Helping Slave Lake
(Photo: CTV Edmonton)
Hi Edmonton.
As news of the devastating fire in Slave Lake, Alberta continues to come in, you might be wondering what you can do, sitting here in non-burning Edmonton, to help folks in this northwestern Alberta town. There are a few things you can do. And they are really simple, but could mean a lot to someone who has lost everything. (You also don’t have to feel any pressure to donate, we just want to let you know there are a few options out there in case you’re sitting like us, staring at the terrifying images of fire and burned-out buildings, feeling a lousy combination of terror, sympathy, and powerlessness.)
Just a quick note to anyone who hasn’t seen much on the story: Slave Lake, Alberta is a natural resources town (primarily lumber and forestry products) a couple of hours northwest of Edmonton. Dry, windy conditions have contributed to wildfires in Alberta, and the town was preparing for this as it became surrounded by fires. This weekend, the fires moved into the town, and everyone was ordered to get out last night.
The Red Cross (still helping Japan after its earthquake and tsunami) has its Alberta branch working on relief in Slave Lake. You can always donate to the Red Cross at its website.
#YEGHelps is also organizing collections here in Edmonton. You can donate household items and clothes. There are plenty of donation sites in Edmonton, and around the Capital Region.
You can let us know if there are any other donation drives or ways to help in the comments.
It’s a Stache-off!
It's Moustache vs. Moustache for your votes!
Before this year’s Movember festivities began I had never worn a moustache longer than a day, and only as a gag. When I first shaved at the start of November, my eyes filled with dread as I looked at the comically foreign face staring back in the mirror.
I’m going to look like this for a gods damn month?
But a strange thing happened in the weeks that followed, my moustache started receiving compliments. Real and genuine compliments from complete strangers.
It seemed Movember had turned the public’s ironic love of moustaches for into an honest appreciation for the art. I began to wonder if the ‘stache suited me; maybe my lip rug had fashionable merit? I flirted with the idea of keeping the cookie duster beyond Movember.
That is, until this week, when my moustache’s girth turned problematic. The month-old ‘stache became a prickly nuisance, curling into my lips and mouth. It also managed to soak up and retain any liquid I attempted to drink like a sponge. But the last straw came last night when I discovered my moustache had caught a booger and left it dangling in plain sight for hours; causing me to misinterpret why the cute girl at the grocery store was checking me out.
However, before my moustache meets its end, there is some business to attend to. Loyal edmontonian readers will recall a challenge I presented to Mr. Adam Rozenhart, a bitter duel of moustaches and a fight for Mo’supremacy. A Stache-Off, if you will.
What’s at stake? A $50 Movember donation to the winner (me) from the loser (Adam).
The Movember Stache-Off victor (surely me) will be determined by you (you) the reader! Place your vote in the comments below and help us decide who has the richer, fuller, most badass moustache in E-town!
But before you vote, I’d like to take a second to thank everyone who spared a few dollars to The Burt Reynolds Express, our team managed to raise $800 this Movember! Even more stunning, Adam reached his goal and pulled down $1000 in donations all on his own!
Thanks to everyone, whoever you donated to. Now get voting (for Gregg)!
Movember: The Burt Reynolds Express
Donate to that moustache!
(Editor’s note: Gregg is our Movember man. Mostly we’re letting him blog about it so we have creepy moustache pictures to creep on. Also, you should donate and stuff.)
By Gregg Beever
Amongst my friends I am often one of the loudest voices. I’ve got big, loud opinions that need to be heard. When it comes to my family, however, I am pretty quiet.
I was always shy as a kid, particularly at family events. Most of my cousins were quite a bit older than I, which played into my shy nature. To this day at family gatherings I tend to revert to my timid, 10-year-old self, shying away from conversation.
My uncle Ches manages to bring me out of my shell a little bit. He’s a very approachable guy, always smiling, always cracking jokes, and never fails to ask how you are doing. For someone who tightens up around family, it helps to have someone like Ches around to get me talking and feeling a bit more comfortable.
About a year ago Ches was diagnosed with colon cancer, and began a lengthy treatment process battling the invading disease. Ches is a dedicated family man, and it’s tough when bad things happen to good people.
Thankfully, my uncle is now cancer-free and recovering well. But cancer is a frightening illness that can instantly change the lives of entire families. I feel very fortunate to not have lost anyone close to me to the disease.
Of course, there are many who have not been as fortunate, which is why supporting the fight for a cure is so important.
Thus, my friends and I are doing our part by growing big, badass moustaches for Movember. (more…)
Keep CJSR cool (or, why I’m donating to the FunDrive)
Just one of the many fine prizes you get, simply for donating.
I’m probably boring you with all my talk of CJSR’s FunDrive. But I’m not done yet.
Today, I donated. I really, actually, finally donated. And, if you’ve got a few bucks, I think CJSR is a cause worth some of your money.
