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‘Raise the Roof’ – a Music Festival for Education

The ‘Raise the Roof’ event is shaping up to be a local music festival of sorts!  We’re going to literally raise the roof off the Woodshed on August 5th in downtown Salt Lake City!  We’ll be jamming both inside and outside at the Woodshed, with a line-up of singer/songwriters playing on one stage and a series of local bands on the other.  Mark your calendars – it’s this Friday!!  Rally your friends to come out and dive into the local music scene.  Salt Lake’s got TALENT!!

BETTER OFF WITH THE BLUES

Better Off With The Blues began life as an acoustic blues band with roots in Delta Blues, Country Blues, Folk Blues, Rags and Jug Band music. Band members include Lou Borgenicht (harp and vocals), Ken Critchfield (bass), Jim Poulton (guitar and vocals), and Paul Rasmussen (guitar, mandolin and vocals).  Playing music from such diverse artists as Mississippi John Hurt, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Blind Blake, Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Mississippi Fred McDowell and more, BOWB performances feature a tour of the roots of the blues from the earliest decades of the 20th century. Add in songs by more current composers (including Delbert McClinton, Bob Dylan and members of BOWB themselves), and BOWB becomes a compendium for an entire century of blues approaches and styles.  Don’t miss these guys!! Check out their sound here:  Better Off With The Blues

KOCO AND CAMARO

These guys are a duo who also play in the well-known SLC band, The Rubes.  Finding information about Koco and Camaro on-line is next to impossible.  They’re not pimped out on Facebook or MySpace and if you Google them … well, they might be the only ‘rad’ musical duo that is flying under the radar.  When asked why I can’t find more about them on-line, a friend and promoter simply told me “Because they’re that rad.”  Yeah, that’s right.  So don’t miss out on your chance to shake it to some punk/rock/dance/fun/mystery music!  Well, maybe … you can check them out here: Koko and Camaro

THE LAST LOOK

I’m super impressed with this band and so excited to have them play at our event!  On their blog, singer and guitarist Paulie Godbout says “we’ve been through a lot; seen a lot; grown up a lot; learned a lot; drank a lot; suffered a lot; loved a lot; tried a lot; failed a lot; lost a lot; found a lot; everything that’s ever been a part of any great story.”  And we all know a great story needs a great soundtrack, which is exactly what their music provides – no matter the moment, this music just works!  In addition to Paulie, band members are Dago Marino on bass, Josh Tomlin on drums and Allison Martin on keys.  Take a listen and see for yourself why you really want to be there to hear them play live at the Woodshed: The Last Look

KALEB HANLY

Kaleb Hanly is very new to me – just brought to my attention by a friend who has great connections in Salt Lake’s music scene.  Kaleb’s music is crisp, clever and soothing.  He started out with a band in LA and played extensively in the area and then toured Ireland with his band having, as he said, the time of his life.  Of course, having Irish parents and having spent a lot of time there – I can only imagine how much they loved these cute young American boys making music in the pubs. Now Kaleb has settled into Salt Lake life and is working on a record.  You’ll have to hear Kaleb for yourself – first here on his MySpace page and then live at the Woodshed: Kaleb Hanly

CAMBRIAH HEATON

I met Cambriah on a soulful, shamanic journey to find peace and love – even in the wake or midst of hard times.  She has a light in her that shines brightly and leaves you with a feeling of calm and acceptance.  A recent blog review of Cambriah’s music reads: “With her delicate, whispery voice, Cambriah shares the secrets of the vast universe with poignant lyrics and warm melodies.  Her fairy-of-the-mystical-forest aura leaves no question that she’s an old and wise soul, in spite of her youthful appearance.”  I know it to be true.  Come see for yourself!

