I have been in Vancouver for literally three days and I haven't had a moment to stop for one minute...so here's a point form blog for you all to enjoy because I have 2 minutes before my volunteering shift starts...here we go
I have been running on...
- NO SLEEP
- Incredible LIVE Music (Concerts are EVERY night!)
- Meeting the World's best athletes
- Watching Jennifer win our first Silver Medal!!!! (teared up just a little bit)
- Molson Hockey House (enough said)
- Introducing the Minister of Tourism and Culture at Ontario House
- CanFUND House with Jane Roos :)
- Rain, rain and more rain (aka my hair is so curly its insane)
- So much red and white clothing we all look sooo patriotic i LOVE it
- Volunteering at Canada Olympic House with the best crew ever...team song soon?
Alright got to jet...having the time of my life!
Be back soon (hopefully)
xo
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
VANCOUVER
I didn't know what to expect flying out to an Olympics as Beijing starts to fade from people's memories. I was so excited that we were hosting the Games and bringing the world to this incredible city, but had to really come to terms with the fact that I was coming as a volunteer and spectator! Definitely a weird feeling, but the second I got here it has been unbelievable. The streets are lined with people in red and white, there are so many languages being spoken around me I find myself answering people in french or spanish and the Olympic spirit has definitely arrived.
Today I sat on the bus coming into downtown for my orientation meeting at Canada Olympic House and had a little girl plop down next to me. She was hard to miss. In a bright turquoise jacket, red Canada hat and big Canada purse, she was quite a sight. What caught my eye first out of everything was the lanyard around her neck covered in pins! For those of you who don't know this, athletes trade pins at every big Games with other countries and try and collect as many as they can. It sounds kind of weird, but my pins from the Olympics will be something I cherish forever.
It made me so happy to see her with all of them that I had to ask her about them. She proudly chatted my ear off for the next 20 minutes explaining where she got each one of them and why some were her favorites. She was so excited to be at the Olympics (also a Toronto native) and thought this was the biggest adventure of her life. I will remember that forever. Come to think of it, it's one of the biggest adventures of my life. My first Olympics in my country, working for the Canadian Olympic Committee, writing for CBC and soaking in this incredible feeling. It doesn't get any better than this.
Today I sat on the bus coming into downtown for my orientation meeting at Canada Olympic House and had a little girl plop down next to me. She was hard to miss. In a bright turquoise jacket, red Canada hat and big Canada purse, she was quite a sight. What caught my eye first out of everything was the lanyard around her neck covered in pins! For those of you who don't know this, athletes trade pins at every big Games with other countries and try and collect as many as they can. It sounds kind of weird, but my pins from the Olympics will be something I cherish forever.
It made me so happy to see her with all of them that I had to ask her about them. She proudly chatted my ear off for the next 20 minutes explaining where she got each one of them and why some were her favorites. She was so excited to be at the Olympics (also a Toronto native) and thought this was the biggest adventure of her life. I will remember that forever. Come to think of it, it's one of the biggest adventures of my life. My first Olympics in my country, working for the Canadian Olympic Committee, writing for CBC and soaking in this incredible feeling. It doesn't get any better than this.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
WRITING FOR CBC SPORTS
Hey Everyone!
Check out my articles on www.cbc.ca/olympics! I will be writing through the 2010 Games on my experiences out West and would love for you all to follow them :)
GO CANADA!
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/blogs/alexandraorlando/2010/02/pressure-and-the-canadian-athlete.html
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/blogs/alexandraorlando/2010/01/the-icing-on-the-cake.html
Check out my articles on www.cbc.ca/olympics! I will be writing through the 2010 Games on my experiences out West and would love for you all to follow them :)
GO CANADA!
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/blogs/alexandraorlando/2010/02/pressure-and-the-canadian-athlete.html
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/blogs/alexandraorlando/2010/01/the-icing-on-the-cake.html
Friday, February 5, 2010
Why is it so hard to get a City Councillor on the phone?
Next Tuesday there is a North York Community Council meeting being held, where Havergal College will be making a deputation against the proposed billboard variance by Abcom Media. If you're wondering how I'm even involved with this, I used to be a Havergal girl once upon a time and now find myself back in the halls as an Institute Program Coordinator. This issue first came up a year ago, where a letter of protest from our Principal Dr. Susan R. Groesbeck with a petition of now over 800 signatures was sent out to Mayor David Miller and Councillor Karen Stintz for our ward, including others. With no response, it seems as if our beloved politicians are trying to slip something past the public yet again, but is that really a surprise?
