Green Party Candidate Posts Fundraiser on His Blog

Ontario Green Party candidate, Mark Daye, posts upcoming Adopt a Village in Laos fundraiser flyer on his blog, the Daye.

Raising Awareness at Cabbagetown Festival

Left of centre is Ellen Michelson, former Green Party candidate,
who attended one of my presentations earlier this year.

Yesterday, while spending most of the day volunteering at the Green Party table at the Cabbagetown Festival, a neighbourhood street fair held at the beginning of September in Toronto, Ontario, I took the opportunity to raise awareness for Adopt a Village in Laos. Sharing the table with campaign literature for an upcoming provincial election, I set up my small Adopt a Village in Laos display and then interacted with passersby whenever I could. Overall, the day proved to be a great success in terms of exposure and responses from people.

Ever since the first Green Party member, Ellen Michelson, attended one of my presentations earlier this year, an informal relationship has been gradually establishing itself. An awareness of my volunteer work with Adopt a Village in Laos and with the organization itself have slowly been evolving and permeating through this political party, with much of that awareness largely concentrated at the local level right now. My work with and the work of Adopt a Village in Laos are of great interest to this political party because they both strongly reflect one of its most basic tenets: doing social good.

Making Connections: Going Green

Last night I did another presentation of 'To Laos with Love: Presentation Series' on the patio of Java Jive, where I am conducting these events twice a month throughout the summer. In attendance that evening was a local political figure, Ellen Michelson, who had run as a Green Party candidate in our last federal election.

After the presentation, we chatted for a little while about how we can increase public awareness of Adopt a Village in Laos in Toronto, with particular emphasis on the water filters campaign for 2011-2012. She offered me some excellent options for venues where Adopt a Village in Laos could maximize its public exposure and hopefully increase water filter donations.

This morning I went on Facebook and personally thanked her for attending my presentation. I also asked her if she could email me her ideas. Within a couple of hours, I received an email with those very details.

One of the biggest and potentially greatest opportunities for exposure is on Sunday, July 3 when Toronto celebrates its annual Gay Pride Day. Like many other organizations that day, the Green Party will have a booth set up on the street. I have an open invitation from Ellen to share this booth with Green Party representatives, where I will be able to interact with and educate the public about Adopt a Village in Laos and distribute the water filter brochures.

In mid-July, the Green Party will have a table set up at a community event called Sunday in the Park. Granted, this will be a smaller event, but it will still give Adopt a Village in Laos a public presence.

On Saturday, September 10, the Green Party will be participating in an annual street event, called The Cabbagetown Parade & Festival. Just as at Pride, I have an invitation to share their booth to raise awareness for Adopt a Village in Laos.