 ERIC O’KEEFE

Eric and I first met when we got in our saddles and pedaled to In the Venue to catch a brief sighting of Iron and Wine.  Well after that, I learned that he, too, makes music!  He tells stories in his own words while picking at his guitar and giving you the sense that you’re having a conversation with him and it’s just your turn to listen.  Have a listen here and come on out to support the up-and-coming singer/songwriter: Eric O’Keefe

  SARA BALDWIN

I’ve known Sara for years – as a climber with great curly hair first, then as an uber athlete who can do it all – from ultra trail runs to backcountry tours.  Oh, and then I find out she makes music, too!  So I was very excited when Sara said she would be happy to play at our event at the Woodshed.  You should come hear her debut her talent for Salt Lake because she’s a great singer, a talented athlete and she works for Utah Clean Energy where she manages the Solar Salt Lake Partnership Project and co-directs the Utah Wind Power Campaign.  Yeah, that’s pretty cool.  Come support the future! 🙂 

 PROPS

And for those who probably don’t want a big mention, but definitely deserve a shout out … Thank you so much to Hadley Rampton, Ruby Claire Johnson, John Bouzek, Martina Volfova and Rapha Cordova for your tremendous help rounding up this musical talent!

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It Takes a Village … like Salt Lake City

“It takes a village to raise a child” is an African proverb that reflects the culture of its origins.  In my trips to Tanzania and Kenya and in my interactions with others from different countries in Africa, I have always been impressed by the all-hands-on-deck approach to raising the children.  Educating, healing, clothing, feeding and even disciplining the children is often a community or village effort.  For this reason, it’s not uncommon in the village to see toddlers running around with other children – no parents in sight.  It’s also not uncommon to see a baby passed from the back of a mother to the back of a crowded bus where someone else will hold on to the little bundle until ‘mawe’ arrives at her stop.  It’s also not uncommon to see parents in the community feeding or scolding the children of another villager. 

“It takes a village to raise a child.” 

I guess I’m touched by this quote today in particular because I’m seeing this impressive rally of our local community in response to our requests for support at our ‘Raise the Roof’ fundraiser coming up on August 5th.  I’m a rookie fundraiser.  I nudge on Facebook and tell great stories to capture the interest and support of friends.  I once put together a 5k Trail Fun Run – but that was at least a little bit related to my ‘strengths’ in that I am a little mountain goat myself and I love outdoor events.  This year – well … somehow I find myself organizing a night of live music with a raffle and silent auction! 

The music is shaping up to be more like a music festival than just a few bands jamming.  We’re going to have two stages with two different feels going all night long – one on the inside, one on the outside.  The reason for the wealth of music is the response of our community!  There is so much talent in Salt Lake City.  We have amazing music to appreciate and follow – so much so, that our scene is almost saturated on some nights.  Bands have the chance to make money, be seen and most importantly – be heard.  But for this night, 3-4 bands plus 4 singer/songwriters are coming out and donating their musical talent to support this cause!  And we, the lucky listeners who attend the event, get to enjoy, sing, drink and dance the night away!

In addition to the remarkable turn out on the music front is the outpouring of local support from businesses, organizations and artists.  So many people are donating their talents, their products, their services and their art so that Project Wezesha can get roofs on the classrooms this summer!  I’m keeping track of our donors and promoting them with links to their websites in our events blog – so click here to read about all the amazing local supporters!

And speaking of the blog, which is conveniently embedded within the website – none of this would flow as well or promote as effectively without this website, which was recently built by my longtime friend – Dan Morris.  Dan sat with me as I spoke in unclear terms about what vision I had for my site.  He let me indulge him with several possible layout options that I admired on other webpages – none similar to the next in any way, posing (I’m sure) some challenges when finessing the site to fit my ideal.  But, Dan is tech savvy, has great style and was somehow able to interpret my lay-woman’s terminology from ‘want it’ to ‘got it.’  So, mad props to Dan.  If you have web design or photography needs – you absolutely have to check out his website and see what he can do for you.  Talent.  Lots of talent! Dan Morris Photography 

It takes a village to raise a child.  It takes this community to build Amahoro Secondary School!  I’m so lucky to be part of a ‘village’ that can rally as willingly as Salt Lake City!  Heart is full, thanks to you!

