"Cause I Can" Judith Cantor's fundraising projects

Thanks to everyone who has already donated to www.everydayhero.com.au/The_Paddle_Steamers in our bid to raise $5000 for Lifestart. Your support is greatly appreciated! With your money Lifestart will be able to detect and provide the relevant support to kids who have Down Syndrome, Autism and other symptoms of developmental delay.

Remember that all donations of more than $2 are tax deductible - and they all add up, no matter how small!

Thank you.

Heave ho!

I feel another challenge coming on...

On 28 March, I will be participating in Kayak 4 Kids in support of Lifestart, a co-operative focused on early childhood intervention program for children with developmental delay. Actually, it won't only be me taking part - I've assembled a team of 11 other kayakers called The Paddle Steamers.

We have been training at various venues on Sydney Harbour for the past five weeks (well four if you discount the week of the tsunami scare) - Rose Bay, Woolloomooloo (round Fort Denison to the Opera House), Mosman and Manly. 

We've had a wonderful time bonding over kayaking, the beauty of Sydney, being outdoors, giving back to the community - and you should see our progress!

Together we're hoping to raise $5,000 for Lifestart. Please help us.

Lifestart is a really important program - it provides early intervention for children with Down Syndrome, Autism, delays in development, or at risk of delay. Based in Sydney, it is a parent co-operative providing a family-centred approach to the needs of children with disabilities and their families. Lifestart is based on the concept of partnerships between parents and professionals.

Visit www.everydayhero.com.au/the_paddle_steamers today and make your contribution. You can dedicate it to the whole team - Anna, Brigit, Catriona, David C, David H, me, Maya, Michelle Miki, Nigel, Ron and Sheryl - or just me. Either way it will be greatly appreciated - by me, the team and Lifestart!

And if you want to help out on the morning, please let me know. We'd love to see some friendly and familiar faces on the shore before, during or after the event!

Thanks!

Making the most of our "muchness"

Last Thursday night, a number of people fell down the rabbit hole into the 3D, fantastical world of Alice in Wonderland a la Tim Burton in support of mental health charity, SANE Australia. And we did so in style - or not, as the case may be!

We had an Alice. We had two Mad Hatters. We had two White Rabbits. We had a March Hare. We had a King of Hearts. We had a Queen of Hearts and a Red Queen. We had a Cheshire Cat. It was quite the motley crew, really.

We were also lucky enough to have the support of quite a few companies who helped us in a number of ways.

Local costume hire store Fancy Shmancy showed SANE Australia significant financial support, and provided us with volunteers to help sell raffle tickets on the night. They also provided us with unbelievable eye candy with their magnificent costumes (which took out Second and Third places for 'Best Dressed'). www.fancyshmancy.com.au

Not only did face painting artists Face Focus come along to paint the faces of some of the guests on the night, they also kindly donated a unique raffle prize - a children's party photo shoot (RRP $150)! www.facefocus.com.au

Vodafone Foundation, corporate supporters of SANE Australia, donated an LG Chocolate phone for raffle (RRP $499), and also helped to select the 'Best Dressed' prizes.

Edifier donated a Luna 5 encore iF500 for raffle. It's an elegant all-in-one audio system offering uncompromised audio quality. As an iPod, iPhone or MP3 docking station, or when operated in FM radio mode, the simplicity of use, design and audio quality of the Luna 5 encore iF500 makes for an outstanding visual and audio experience. RRP $499. www.edifier-international.com

Funky hair studio Stevie English Hair donated not one but two hair make-overs (RRP $130) for raffle including an O&M treatment, cut, style and and blowdry. www.stevieenglish.com.au

Australian Brandenburg Orchestra donated a raffle prize of two A-Reserve tickets (RRP $220) to either their upcoming 'Baroque Tapas' concert on 17 March or their second Concert Series in May, Palazzo Baroque, featuring world-renowned violinist Federico Guglielmo. www.brandenburg.com.au

Organic chocolatiers Coccolo Chocolates donated 1.4kg of chocaholic bliss - guilt free!(RRP $80). www.cocolo.com.au

The Victoria Room supplied us with the 'Best Dressed' prize of High Tea for two at their Mad Hatter's Tea Party on Easter Sunday (RRP $76). To secure your own seat to this chocolate extravaganza, call (02) 9357 4488.
www.thevictoriaroom.com

