Sometimes in Life its Just about a Feeling. Today was M.S. Society of B.C. Bicycle Tour which is…read morenot only a fundraiser but a community event. I volunteered as a Cycle Tour Leader for 60k route which takes your thought Burnaby and then to Vancouver Bike-ways which ends in a rally & lunch at Strathcona park. The themes of today's event was Hope which was evident from the Feelings of it Participants and Volunteers. A group of about 250 embarked on a route supported by Volunteers who stood at key route points leading the way. Rest Stops had modest snacks but with Larger the Life Encouragement. I was pleased to take part in the important work of this M.S Society today and with encourage others to learn about their work and mission in our community.

Please stop sending me cards, labels and notepads in the mail. I haven't donated through this means…read morein ages and it makes no sense that if you're trying to raise money why you would use our volunteer dollars to print these free gifts without our approval or permission. Shouldn't we make a donation first and then you can give us a thank you gift. Or better, how about the donations that we do make actually goes toward MS instead of printed media mail with only a 10% return in donations for free cards? I really want to support MS, especially their marathons and runs, however, I know that money raised will go toward print material and administration and very little toward the cause itself. That is not to say that administration should cost anything and that people shouldn't be paid but there needs to be a larger more respectable percentage. Besides my rant there is a practical cause to my review. I have called and asked them many times to please stop sending me print materials and cards, save some printing cost and yet they still send me stuff which makes me annoyed and disappointed as to where everyone's dollar is going to. The communication, even though the lady on the phone was nice, goes un acknowledged. I have this pet peeve when it comes to communication or in this case, lack of.

Some of you readers know this: I participate in a ton of 5k's, 10k's and some half marathons. I…read morehave participated in the Light the Night walk nearly every year for the past 25 years. It's an annual event that takes place in every major Canadian and American city - and most smaller cities, too, - organized by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I did this walk every year in Seattle when I lived there, and I've done this walk every year, since I moved here to Vancouver. It is always held in mid-October, and it is the most amazing walking event of all the hundreds I've been on. I admit upfront that I have a personal connection to this cause: both my younger sisters died from leukemia (as well as a good friend of mine, too, this past year). But even if I didn't have this personal connection, I'd still report that this walk is the most magical and powerful of all. The last few years, I've had a friend and her boyfriend join me and they have no personal connection to the cause, and they were blown away by this walk. BLOWN AWAY. So what makes this event so unique and special? So it always begins at dusk, and takes place as the sun sets and the night turns to black. There is always a thousand or more walkers. Each walker is given an illuminated lantern (red lanterns to those family and friends who support someone afflicted with blood cancers, gold lanterns to those who've lost someone to blood cancers, and white lanterns to survivors or those in remission). The Vancouver LTN walk begins and ends at Lumberman's Arch in Stanley Park. The route wends its way clockwise along the seawall, past Brockton Point and the lighthouse there, the Nine O'Clock Gun, Hallelujah Point, the Row Club, up past Poet's Corner and back to Lumberman's Arch. Imagine if you will this walk as the sun goes down and the sky goes from reds and orange to periwinkle to lavender to navy to black, with the ocean on your left, the waters angry from the wind, turning the corner at the Brockton lighthouse to see the Vancouver skyline lit up like a jewel against the night sky. Furthermore, imagine in this scene a mile-long line (or more!) of a thousand walkers (or more), each holding aloft an illuminated lantern, undulating and moving en masse along the seawall, with glowing lanterns held high. As the sky turns black, all one can see is a mile-long line of lit lanterns, literally as far as the eye can see, ahead of you and behind. It is the most aesthetically beautiful (and somewhat surreal) visual ever seen on any walk. Add to this experience the bagpiper. Vancouver's LTN walk is unique from others, not only because of the amazing location in Stanley Park along the seawall, but because they have a portion of the walk titled "the kilometer of remembrance", and there they've erected posters of photos and names of those family and friends of ours who have passed away, and they have a bagpiper playing along this stretch. It's so powerful and the music, so plaintive. At the end of the walk, they've another stretch of posters depicting photos of survivors. This area is titled "the kilometer of hope", and there are SO many photos here of babies and toddlers and young men and women, and some older folks too, all who have survived. And that's what we're all walking for: to see more and more of these photos in this area every year. Other amazing aspects of this walk: they have an opening ceremony prior to the walk with amazing speakers, some survivors who tell their personal stories, and even a professional dance class warm-up! They provide the best food for walkers, ever, including SUCH good hotdogs that they grill up on the spot (they taste like Costco hotdogs - which I think are the best!), tons of snacks and fruit, etc. For those of us walking in memory of people, they have a "remembrance ceremony" where we honor our loved ones by lighting candles and/or posting their photos and/or writing about them in scrapbooks, and we can get comfort in a few moments of quiet reflection surrounded by other people who share our experience. (It's always helpful to me to know that the organizers of this walk offer resources to us all - those afflicted, family members, and those of us who grieve). The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is a top-notch organization. For these LTN walks, they've really thought of everything. The Vancouver walk is probably the best LTN around (I know people who participate in this walk in other cities. None have all the bells and whistles that the Van walk has). Of all the charitable events I participate in, and all the walks and runs and races (of which there's been hundreds), the Van LTN walk is the most beautiful and uplifting event there is, consistently, year after year.