Asante Sana from Rai, Lucas and Mgaraganza Village!

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Local Businesses and Artists Help ‘Raise the Roof’

Our ‘Raise the Roof’ event at the Woodshed in SLC, UT is happening soon!!  Local businesses, organizations and artists are really coming forward with their support of Project Wezesha!  As a result, everyone who comes out for the fundraiser has the chance to take home some pretty amazing items!  Here is a little taste of what’s up for grabs on August 5th:

JOE NORMAN – SCULPTURE

Joe Norman of Blue Boat Home Design has donated a piece from his wooden sculpture collection.  Joe is a local artist who loves doing custom work.  His skills are varied and refined and we are delighted to have some of his work on hand for the event. You can see his work up close and personal at Gallery MAR in Park City as well as Sugarhouse Gallery.  You should also take a look at both his website and his blog.   Happy days to the winner of his donation!!

NILE GALAL FAHMY – METAL JEWELRY

Nile Galal Fahmy is a remarkable local artist who shapes metal, most often coins, into the most amazing jewelry.  He can take an antique coin and turn it into a bracelet or earrings.  You may have spotted him this summer at Craft Sabbath in Library Square or at the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays in Pioneer Park.  He is contributing a custom bracelet – and you could be wearing it home!

LAURA LEIGH KEMPER – GLASS JEWELRY

Laura Leigh Kemper of Lake Street Glass makes the most spectacular belt buckles and jewelry from glass that she repurposes.  The colors and patterns that Laura pulls together have been a huge hit among men and women alike at her local trunk shows.  For this event, you’ll have the opportunity to take home some amazing items from her collection – including a belt buckle, earrings and a bracelet!  Unfortunately, her site was recently hacked but should be up and running again soon, so I’ll include the link for you to peruse when it’s ready: Lake Street Glass.

KATHLEEN C. SMITH – PHOTOGRAPHY

Kathleen C. Smith is another local artist – a painter and photographer – who has donated a photograph for our event.  Kathleen paints with watercolors and acrylics on canvas, she does collage with mixed media and occasionally sculpts.  In addition, she has a wonderful eye for capturing images with her camera.  Check out her artistic expression here: Kathleen C. Smith.

TERRA REILLY – PHOTOGRAPHY

Terra Reilly is a newly local artist who joins the Salt Lake scene from the East Coast via Seattle.  She has mad skills with cameras and has been compiling a very impressive collection of images taken with her iPhone.  Her eye for texture, composition and story in the world around us lets viewers enjoy the world in a way that’s just a bit more edgy and exciting than what we experience on the regular.  She’s contributing a photograph to our fundraiser and you’re gonna wanna hang it on your wall!  Check out her creative endeavors here: Sansivera Photography.

SAM WELLER’S BOOKS – GIFT CARD

Sam Weller’s Books of Salt Lake City, UT was founded in 1929 and is going strong in its third generation of operations!  This great local bookstore contains roughly 400,000 new, used and rare books on three floors in the historic David Keith Building on Main Street in Salt Lake City – although they’re soon to move into Trolley Square (this fall). When you walk in and take a whiff; you can just smell the knowledge and stories that lie in wait for you between the book covers!  Until they relocate, check them out on at 254 South Main St. in downtown SLC.  Support Local!!  Catherine Weller generously donated a gift card for our event, so get ready for that next book club!!  Check out Sam Weller’s Books here at their site: Sam Weller’s Books.

