All invited to party on Friday
Claire Ryan’s latest FUSION Saint John article appeared in today’s Telegraph-Journal:
This Friday, Fusionites will be celebrate summer with a Party with a Purpose on a new Saint John patio and welcoming everyone from the community to join in. Not only is it an opportunity to check out the Pepper’s Pub/Lemon Grass new outdoor digs on Market Square, it’s a chance to support an especially important purpose – the Saint John Dragon Boat Festival. With the call for paddlers long filled, and teams hard at work organizing fundraising project activities, FUSION’s efforts for the Dragon Boat Festival have become one of the most popular events of the year.
The 2009 Saint John Dragon Festival will take place Aug. 29 at the Renforth wharf, and the proceeds will be used to create a Wellness Garden and Sanctuary at St. Joseph’s Hospital for patients and their families. The FUSION dragon boat team is made up of FUSION members from all walks of life, linked together by the desire to support a great local cause.
This month’s party will take place at Pepper’s Pub on the Market Square boardwalk and is sponsored by Avant-Garde Construction and Management Inc., a longstanding supporter of both FUSION and the Dragon Boat Festival.
“I was at FUSION’s first event and remember looking around and wondering what this group would do for our community,” says Patrick Sohy, president of Avant-Garde. “FUSION is proven to be a bold force in the community, and the dragon boat teams are the same.”
The party is one of two fundraising events scheduled for the coming weeks; a yard sale is also planned, and information on how to participate will be available at the party. Ultimately, the purpose of this party is to give attendees the opportunity to give to a great local cause, while enjoying great food and drinks at the newest patio on the Market Square boardwalk.
As always, the Party with a Purpose is free of charge, however; the dragon boat team will be accepting goodwill donations at the door. A silent auction and 50/50 draw will also take place.
Items for auction have been donated by Lily’s Café, Time Out Massage Therapy, Tim Isaac Art, Antiques and Auctions, Bean Books, Handworks, the New Brunswick Museum, Je Suis Prêt Boutique, L’il Shop of Science, Decor8 Finishing Touches, Coles, Manchester Shoes, W.H. Hayward, and East Point Shopping. There will also be information on the upcoming FUSION garage sale, another major FUSION dragon boat fundraising event.
The Party with a Purpose on Friday takes place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. All are encouraged to attend. For more information on this event, and other fundraising efforts for the FUSION dragon boat team, please visit us online at www.fusionsj.com.
Claire Ryan works with MT&L Public Relations Ltd. and is a member of the FUSION Saint John board. Her column appears on Tuesdays. She can be reached at cryan@mtlpr.ca