BC Centre for Ability This Non-profit organization provides…read morecommunity based to enhance the quality of life for children, youth with special needs and adults with disabilities program. Registered Charity # 132004169 RR 0001 Main Office : 2805 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5R 5H9 Tel: (604) 451-5511 Fax: (604) 451-5651 Burnaby Office : 301 - 4460 Beresford Street, Burnaby, BC V5H 0B7 Tel: (778) 328-1625 Fax: (778) 328-1630 Richmond Office: 3368 Carscallen Road, Richmond, BC V6X 2H6 North Shore Office: 304 - 267 Esplanade West North Vancouver, BC V7M 1A5 This Non-profit organization needs our support regularly to continue their program for youth and adults with disabilities throughout British Columbia. Please also help the disabled people family to take care of their family member after work.

Great organization and staff! The society has helped my family with education, support and…read moreopportunities to connect with other families who are on the same journey with Alzheimer. I'm happy to help them as an advocate, donor, fundraiser and volunteer.

I was able to watch / observe a wonderful guide dog 'learning' experience up close and personal…read morelast year that impressed, and really touched me. A young, visually-impaired lady, a young, out in-training guide dog, and nearby, a 'trainer' to assist / help / encourage as required -- and the dog's first encounter with getting on a bus, coupled with the noisy, mechanical, wheelchair lift, et al. I came home so totally impressed, and captured by the event I had witnessed, I decided to research some of 'who', 'what', and 'where' of such operations. Since then, for me, it has been to follow and give to the efforts of 'BC & Alberta Guide Dogs'. I like what this organization, and the wonderful dogs they train, can do to enable such much-needed help to those with impaired abilities.

As an intern at Fored BC Society, I've had the opportunity to see firsthand how this organization…read moresupports environmental education across British Columbia. Their resources are thoughtfully designed, engaging, and highly informative, making complex topics about forests, wildlife, and conservation accessible for students of all ages. I particularly appreciate how the materials encourage hands-on learning and critical thinking, which makes it easier for teachers and parents to inspire curiosity about nature. For anyone looking to introduce children to Canada's natural environment, or to supplement classroom learning with interactive, credible, accurate, and well-structured content, Fored BC Society is an invaluable partner.

The Surfrider Foundation is a grassroots, non-profit, environmental organization that works to…read moreprotect our oceans, waves, and beaches. The Surfrider Foundation was established in 1984 and the Vancouver chapter began in 2005. I am supporting the fight against plastic bags here in Vancouver, Please read further and join the campaign. www.riseaboveplastics.org Surfrider uses grassroots activism to help protect our oceans, waves and beaches. We are coastal advocates focused on inspiring change to ensure the adequate protection and management of our coastal ecosystems. Here in British Columbia, Canada we currently have two chapters (Vancouver and Vancouver Island, there were formerly two chapters on Vancouver Island: Victoria and Tofino). Together we work to educate our communities on the importance of water quality, the hydrologic cycle, low impact development, being conscious consumers and environmental conservation. We also monitor local waste treatment facilities, water quality testing, and coastal development projects (such as the Olympic Village on False Creek, Jordan River in Victoria, and the Catface Mountain mining exploration in Tofino). We are currently working with a coalition of local environmental groups to raise awareness on the adverse effects of single-use plastics in our marine environments. We are also actively monitoring local policies pertaining to plastics and we are working with our corporate sponsors to minimize their reliance on plastic products. There are numerous volunteer opportunities and you do not need to be a plastics expert to get involved. We encourage you to learn more about RAP at http://www.riseaboveplastics.org

Location: At St. Paul's hospital on Burrard north of Nelson…read more Parking: There are a bunch of Parking lots bit you could probably just jump on a street parking spot, jump out and admire the lights a jump back in and drive away before anyone realized what you did! The goods: The lights. They are beautiful and change over time. I was sitting i the burgoo across the street and watched the light show cycle through. The lights represent donations and im glad there are so many lights!!!