MAX LOSEE – CUSTOM LONGBOARDS

Max Losee started shaping longboards in his garage years ago so he would have a way to carve even when the snow melted off in the Wasatch.  Now, he’s grown into a company that churns out quality boards in the style of the custom ‘garage’ boards that got him started.  All the boards literally roll right out of Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT with great attention paid to quality, innovation and detail.  They’re hand-painted, hand-finished and laminated.  The available graphics are awesome, but you can also customize your graphics on their website.  *Max is customizing a board for the event with the Project Wezesha logo integrated into the graphics.*  We’re psyched!!  But don’t take our word for how rad these decks are, check them out for yourself on his site and if you don’t ride home on one from the Woodshed, make sure to place your order soon! Losee Longboards

AMBER SCHIAVONE ROBISON – PORTRAIT SITTING

Amber Schiavone Robison is a third generation photographer who uses her camera to tell the intimate stories of life and capture the beautiful nature of the people she photographs.  She has a talent for bringing a moment to life in the photographs so that the memories don’t end with the bouqet toss or the candles being blown out.  Amber has donated a photography sitting for 3-7 people with an 8×10 print included.  If you are the lucky recipient of this generous donation, you can join Amber in creating  engagement photos, a family portrait, baby pictures or even a fabulous print of your beloved furkid!  Have a look at her portfolio here: Schiavone Photography

TONY CAPUTO’S MARKET AND DELI – INTRO to FINE CHOCOLATE CLASS

Tony Caputo’s Market & Deli brings quality, authentic food products from Italy, Spain, France, Greece and other Southern European cities right here to Salt Lake City.  Tony and his son Matt well known for their tasteful selection of European goodies.  Also, in 2009 Caputo’s was the first recipient of Salt Lake Magazine’s “Best Food & Wine Educator.” So, in support of Project Wezesha, Matt Caputo has donated a gift certificate for their Intro to Fine Chocolate class – and he just told me that the world’s top chocolate bar this year is made with beans from TANZANIA!  How fitting!  Caputo’s Market and Deli has something for everyone – from an extraordinary deli menu to a cheese cave, a stacked chocolate bar selection and an in-house salame maker!  Check out their website or even better – visit one of their three locations (downtown, 15th adn 15th or U of U): Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli

FLUID HEART YOGA – “RELAX” PACKAGE WITH EYE PILLOW, CLIFF SPA DAYPASS AND YOGA EXPERIENCE

Kristin Vance, owner of Fluid Heart Yoga has donated two packages that just whisper “relax” to me.  Recipients of her packages will take home an eye pillow infused with lavendar for the ultimate in relaxation, plus a certificate for one yoga session as either a private or small group experience.  In addition, since Kristin teaches at the Cliff Spa, among other places, you’ll recieve a one-day pass to the Cliff Spa, which gives you access to the pool and other facilities.  (Thank you to the Cliff Spa for their support, too!) I really hope you are the winner of this delightful, rejuvenating package.  Check out the website and learn more about Kristin and what she is offering: Fluid Heart Yoga

BREWVIES CINEMA PUB – MOVIE PASSES

Andy Murphy at Brewvies has generously donated several movie passes, which we’ll raffle off in two’s so that you and a friend can bike downtown for dinner and a movie.  Brewvies always has a great selection of movies to choose from – often funny and usually ‘just the movie’ you wanted to see!  If you haven’t been to Brewvies yet, you have to come out to the Woodshed, win some tickets and get on over there.  Where else in Salt Lake can you eat a great meal, drink cold beers and watch a great movie on the big screen … nowhere!  Gotta be Brewvies!  Check out the website to scope the food and beer offerings and find out what movies are playing … like right now, it’s Brides Maids and Horrible Bosses … Hilarious!  Brewvies Cinema Pub

THE ROSE ESTABLISHMENT – TEA AND COFFEE

Located in the historic wharehouse district of downtown Salt Lake City, the simple  and welcoming Rose Establishment promises to provide you with the perfect space for the perfect tea and/or coffee experience.  The feel of The Rose Establishment is soft and comforting with great lighting, a patio, a cool feel and an overall sense of ‘elsewhere’.  It’s like a little escape for the mind and soul right on the fringes of downtown Salt Lake City.  The Rose has a light menu of breakfast and lunch items, snacks and of course phenomenal Four Barrell Coffee from San Francisco and tea from various companies dedicated to the ‘purity and essence of tea’.  The Rose Establishment has donated tea and coffee for our raffle, so make sure your mugs are clean for the morning after! Check out their equally pleasant website for more information: The Rose Establishment