Shashen donated a pair of beautiful pear-shaped drop earrings in semi-precious stones (choice of Carnelian, Clear or Onyx) and sterling silver wire
(RRP $145). www.shashenjewels.com

And last, but by no means least, CP Communications wrote and distributed a media release that secured SANE Australia print media coverage valued at $90,095 in the Sydney Morning Herald (Planner), Sun-Herald, Sunday Telegraph and the Wentworth Courier. The event was also promoted on www.timeoutsydney.com.au, www.filmink.com.au, www.mediasearch.com.au, www.myweekend.net.au and www.dailyaddict.com.au. Exposure like this for a small, independent charity like SANE is absolutely priceless! www.cpcommunications.com.au

A BIG thank you to all of them as well as Virtual Advertising for the online invitation and on-site banner, and Disney for providing the runner-up prizes for 'Best Dressed'.

The fundraising page is still active so feel free to add your valuable contribution to it -SANE needs all the money it can get to keep its Helpline open. www.everydayhero.com.au/judith_cantor_0.

And for the long-awaited photos by our talented photographer Katrucia, click here!

It was fabulous, dahling!

I spent last Saturday morning surrounded by a rather motley crew - transvestites, drag kings, members of the GLBT community and queer-friendly folk - for the Little Black Dress Run in aid of Camp Goodtime for children living with HIV Aids.

We didn't as much run the 4km track around Centennial Park as sashay in a taking-in-the-scenery and basking-in-the-spectacle kind of way. 

We had a number of stops for photo opportunities including taking over the Moonlight Cinema grounds (which felt a little like an alternate scene from "O brother, where art thou" [see below]).

Hostess Joyce Maynge kept the crowd in stitches with her warm-up exercises and herding skills, and embodied the spirit of all things Mardi Gras. 

A very large cheque for $17,000 was presented to the representative from Sydney Children's Hospital - Paediatric HIV Service which will be extremely useful in putting together the next Camp Goodtime which runs in six weeks' time.

Unfortunately the size of the donation fell way short of last year's effort but there's still time to rectify that! Visit www.gofundraise.com.au/Cantorj to support the Camp.

A big 'thanks' to those who have already given so generously.

Curiouser and curiouser...

What has Judith been up to of late? 

Well, on top of preparing for the Little Black Dress Run this Saturday and pulling a team together and training for Kayak 4 Kids in March, I've been arranging a colourful fundraising event in support of national mental health charity SANE.

Thursday 4 March is a date you won't want to forget - or be late for. It's a very important date. It's the Australian Opening Night of Tim Burton's long-awaited feature film Alice in Wonderland and I've secured exclusive use of Gold Class at Event Cinema in Bondi Junction for a 3D screening!

It's a strictly dress-up affair and Dennis and his team from Face Focus have kindly donated their time (and face paints) to come along and transform everyone into Lewis Carroll's fantastical characters.

Fancy Shmancy Boutique Fancy Dress Hire are supporters too so be sure to visit their store for all your costume hire needs (91 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction - 9387 1330).

Tickets are available through www.whiterabbit.eventbrite.com and include a drink on arrival and canapes.

Remember to bring a few extra notes with you on the night though  - there will be a raffle with prizes from Edifier, Stevie English Hair, Cocolo Chocolates and more.

Thanks to CP Communications for their help in promoting the event to the media, and Virtual Advertising for the great invitation.

I look forward to seeing you incognito!

Love is definitely in the air

Valentine's Day is, I feel, a day of gratitude. A day to take stock of the love around us - whether it be past, present or future; based on Eros, Philial, Caritas or Agape - and take it in.

Last Friday I took part in a Facebook initiative called Write Love on Her Arms Day - a day of love and support for people with eating disorders who have depression, self-harm or are suicidal. I was amazed at how the simple act of writing the word 'Love' on my arm gave me a sense of strength, empowerment, humility and compassion. I was honoured to explain its meaning to my friends when they admired my bravery in getting a tattoo.

What are you going to do to show your love?

On Saturday I'll be taking part in the Little Black Dress Run in Centennial Park - a rather silly event with a serious raison d'etre: supporting children living with HIV Aids.

Why not show them some love in appreciation of the love you receive unconditionally? Pay it forward.

