VARIOUS LOCATIONS
A non-profit group dedicated to helping youth is offering free photos with Santa at three of its Christmas tree lots this weekend, starting with its Vancouver location.
Aunt Leah’s Place is offering the free photos at St. Stephen’s United Church, located at the corner of West 54th Avenue and Granville Street, from noon to 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29. The lot’s regular operating hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.
Aunt Leah’s Place is a charity dedicated to prevent young mothers from losing custody of their children and ensuring youth in foster care don’t end up homeless. Aunt Leah’s provides supported housing, job training and coaching on essential life skills to foster youth before and after they “age out” of government care at age 19.
The Aunt Leah’s Tree Lots program is the society’s biggest fundraiser each year and all proceeds from the sale of Christmas trees at four locations help fund youth programs. Other lots offering free photos with Santa include Aunt Leah’s locations in Burnaby on Saturday and Coquitlam on Sunday. Aunt Leah’s also runs a Christmas tree lot at the Lonsdale Quay. The society started selling Christmas trees in the 1990s in response to government funding cuts. For more information, visit auntleahs.org.
SHAUGHNESSY
The British Columbia Boys Choir presents Christmas Magic — a celebration of the choir’s 45th anniversary Christmas concert — at St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church, 1490 Nanton Ave., Sunday Dec. 8 at 2:30 p.m.
The choir is a four-part, secular boys choir — one of the few remaining in North America. Over its 45 year history, the choir has trained more than 900 members who have represented Canada on 30 international tours, performing a repertoire spanning centuries, from Gregorian chants to contemporary works. For ticket information, call 1-888-909-8282 toll free or visit bcboyschoir.org.
DOWNTOWN
Board members of the Odd Squad Production Society are inviting the public to drop by, say hello and help support the work these retired police officers are doing in helping youth through reality-based
education.
A Very Odd Winter Party is described as an evening of fun, food and music benefiting the Odd Squad. The party takes place Dec. 2 at the Caprice, 967 Granville St., from 5 to 8 p.m. For ticket information, visit oddsquad.com.
VARIOUS LOCATIONS
The School of Groove is hosting two fundraising events in support of music education.
The school, founded in 2011 by Michelle Cormier and Robin Layne, teaches kids skills on a variety of instruments through the repertoire and traditions of Cuba, Brazil, Mexico and West Africa while working towards live performances. It’s hoped the two fundraising events will raise enough money to create bursaries and subsidize the cost of bringing the program to elementary schools.
Three of the school’s youth groups will perform, including the Youth Mariachi Band, guest musicians and members of Mariachi del Sol. There’s also a chance to win prizes donated by local businesses and individuals. The first show takes place Dec. 7 at Our Town Café, 245 East Broadway, and the second is Dec. 13 at the Wired Monk, 2610 West Fourth Ave. Both shows are at 7:30 p.m. and admission is by donation. For more information, visit schoolofgroovevancouver.com.