KIM HALL – POTTERY

Talented local climber and skier, Kim Hall is perhaps best known for her great laugh, her sense of adventure and her amazing survival of a 1,000 foot fall in Little Cottonwood Canyon this winter! (KSL News Clip)  She is less known for her amazing skills behind the wheel … in the pottery studio – but that’s soon to change!  Kim has donated the most beautiful set of recently hand thrown pottery including two mugs, three bowls and large serving bowl.  You could be taking this amazing collection home – but you’ll have to come out to win, so we’ll see you there!

SHELLEY MARSHALL – ICE SKATING CLASSES

Shelley is a remarkable woman who’s out there trying to shake up the Salt Lake scene with a whole lotta ‘Get ‘er Done’ for our great community.  Most notably, Shelley is the Executive Director of Sustain Utah  – a nonprofit organization devoted to supporting other Utah nonprofits that are committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship.  When she’s not saving the world in her ‘green’ cape, she’s bringing smiles to aspiring skaters of all ages in the ice rink!  Shelley has donated a certificate for two private lessons – for any age and any ability level.  She has been teaching ice skating for 14 years!  If you’ve been thinking of getting out of the sun and putting your buns on ice, I think this is the perfect package for you!  Read more about Shelley and the SLC Sports Complex where she teaches here:   Shelley Marshall

THE FRONT CLIMBING CLUB – DAY PASSES

The Front Climbing Club is the hub for the hardcores and newbies alike who love to boulder!  You check your ropes at the door and just pull on your shoes and you’re good to go.  The route setting at The Front is stellar with some of the best climbers in Salt Lake City setting the problems that will progressively warm you up, push your limits and then stump you all together.  In addition to great indoor climbing, The Front has yoga & pilates classes, ping pong, weights and cardio equipment – something for everyone!  The Front donated a stack of day passes for our raffle – so come out and win, then pedal on over and spend the day getting psyched and strong!  Learn more about The Front here: The Front Climbing Club

MOMENTUM CLIMBING – CLASSES AND PASSES

Momentum Indoor Climbing gym is a choice spot to go if you love love LOVE route climbing!  The walls are so beautiful with obvious inspiration from our  beloved desert red rock.  The route setting is quality and diverse with something for the techy sport climber, the steep jug hauler, the all-traddy daddy and the straight-outta-intro-class climbers alike!  They even have desert cracks – steep and vertical.  The lead walls are vast so the crowding is limited and there are tons of top roping options, too!  And … in the back room, you can get your ‘strong’ on with a big bouldering area, a woody and hangboards.  In addition to the great climbing and training, Momentum has child care, yoga, pilates and climbing classes, weights and cardio equipment.  Mo-Town has donated day passes and two Explore Climbing packages which offer intro classes, a 2-week membership and shoe/harness rental for that time frame.  Sweet!  Check out this indoor climbing mecca: Momentum Indoor Climbing

ROCKREATION – KIDS CLIMBING CAMP

Rockreation Climbing Center is dear to my heart as I worked there for over a decade!!  This gym has been around for a while and has top-rope and lead climbing options for those who like to rope up as well as a bouldering cave with lots of potential for exciting throws and body contortions.  One of the strongest points of Rockreation is their education – for the novice and advanced climbers, they offer a wide range of classes and personal coaching.  They also have some great options for kids – including weekly Kids Time classes, birthday parties and seasonal camps for kids.  For this event, Rockreation has donated a Summer Kids Camp certificate – so space and time permitting, you could put your child in climbing camp for a week this August or save it for next summer and consider yourself covered for at least one week of fun!  Check out their site and more information about the camps here: Rockreation Indoor Climbing 