If you can, visit www.gofundraise.com.au/Cantorj and make a donation. Your gift of love will enable the Positive Kids team (a program at Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick) to help the children recognise the love in their lives and thrive.

Wishing you a beautiful day filled with love whichever way you choose to spend it.

Blessings.

Call for kayakers

February is shaping up to be charity challenge central! Actually this challenge is at the end of March but a fair deal of preparation is needed for it to be a success. And this is where you come in!

I'd like to put together a team of 12 kayakers for Lifestart's Kayak 4 Kids on 28 March. Why 12 you ask? Because it's a long way to paddle! 


The course is 17.5km in total which is, even for me, way too far. If we have 12 team members, we can have three to a kayak per leg of the challenge. Much better idea!

That plus it makes it far more social and fun.

In preparation for the big day, I've arranged kayak hire for the preceding six weeks starting Sunday 14 February. All sessions are at 4pm and, as with any social gathering, there's room to party on somewhere else afterwards.

And just so those of you who may be groaning at the fact the first session is on Valentine's Day, I've come up with something that both singles and couples may enjoy to do afterwards - see NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU under the stars at Moonlight Cinema.*

Please get in touch if you want details on training, the race, the social program, the cost or the charity, or if you would like to put your participation pants on straight away. 

And feel free to forward this on - the more the merrier! That, plus we'll need reserves.

Oh, and we'll need a team name. Most creative suggestion wins... the admiration of the rest of the team. Okay, I'll shout you a drink ;)

Thanks,
Judith
0402 257 655
judith@cantordirect.com.au
@judithcantor


*To see the review and make your booking visit www.moonlight.com.au 

LBD invasion at Centennial Park

Last month I spent a day in silence in support of the White Ribbon Foundation and the work they do promoting anti-violence against women. This month I will be taking part in something a little more frivolous yet no less important. 

On 20 February I will don my own LBD and join hundreds of similarly clad men and women as they walk, run or shuffle (for those who choose to wear their heels) the 4km circuit to raise funds for Positive Kids' Camp Goodtime (an initiative of Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick).

Camp Goodtime has been running since 1990 and, according to the Hospital's site, "facilitate[s] communication between and within families living with HIV, reduce[s] the isolation experienced by the families, provide[s] a recreational and therapeutic environment where children and parents can share experiences with others in similar circumstances, and provide[s] a venue where information about the medical, social and other aspects of HIV can be shared and where new ways of coping with the virus can be learned."

If you can (and can't we all to some extent?), please make your donation via www.gofundraise.com.au/... and give both the children living with HIV Aids and their families much-needed support.

And yes, I'll have my camera with me!

Happy Mardi Gras :)

Ready to roll


Right! The groceries have been bought, my flatmate has been warned, and the scene has been set. There's now no room for interruption or temptation during my Day of Silence tomorrow in commemoration and support of women who have experienced abuse.


Show your solidarity in the 'anti-violence against women' movement by donating to www.everydayhero.com.au/judith_cantor_3. All money raised goes to the White Ribbon Foundation of Australia so they can expand their education program and offer a safe place for women to come forward and start their healing journey.


I greatly appreciate your consideration and help.


Peace.

Powerful silence

The act of not talking can mean different things to different people depending on the context. For women who have been on the receiving end of verbal, physical or sexual abuse, it can be both a blessing and a curse. For some it's their protection. For others, in a way, it's their perpetrator. For many it's both.

To honour women who, for whatever reason, feel they do not have a voice, I will be entering into a Day of Silence on Saturday 16 January. From the wee hours until the end of the day I will be abstaining from talking, reading, writing, watching the small screen, the big screen, the silver screen, any eye contact... I will, in short, be spending the day meditating on the far-reaching issue of violence against women and all that needs to be done to overcome it.

The White Ribbon Foundationare doing an admirable job of educating the public but limited funding can only reach so far. 

Please support my Day of Silence by making a donation to the Foundation via my fundraising page: www.everydayhero.com.au/judith_cantor_3 so that they can spread the word even further afield. All donations will be gratefully accepted and any over $2 are tax deductible.

Please also take a moment to think of anyone else who may be interested in Day of Silence and let them know where to reach me or read more?

Awareness is crucial to creating change and we can all make a difference.

Thank you. Very much.