The new billboard or just a replacement sign as it is being referred to, will be a brand new carbon consuming, bright eyesore to the quiet neighborhood of Avenue and Lawrence. Very noticeable from Havergal grounds, but also across the street from a set of condominiums. As quiet as this matter has been kept, there are probably a number of people that will have a shining sign beaming down on their homes 24/7 that don't even know it. Although Councillor Stintz does reassure us that it will not be a flashing video sign, they tried to pull that one in California a year ago too, I'm not buying it. It's only a matter of time before a new bylaw comes into action and just an improved sign becomes a gimmicky, consumer driven distraction. Not to mention the environmental concerns that this poses on our community. The carbon consumption alone is enough to power 13 homes. So long story short, the detriment to our community is far greater than the benefits (what are those again?).
Before we head into the meeting next week, I spent all afternoon calling each City Councillor that would be in attendance. I can't help but laugh when I recall the curt rejections from their secretaries or the empty promises of a call back. The one and only Councillor that was willing to take my call was none other than Karen Stintz, the very person Havergal has not heard back from since they first contacted her last May. Once I made it clear that I was calling on behalf of the Institute, she didn't seem pleased I had kept that little fact from her secretary. I felt as though once I finally had her attention, I was being rushed off the phone. She didn't understand where Havergal was coming from (maybe that's why she never responded), but she definitely does now. Did I mention that City Staff recommended against this proposal and somehow it's still getting pushed through?
The new billboard or just a replacement sign as it is being referred to, will be a brand new carbon consuming, bright eyesore to the quiet neighborhood of Avenue and Lawrence. Very noticeable from Havergal grounds, but also across the street from a set of condominiums. As quiet as this matter has been kept, there are probably a number of people that will have a shining sign beaming down on their homes 24/7 that don't even know it. Although Councillor Stintz does reassure us that it will not be a flashing video sign, they tried to pull that one in California a year ago too, I'm not buying it. It's only a matter of time before a new bylaw comes into action and just an improved sign becomes a gimmicky, consumer driven distraction. Not to mention the environmental concerns that this poses on our community. The carbon consumption alone is enough to power 13 homes. So long story short, the detriment to our community is far greater than the benefits (what are those again?).
Before we head into the meeting next week, I spent all afternoon calling each City Councillor that would be in attendance. I can't help but laugh when I recall the curt rejections from their secretaries or the empty promises of a call back. The one and only Councillor that was willing to take my call was none other than Karen Stintz, the very person Havergal has not heard back from since they first contacted her last May. Once I made it clear that I was calling on behalf of the Institute, she didn't seem pleased I had kept that little fact from her secretary. I felt as though once I finally had her attention, I was being rushed off the phone. She didn't understand where Havergal was coming from (maybe that's why she never responded), but she definitely does now. Did I mention that City Staff recommended against this proposal and somehow it's still getting pushed through?
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
Sprott Supports Canadian Elite Athletes
Canadian Investment firm to celebrate each victory in Vancouver with $100,000 donation each time a Canadian athlete wins gold
Toronto, February 4, 2010 – Sprott Asset Management LP knows a thing or two about gold. And today CEO Eric Sprott announced support for Canadian athletes with a unique pledge, the Sprott Canadian Gold Metal Celebration. Each time a gold medal is won in Vancouver, Sprott Asset Management LP, in conjunction with The Sprott Foundation will donate $100,000 to the Canadian Athletes Now Fund (CAN Fund), a not-for-profit organization devoted solely to raising funds and awareness of Canadian athletes.
“With our Canadian athletes competing for gold against the best in the world, we wanted to celebrate their success in achieving their goals by supporting the CAN Fund, which provides direct funding to Canadian athletes,” said Eric Sprott, CEO, Sprott Asset Management LP. “As an investment firm, we’ve delivered results to our clients by making big bets on the future —and we wanted to use the same approach to build on our athletes’ successes in Vancouver by providing funding for our athletes on a longer term basis.”
Sprott says he chose to partner with CAN Fund for its track record in being the leader in direct funding for Canadian athletes, many of whom struggle to meet even basic training expenses, let alone the international travel required to compete at world-class levels. Donations are allocated by athletes for equipment, coaching, travel, team fees, proper nutrition and living expenses as they train out of the spotlight to become world class athletes.
