatre Society provide access to the arts for those who can't afford it. (Read More) Nine Year Old First Nations Girl Throws First Pitch at Canadians GameOn Thursday, July 31st at 6:50pm die-hard baseball fan Shea Jim will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Nat Bailey Stadium, when the Vancouver Canadians take on the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. Nine year old Shea is a self-described baseball nut, and she sees this opportunity as a 'big dream'. Shea's family was given tickets to the Canadians game by Kids Up Front, an organization that collects and redistributes event tickets to over 100 Vancouver-based charities. The tickets were donated by BC Hydro Power Smart and Global BC. (Read More) Kids Up Front donates tickets to the Surrey Children's Festival
Published: Monday, June 2, 2008 They emerged from the theatre beaming with excitement. Ten-year-old Laureen Watts and her little brother James, 8, and sister Leah, 2, had just seen a theatre show called Misstart at the Surrey Children's Festival. "It was cool and funny," said James before heading to other activities with his family at Bear Creek Park... (Read More) Kids Up Front Exceeds $10 Million in Ticket Donations Almost 400,00 tickets for life-changing experiences distributed to kids across Canada Kids Up Front Foundation announced this week that they have exceeded $10 million in donations of event tickets -- a total of 394,245 tickets distributed to children through more than 400 community service agencies in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto since the charity's inception in 2000. Kids Up Front is a national initiative that provides at-risk children and youth with access to sports, entertainment and cultural events through the distribution of unused tickets. (Read More) Needy kids get free tickets to see Whitecaps at home
Published: Saturday, May 10, 2008 Soccer I call it a life-changing moment. For both John Dalziel and the hundreds of thousands of at-risk children his Kids Up Front Foundation has helped since. It was 1999 and Dalziel was sitting with a friend in the front row of a world-event having received complimentary tickets. Dalziel left that night shaking his head. Not that he was disappointed with the performance... (Read More) KIDS BIZ Newsletters:Winter 2009, Volume 15July 2009, Volume 14March 2009, volume 13November 2008, Volume 12July 2008, volume 11March 2008, volume 10November 2007, volume 9March 2007, volume 8November 2006, volume 7July 2006, volume 6
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