OLIVER GRANDMOTHERS FOR AFRICA BRIDGE TOURNAMENT

On Wednesday, February 18, the Oliver Grandmothers for Africa group is sponsoring a Bridge Tournament at Fairview Mountain Golf Club from 10 am – 2:30 pm.   A light lunch (sandwiches/dessert/tea/coffee) is included in the $15 registration fee.   You and your partner can register online at bridgesocialnews @ gmail.com  or by calling Leslie at 250 498 2282.    Prizes will be awarded and some African merchandise will be on sale.  All proceeds from this event go to the Steven Lewis Foundation to support ongoing projects in Africa providing services for AIDS orphans and the grandmothers who care for them.

Sadly, the international community is losing interest in the AIDS pandemic as if it is over.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Last year alone there were 2 ½ million new HIV infections.  In 2015 there will still be 35 million people living with the virus in Africa.  Children, orphaned as a result of parents dying of AIDS, have fallen off the map of international concern.  There are 17 million of them.  They need care. The Oliver Grandmothers are proud to play their small part in that care.  Teamed with 240 other Grandmothers groups across Canada it is possible to make a real difference.  The Grandmothers Campaign is a movement that has never been seen before…and it’s not over yet!

Grassroots groups in Africa work with tenacity, insight and tenderness to resurrect the lives of orphaned children and to ensure that they grow with a sense of belonging, opportunity and loving support.  They speak to the child’s life as a whole by providing long term counselling that reflects the changing needs as children grow from toddlers to teens:  getting them into and keeping them in school, addressing the increased vulnerabilities faced by girls, and providing continuous education and support for prevention and management of HIV infection.

Underlying all their work is the understanding that with the loss of so many family members, any remaining family structures must be protected so siblings can stay together and family homes remain intact.  Grandmothers are often at the center of all these community-based interventions.  They know that grandmothers here and around the world are organizing to stand with them in solidarity and support as they raise a whole generation of children prepared for the future and its challenges.

If you want to help, come and have some fun at the Bridge Tournament fund raiser.   If you want to join the local group contact Susanne James, President, at 250 498 4838.

The V-Day Oliver-Osoyoos 2015 campaign is well underway, as volunteers and participants gear up for the 2nd Annual One Billion Rising Celebration and Art Show,  “The Silent Voice” to be held on Sunday, March 8th, from 12 to 4p.m at the Osoyoos Indian Band Community Hall.

“This year’s art show, ‘The Silent Voice’ has motivated us to stretch the boundaries of women and violence, giving often silenced voices a platform to be heard.” says Art Show Coordinator Maxyne Lockhart.  “So far the response has been unanimously positive and we aim to double last year’s representation, participation and monies raised.  I feel strongly on both a personal and political level that addressing the issue of violence against women is necessary if we are to move forward as a healthy loving community.”

Lockhart isn’t the only volunteer for whom the subject has a personal meaning.  Osoyoos Indian Band member Darlene George (pictured above), who has been a part of V-Day Oliver-Osoyoos since the beginning had this to say about her involvement:

“I became involved because ending violence against women is something I think all people should aspire for. Being of First Nations decent brings with it a very high sense of urgency as First Nations women continue to go missing and continue to be found dead at a much higher rate than the average Canadian. Why?

“Our women are marginalized when reported missing. Instead of investigating the missing women, they are first judged and publically denounced as being involved in high-risk lifestyles. Accusations of prostitution and taking off for a party are the statements the police make to the public. The perpetrators are humanized while the victims are blamed and judged.

“The reality is that First Nations People have the highest rate of poverty in our Nation, which is proven to be one of the biggest contributing factors to high-risk lifestyles. Add to that years of fighting for recognition for the abuse suffered at the hands of the government under the guise of assimilation and abuse from churches and people of authority such as the police and you realize that our people are not even able to trust those that are supposed to keep us safe.”

V-Day Oliver-Osoyoos is still accepting artist registrations, and are always looking for volunteers to help out in any number of ways.  Our next meeting will be Thursday, February 12th at 7pm at the OIB Resource Center.  If you are unable to volunteer, we encourage you to attend the events, to participate through the purchase of a raffle ticket, or by sponsoring an ad in our program for our production of ‘The Vagina Monologues’, to be held in Osoyoos on April 10th and 11th.  For more information on V-Day, please visit our website at www.vdayoliverosoyoos.org or email vdayoliverosoyoos @ gmail.com.

by Marion Boyd, South Okanagan Concert Society

Our old Steinway saw some incredible pianists in its day. Jon Kamura Parker, Anton Kuerti, Janina Fialkowska, Angela Hewitt gave transformative performances that felt like “an outburst of the soul”. None were more exciting, however, than the finely nuanced performance of Sara Davis Buechner who played the Steinway very shortly before our auditorium burned to the ground.

Friday, February 20 at 7:30 pm Ms Buechner will return but this time to our exquisite new Venables Theatre stage and to a gleaming Yamaha C3 grand piano!

Buechner, a dazzling pianist and a witty speaker with a gregarious personality, connects with her audience on an intimate level. A scholar, writer and compelling lecturer, Buechner has a vast piano repertoire ranging from Mozart to Gershwin to modern contemporaries. She has an active repertoire of over 100 piano concertos alone! Her ironclad technique allows her to interpret music “with a masterful blend of rigor and authenticity and the seductive lightness of charm.” An extraordinary musician, she is certainly knowledgable, talented and willing to share music in the best way, with humour and style.

Tickets are on sale at Beyond Bliss Esthetics in Oliver, and Imperial Office Pro in Osoyoos or at the door. A four admission flex pass costs $70 and can be used in any combination. Four can go to one concert, two couples can share a ticket or one person can come to the whole series. Single entrance is $20. Students 17 and under gain admission free and those needing a ride from Osoyoos can call Maureen at 250 495 7978 and arrange to come by bus.

Ms. Buechner is a former faculty member of New York University and is currently Associate Professor of Piano at the University of British Columbia. She has presented lectures and masterclasses worldwide, notably at the Juilliard School in New York and the Royal Academy in London. She enjoys a vibrant international performance and recording career. She has also commissioned new works and given premieres and prominent performances of important new music and film scores. She has collaborated on dance projects too. No wonder The New York Times says of her “Buechner has it all…intelligence, integrity and all-encompassing technical prowess”. Another review in Japan notes “What stands out is not only technique but intelligence…When it comes to clarity, flawless tempo selection, phrasing and precise control of timbre, Buechner has no superior.”

Ms. Buechner sums herself up by saying “making music is who I am”. Indeed, she makes incredibly beautiful music. It is a rare gift to have a musician of her calibre on our stage. Mark your calendar for February 20th and don’t miss this one!!