“Today Eric Sprott reminds all Canadians to celebrate excellence and the necessity of providing ongoing direct funding to our athletes,” says Jane Roos, the founder of CAN Fund. “For years the CAN Fund has been building the relationship between our summer and winter athletes encouraging them to work together. In one week, many of our winter athletes will realize their dream of standing on the podium. Sprott’s generosity helps ensure our winter athletes’ success will fuel the dreams of summer athletes in the future.”
Roos said that an initial gesture of support by Sprott—a $210,000 donation to CAN Fund through the Sprott Foundation—has effectively cleared the backlog of winter athlete funding requests.
“Funding has increased for athletes competing in Vancouver, but what many Canadians probably don’t know is that 42 per cent of our winter athletes who are ranked in the global top ten still have net negative incomes,” says Ben Rutledge, 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist in Rowing.
The Sprott Canadian Gold Metal Celebration will feature a website www.sprottgoldpledge.com—set up to encourage others in Corporate Canada to join in celebrating each hard fought success of Canadian athletes in February. Sprott says this is a critical time to celebrate victory since an athlete has never won a gold medal on Canadian soil during the Olympics in Montreal (1976) and Calgary (1988).
Canadian Investment firm to celebrate each victory in Vancouver with $100,000 donation each time a Canadian athlete wins gold
Toronto, February 4, 2010 – Sprott Asset Management LP knows a thing or two about gold. And today CEO Eric Sprott announced support for Canadian athletes with a unique pledge, the Sprott Canadian Gold Metal Celebration. Each time a gold medal is won in Vancouver, Sprott Asset Management LP, in conjunction with The Sprott Foundation will donate $100,000 to the Canadian Athletes Now Fund (CAN Fund), a not-for-profit organization devoted solely to raising funds and awareness of Canadian athletes.
“With our Canadian athletes competing for gold against the best in the world, we wanted to celebrate their success in achieving their goals by supporting the CAN Fund, which provides direct funding to Canadian athletes,” said Eric Sprott, CEO, Sprott Asset Management LP. “As an investment firm, we’ve delivered results to our clients by making big bets on the future —and we wanted to use the same approach to build on our athletes’ successes in Vancouver by providing funding for our athletes on a longer term basis.”
Sprott says he chose to partner with CAN Fund for its track record in being the leader in direct funding for Canadian athletes, many of whom struggle to meet even basic training expenses, let alone the international travel required to compete at world-class levels. Donations are allocated by athletes for equipment, coaching, travel, team fees, proper nutrition and living expenses as they train out of the spotlight to become world class athletes.
“Today Eric Sprott reminds all Canadians to celebrate excellence and the necessity of providing ongoing direct funding to our athletes,” says Jane Roos, the founder of CAN Fund. “For years the CAN Fund has been building the relationship between our summer and winter athletes encouraging them to work together. In one week, many of our winter athletes will realize their dream of standing on the podium. Sprott’s generosity helps ensure our winter athletes’ success will fuel the dreams of summer athletes in the future.”
Roos said that an initial gesture of support by Sprott—a $210,000 donation to CAN Fund through the Sprott Foundation—has effectively cleared the backlog of winter athlete funding requests.
“Funding has increased for athletes competing in Vancouver, but what many Canadians probably don’t know is that 42 per cent of our winter athletes who are ranked in the global top ten still have net negative incomes,” says Ben Rutledge, 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist in Rowing.
The Sprott Canadian Gold Metal Celebration will feature a website www.sprottgoldpledge.com—set up to encourage others in Corporate Canada to join in celebrating each hard fought success of Canadian athletes in February. Sprott says this is a critical time to celebrate victory since an athlete has never won a gold medal on Canadian soil during the Olympics in Montreal (1976) and Calgary (1988).
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
VolWeb.ca Newsletter February 2010 - Featuring AthletesCAN!
Winter Games Countdown
Only 12 more days until the start of the 2010 Winter Games! Whether you are volunteering at a community celebration, going to a competition venue or enjoying the various events and pavilions around the city, we hope everyone has a great time during the Games.
As we welcome the world to British Columbia , we also want to celebrate the commitment and dedication of Games-time volunteers. Numerous volunteers were recruited through VolWeb.ca for celebration events across the Province.