CHRISTINE McDONOUGH – PHOTOGRAPHY

Christine McDonough, a fellow Irish lass is a gifted photographer and graphic designer.  We first met when she came out to support Girls Education International at a screening of A Small Act, a documentary set in Kenya about how one small act really can have a huge impact.  I found out that after seeing A Small Act originally at the Sundance Film Festival, Christine became penpals with a student at the school in Kenya.  She’s a kindred soul who wants to see positive change in the world – at all levels.  In this spirit, she has donated one of her beautiful photographs for this event.  See more of her work here: The Copper Shamrock

RED BUTTE GARDEN – MEMBERSHIP TO THE GARDEN

Red Butte Garden is a little oasis in Salt Lake City with impeccably maintained  botanical gardens.  When you open the map for your stroll through the gardens you’ll see that you have so much to look forward to – a rose garden, a waterfall garden, an herb garden, the children’s garden, a medicinal garden, a fragrance garden, a wildflower meadow, trails into a protected natural area with local flora and fauna … ah, I think I need to go for a walk!!  In addition to the garden, Red Butte has incredible educational opportunities with classes on everything from Plein-Air Landscape painting to Cooking Indian Cuisine (to name only two of many)!  In addition, they offer summer camps for kids, family nights, fitness in the garden and of course – the ever popular Concert Series which brings in an amazing line-up every summer!  Red Butte is a tremendous asset to Salt Lake City and they have donated a membership certificate to our event, which includes free admission to Red Butte Garden year-round, discounts on concerts, classes, workshops and tours, a discount in the Gift Shop and more!!  Check out Red Butte Garden here: Red Butte Garden

Misc. BOUTIQUE – VINTAGE CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

Misc. (pronounced ‘Missy’) is a vintage clothing and accessory boutique located in downtown Salt Lake City in a beautiful space shared by The Green Ant.  Missy, the owner has a unique eye for quality vintage clothing, belts, purses, shoes, swimwear and jewelry.  The majority of her shop caters to women, but she does have a small selection of vintage western shirts for men.  I have yet to pop into Misc. without leaving with a little extra something for my wardrobe – even when my intention was just to catch up with Missy.  It’s impossible … just try it! I dare you.  😀  Missy has donated a gift certificate to her boutique for our event and it’s generous enough to afford you a whole outfit, with accessories if you shop wisely!!  You want this, ladies!  Misc. doesn’t have a website, but you can check out her style on her Facebook page here: Misc. Botique

THE GREEN ANT – BLENKO VASE

Who doesn’t know and love Ron Green of The Green Ant!  Located in historic downtown Salt Lake City, The Green Ant buys and sells mid-century modern vintage furniture and if you walk in the door on the right day, you might walk out with that perfect piece to complete your space.  Mid-century modern is the minimalist style that is the ultimate in ‘less is more’ in terms of design.    Ron has donated a classic Blenko vase for our event.  Come check it out and maybe you’ll be taking it home!  Visit the website to learn more and get a sense of what was going on in the minds of furniture designers between the 40s and 70s: The Green Ant

NO BROW COFFEE AND TEA COMPANY – GIFT CERTIFICATES

Joe, the owner of No Brow has created a space where Salt Lakers can just come and be themselves while enjoying some of the finest coffee and tea available in SLC.  They make a point at No Brow to offer coffees that are brewed with quality and the ultimate java moment in mind.  They serve coffees from Salt Lake Roasting Co, Intellegentsia, Coava, Barefoot and more.  And – well, the coolest thing about No Brow is that they have a skate team! What?  That’s pretty awesome, so get your raffle ticket in hand, win something from No Brow and then roll on down to sip some quality coffee in downtown SLC – take in the art, dig the chill atmosphere and maybe spot a bad ass sk8r. ha!  Check it out here: No Brow Coffee and Tea Company