Since Edmonton has more radio stations, per capita, than anywhere else in Canada, you can get lost in a sea of signals playing the same Black Eye Peas or Nickelback songs.
CJSR (and the always mentioned CKUA) isn’t like that.
With its varied and eclectic shows, produced and hosted by volunteers, you’ll hear more music, more genres, in a day than all of those commercial radio stations could play in a month. I guarantee it.
And we can bask in this endless music, and music knowledge, for a paltry $125,000. Surely you’ll help meet that goal.
Do it for music! Do it for local! Do it for Chad and Colin who are secretly the best morning show hosts in all the city! Do it so we have a station that goes out of its way to not play the same songs over and over!
Oh, and if you’re in the mood to donate to original, local media we’re always accepting sweet moola.
Help us with the greatest birthday present ever
We don’t know if you know this, but our pals, Scott and Adam, over at The Unknown Studio, are HUGE Star Trek fans.
HUGE.
Like, they will have important and interesting guests on their show and spend precious podcast seconds, minutes even, talking about Star Trek. They love it that much.
So, they’re celebrating one year of podcasting in our fair city and we here at the edmontonian wanted to buy them something for their birthday. But what could we get them? What could say that we’re good friends and we pay attention when they talk?
Something Star Trek, of course.
But not just anything. No. Something awesome. Something great.
A live phone call from Marina Sirtis, the actress who starred as Counselor Deanna Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation (Adam’s favourite of the Treks) for seven years.
That’s why we’re asking you to help us out, Edmonton. Chip in a few bucks by clicking that PayPal button below and help us buy a fantastic present for two of the city’s biggest Star Trek fans. We’ll get Ms. Sirtis to call Scott and Adam at a big birthday party, later this summer.
Donate to the Unknown Studio Star Trek phone call fund now, donate often! (We’ll be sure to write your name in the birthday card.)
If we don’t make it to $300 we’ll just get them a Happy Birthday greeting from Mr. Belding.
We always appreciate your help
Hey there, Edmonton.
You might have noticed some new buttons on our sidebar, over there, to the right of these very words.
One is bright yellow and has a beautiful gold running shoe in it. That funky little ad takes you on the way to our PayPal donation page. Yes, we’re now openly soliciting you for money.
But it’s not actually for gold shoes. Yet.
It’s our attempt to start growing the edmontonian bigger and better. We love when we get stories and opinions and photos and videos from you, and we’d like to keep growing that relationship. We’d also love to get to the point where we could do this more of the time, and maybe even slide YOU a few bucks for helping.
So, when you’re dumping a fistful of quarters into newspaper boxes I hope you’ll think of us, and how we’re not even putting a definitive price tag on the cost of readership. We don’t think you have to pay $1 a day, or even a week. Heck, $10 a year from you could run this whole operation at tremendous new levels.
Though, if you like this idea, we’re going to have to think up great rewards for your financial contributions…perhaps giant clocks.
The other new button over there is a revamped link to our Cafe Press store. Oh yeah, we’ve got new stuff in there! Hilarious stuff.
The other ads and links are from various friends and if you want to check them out, we say you do it.
All in all, this is just one of many “thank you” letters we’ve written, to thank you for reading, for contributing, and for being a part of the Edmonton conversation.
Why didn't anyone tell me the Dawson Bridge was out? (Photo: Brittney Le Blanc)
Help a fellow citizen, a public servant
(Reprinted with permission from Adam at The Unknown Studio.)
I’m sure many Edmontonians heard and were disgusted by the vicious, unprovoked attack on a City bus driver this week. According to passenger accounts, someone boarded the bus, got miffed that the driver wouldn’t allow him to ride unless he paid, and even when passengers fronted this guy the change to ride, he started punching the driver, dragging him off the bus and mercilessly beating him.
When I heard this story, I felt sick to my stomach. Of course it was a random act of violence. That’s what made it so terrifying.
Thankfully, as City Councilor Don Iveson pointed out in a recent tweet, the alleged perpetrator was apprehended:
“An ETS bus operator was assaulted very seriously this morning. Police caught the guy. Assholes beware, buses have cameras http://is.gd/5bMXA“
But now an Edmonton-area family has to worry about a father and brother who did nothing but his job. I asked the City of Edmonton on Twitter if there was somewhere people could donate money to help the family out. Hey, it’s the season of giving, and I don’t know about you but if my dad were in a condition like that I would be so grateful to have the community rally behind me and help out.
That’s what it means to be part of a society. Helping others.
The City responded this afternoon:
“Trust fund has been established @ River City Credit Union (any branch) for ppl who wish to donate to driver Tom Bregg’s recovery.”
I know it’s not a whole pile of cash, but I’m going to be donating $50 to this fund, and hopefully Tom Bregg’s family will have one or two less things to worry about this holiday season.
I challenge each and everyone of you readers out there to throw some money toward the Bregg family as well. Pledge your donation in the comments, and get to any River City Credit Union branch and donate to the fund.
And stay safe out there, everyone.
