Moonrakers Pub is hoping to make some local music dreams come true by raising funds to help send promising New Westminster students to a prestigious national music festival.
The local pub is holding a fundraiser on Thursday, Feb. 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., during which time it will donate $3 from every meal to help send 40 high school students to the MusicFest in Ottawa.
NWSS student Seok Hee Jang received an invitation to attend the festival, which is attended by scouts and representatives seeking talent.
Hee plays clarinet and saxophone, sings in a vocal jazz choir and conducts.
"I'd like to play in an orchestra one day, but I think it's important to be versatile," he said. "MusicFest is a great place for me to get inspired and meet others who have a similar passion for music."
According to a press release from Moonrakers, MusicFest makes a large number of scholarships and bursaries available to students. Several of the students from New Westminster have been invited to audition for scholarships.
"It would be a huge disappointment if these dedicated and musically talented students couldn't begin their journeys to reach their dreams," said Mike Mckee, general manager of Moonrakers.
A jazz band will be playing from 12: 15 to 1 p.m. at the New Orleansthemed fundraiser, slated for Feb. 23, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Moonrakers.
MusicFest Canada, which is celebrating its 40th annual festival in 2012, will take place in Ottawa May 14 to 19.
TROLLING AROUND
Royal City resident Iris Morrow is hoping her bead design is out of this world.
The local mom and banker is a finalist in the Trollbeads People's Bead 2012 global design contests.
She's hoping fellow New Westminster residents will take the time to vote for her in online voting, which closes on Feb. 26.
"I had to have my wedding ring repaired at Cartwright's this past June, and on the way out I saw the huge display of Trollbeads, and I was hooked," she said in an email to The Record. "I thought it was a great gift idea for my husband and family when they get stuck on gift ideas for me, but now I just buy them for myself as a treat, and it's great having a huge selection just around the corner at Cartwright's."
The People's Bead contest is annual event where thousands of Trollbead lovers from around the world enter their designs hoping to have their bead put into the ever-growing collection.
The winner gets their bead design made in 18k gold as a one-of-a kind bead, which is sold around the world in silver.
Morrow is honored to have made it in to the final 100, with her design LUNA - The Moon.
"When I started to think about what I wanted to design, I went back to look at the past three winning designs, and they are all based on something that is meaningful to many people around the world, such as peace, the environment and last year's tsunami in Japan," she said. "It didn't take me long to think of something that everyone in the world shares, the moon!"
When Trollbeads asked that beads be based on the theme of spirituality, she said her idea seemed to make even more sense.
"The moon is one of the most powerful things in the universe - it controls the tides, the calendars, women's cycles and even the moods of people," she said. "The moon is the one thing that connects all people, all cultures and all religions the world over. Every religion worships or at least respects the moon, even people who are not religious are drawn to the power of the moon - who cannot take a moment to stop and stare at a full or crescent moon? We fall in love by moonlight and yet fear the 'monsters' that come out in it."
Morrow believes that LUNA-The Moon would be a fantastic addition to the Trollbeads collection, and her dream is to see her bead available at Cartwright Jewelers in August - made out of silver, not PlayDough.
Winners will be determined by online voting taking place from Feb. 18 to 26.
To vote, visit www. trollbeadsuniverse.com/ united-states and click on Global Events, then People's Bead 2012 and then View Finalists and Vote.
VOTING TIME
New Westminster-Coquitlam Liberals are getting set to elect their new executive.
The New Westminster-Coquitlam (and Port Moody) federal Liberal electoral district association is holding its annual general meeting on Saturday, March 17 at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Centre in Coquitlam.
"The meeting will see Liberal party members of the riding elect an executive that will work in our community to rebuild the national party from the grassroots," said a press release from the association. "Those who have put their names forward for election come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, with the goal of promoting progressive and economically responsible policies that will make Canada a richer and more just society."
The association believes 2012 will take on greater importance for its members because a leadership race is slated for 2013.
The election of a new executive is open to federal Liberal party members of good standing (who have been a member for 42 days before the meeting) and live in the New Westminster-Coquitlam riding.
Have an item for Around Town? Send it to reporter Theresa McManus at tmcma [email protected]. You can also follow her on Twitter, @TheresaMcManus.