The Lights of Hope is an annual celebration featuring fireworks and the turning on the enormous…read morelight display on the exterior of St. Paul's Hospital, located at 1081 Burrard Street. We attendants gather across the street from the hospital, on Burrard by Helmcken Streets, where there are fenced-off areas and multitudes of patrolling police officers directing traffic and reminding people where to stand. There's also a stage where there are speeches and choirs singing, and there also are tents with Santa (great place to get your Santa photos! Mrs. Claus is always there too!), and tents from radio stations, and a Starbucks tent giving out free coffee and hot chocolate, and a few food trucks, too. All in all, it's a great way to kick off the holiday season, as this event always takes place mid-November, and once the lights are on, they're up until Boxing Day. The hospital façade is so beautifully illuminated, it's a fabulous backdrop for photos (there's also a multi-colored light tunnel!), and a super place to take out-of-towners for a few awesome photos. Also makes a great backdrop for your Christmas cards! This annual event is free, but donations are VERY welcome, all monies going to the St. Paul's Foundation, for the hospital. So.... awesome cause here. They've made donating super convenient this year, too; along with being able to donate online, at the site there is a "Living Light" - a large star over a freestanding red metal box, right by the light tunnel. Here you can tap your credit card and choose the amount you wish to donate and that action lights up the large star. And the kick-off show is pretty spectacular. I've gone to this event every year since I moved here nearly three years ago, and it's always fun. The highlight, of course, is the turning on of the lights and the fireworks (which occurs simultaneously). The fireworks go off for a sustained 5 minutes and they always are spectacular. It's hard critiquing a worthwhile charitable event, but it's important to keep it real so readers who plan on attending this event in the future can plan accordingly. Some years this event is more organized then others. It's always crowded so plan on going early to get a decent vantage point across from the hospital, against the fence. But if you're not into crowds and getting jostled a lot, think twice about coming to this event. This year there were a few minor issues that impacted some of us, so I feel compelled to mention them: -in advance of this event, the media stressed that the "Celebration" begins at 6pm. All the people around me (and I) arrived early to get a good spot. One lady was wheeling her very elderly mom in a wheelchair. There were other seniors around me. Keep in mind that it's not easy for geriatric folks to stand for extended periods outside, in jostling crowds, in the elements, with screaming kids and all. It's not easy for the young kids, too, to be still for so long. We all expected the fireworks to start at 6pm or soon after. Well, this year, they did not. At about 6:15 a Childrens choir came on. They were very adorable but very discordant and the novelty and cuteness of the juvenile renderings of familiar songs wore off around song #3. They sang for a good 15 minutes. The lady beside me whispered her mom in the wheelchair would need her oxygen canister soon. Another lady beside me asked a nearby cop when the light show would start; the cop just shrugged and said it's anyone's guess. Then a guy came on stage and spoke of the charitable foundation, and some folks came up to present him with some incredibly generous checks, then more speeches, then the Mens Choir came on stage to sing. (They were phenomenal, BTW). The wheelchair mom was getting chilled so I offered her my scarf, and a lovely Japanese lady offered her mittens. At this time it was 6:30. FINALLY the fireworks went off at 6:40. They were wonderful as usual. But my point of all this is, you might be standing outside for a long time waiting for the main attraction here. We all commented that it really would do us all a favor if they published in advance a schedule of events, so we could arrive on time for the attractions we wished to see or hear. Standing in place outside for nearly an hour (for most of us, as we were early), was really tough - especially for seniors and very young toddlers. -another issue this year had to do with the Santa pictures. They ask for a $10 donation. I wanted to take a picture with the Big Guy (and I think it's a worthwhile donation, too), but I had a $20 and they couldn't break it. So ... no photo, no donation. Seems they should be able to make change. I encourage anyone in the downtown area to detour down Burrard a few blocks to check out the gorgeous lights on St. Paul's. And try to come to the fireworks show next year, too (hopefully they'll publish a schedule of events!). And if possible, check out the Living Star by the tunnel and consider making a donation!