During the 2010 Winter Games, VolWeb.ca staff will be temporarily assigned to roles outside of 2010 Legacies Now through Feb. 26, 2010, and support will be limited during this time. Please contact us with any non-urgent business after Feb. 26. For urgent support requests, email volwebsupport@2010legaciesnow.com.
AthletesCAN – FEATURED ORGANIZATION
AthletesCAN, the association of Canada ’s national team athletes, was started in 1992 by a group of retired Canadian athletes with a goal of creating an independent voice for athletes across Canada .
AthletesCAN started working with VolWeb.ca to find volunteers and Ashley Kilburn, Manager of Athlete Relations & Strategic Partnerships, says, "It was great – I was able to narrow down my search to find those who had the experience we were looking for to ensure our event was successful."
Throughout these events, one volunteer stood out in Ashley’s mind: VolWeb.ca volunteer Bill D. "Not only did he have an amazing resume of volunteer experience in sports but he knew how to run an event and he was able to give us pointers!" Ashley explains, "He was there almost every day we were, did not hesitate to take on any task and was incredibly pro-active – he definitely made our lives easier and we would not have been able to do it without him!"
VolWeb.ca would like to recognize AthletesCAN for supporting our Canadian athletes and making such a great contribution to the community!
Only 12 more days until the start of the 2010 Winter Games! Whether you are volunteering at a community celebration, going to a competition venue or enjoying the various events and pavilions around the city, we hope everyone has a great time during the Games.
As we welcome the world to British Columbia , we also want to celebrate the commitment and dedication of Games-time volunteers. Numerous volunteers were recruited through VolWeb.ca for celebration events across the Province.
During the 2010 Winter Games, VolWeb.ca staff will be temporarily assigned to roles outside of 2010 Legacies Now through Feb. 26, 2010, and support will be limited during this time. Please contact us with any non-urgent business after Feb. 26. For urgent support requests, email volwebsupport@2010legaciesnow.com.
AthletesCAN – FEATURED ORGANIZATION
AthletesCAN, the association of Canada ’s national team athletes, was started in 1992 by a group of retired Canadian athletes with a goal of creating an independent voice for athletes across Canada .
AthletesCAN started working with VolWeb.ca to find volunteers and Ashley Kilburn, Manager of Athlete Relations & Strategic Partnerships, says, "It was great – I was able to narrow down my search to find those who had the experience we were looking for to ensure our event was successful."
Throughout these events, one volunteer stood out in Ashley’s mind: VolWeb.ca volunteer Bill D. "Not only did he have an amazing resume of volunteer experience in sports but he knew how to run an event and he was able to give us pointers!" Ashley explains, "He was there almost every day we were, did not hesitate to take on any task and was incredibly pro-active – he definitely made our lives easier and we would not have been able to do it without him!"
VolWeb.ca would like to recognize AthletesCAN for supporting our Canadian athletes and making such a great contribution to the community!
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Adelaide Club
HELP THEM SUPPORT US
By Joining the Adelaide Club you will help support Canadian National Team Athletes through the CAN FUND! This incredible charity started by Jane Roos, one of the most influential women in Canadian sport, gives athletes struggling to train and compete for this country the means to keep going. There are still about 60 Canadians who will represent us in the Vancouver 2010 Games that do not have any government funding. They have found a way to qualify for the Olympics with the help of their family, friends and people like Jane Roos. Find out more about the CAN Fund at www.canadianathletesnow.com and see how you can contribute!
On behalf of all Canadian athletes, I can't thank the Adelaide Club and the Can Fund enough for everything they have done for us.
GO CANADA!
http://www.adelaideclub.com/
By Joining the Adelaide Club you will help support Canadian National Team Athletes through the CAN FUND! This incredible charity started by Jane Roos, one of the most influential women in Canadian sport, gives athletes struggling to train and compete for this country the means to keep going. There are still about 60 Canadians who will represent us in the Vancouver 2010 Games that do not have any government funding. They have found a way to qualify for the Olympics with the help of their family, friends and people like Jane Roos. Find out more about the CAN Fund at www.canadianathletesnow.com and see how you can contribute!
On behalf of all Canadian athletes, I can't thank the Adelaide Club and the Can Fund enough for everything they have done for us.
GO CANADA!
http://www.adelaideclub.com/
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