IME UTAH – MOUNTAIN SPORTS STORE

International Mountain Equipment, Inc. (IME) is a great little mountain sports shop tucked around the corner from REI on 3300 South in SLC.  The guys that work in IME are lifers and know pretty much everyone that walks in the door.  If you go there, and they don’t know you – make sure you plan a little extra time to get to know them!  You won’t regret it!  IME is the quintessential local shop which thrives on the climbing and snow-riding community.  They carry everything from climbing, camping and skiing gear to maps, books and videos to keep you safe and make you rad!  They’ve very kindly donated a sweet gift certificate, so someone’s going home a little richer in the gear department after this raffle!  Check out what IME has to offer here: IME Utah

NATURAL SMILES DENTISTRY – TEETH WHITENING KITS

Once upon an overdue teeth cleaning I posted a query on Facebook to see who my friends would recommend that I see.  I had several recommendations, but only one name came up over and over and over again from friends that I knew well and trusted immensely.  That name was Dr. Tom Brickey of Natural Smiles Dentistry.  I knew I would be safe when he walked in with his handlebar mustache and sat to talk about my teeth while sipping his coffee!  Coffee!  I thought I would have to lie about drinking red wine and coffee, but finally I found a dentist and dental staff that was nonjudgmental and just downright hip!  Dr. Brickey is wonderul and I don’t think I can say enough about his practice – other than … Go there!  Dr. Brickey has recently had his own tragedy – his young daughter MiaBella recently and unexpectedly had to have heart replacement surgery!  The transplant was a success and the recovery has been slow but steady – and now the Brickey’s are struggling to keep up with medical bills.  And still, Dr. Brickey reached out and offered to make a donation to this event for Project Wezesha.  Do you see what I mean? Awesome!!  Check out Dr. Brickey and his practice here: Natural Smiles Dentistry

GREAT BASIN CHIROPRACTIC – COMPLETE WELLNESS ASSESSMENT

Dr. Mark, as he’s known by his patients, offers integrated chiropractic care inspired by his love of the natural world.  The aim of his practice is to promote spinal health by enhancing overall health.  He was contacted about this event by one of his patients – a friend of mine – who would likely not be standing upright if it weren’t for Dr. Mark.  If you’ve ever wanted a complete evaluation with a focus on your spine’s health and how it affects your nervous system and more, then this is the ticket item for you!  He has donated a complete wellness assessment, including report findings and a plan for moving forward.  Read more about Dr. Mark and his practice here: Great Basin Chiropractic

NATIVE SONS – T-SHIRTS

Although not so local to you, Native Sons is very local to me.  They are based in my hometown – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – and they are inspired by the beach lifestyle.  They’ve grown from a small company promoting the beach – surfing, palm trees, cruisers and more – to a nationally recognized custom apparel company.  My longtime high school friend, Richard Knott, very graciously donated t-shirts with the Project Wezesha logo for this fundraiser.  We’ll have some shirts for the raffle and some for me to take over to Tanzania this summer.  If you have any apparel needs – screen printing and embroidery, garment and product decoration, corporate apparel, and creative services – give Native Sons a shot.   Check out their website to see the range of what they’re able to do with your ideas: Native Sons

There are so many more – and I’ll update very soon!

Thank you everyone for your support!  ~Asante Sana!~

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‘Raise the Roof’ – A Fundraiser for Project Wezesha

On Friday August 5th, there will be a lot going on around town – but the music-packed event that you really should not miss is the ‘Raise the Roof’ bash at The Woodshed in Salt Lake City, UT! The goal of this event is to raise as much money as we can to put roofs on the classrooms that we’ve finished on Amahoro Secondary School over the past year. To date, we have the foundation and walls completed on 8 classrooms (and more going up daily)! When I head back over to TZ in late August, I’m hoping to bring with me the funds to finish these classrooms! In the coming year, we’ll continue fundraising and round the bend on this school with hopes of a ribbon cutting in summer 2012 – ahead of schedule!

Let's Raise the Roof on this School!

Help us make this happen by saving the date and spreading the word about our summer fundraiser on Friday August 5th! As someone noted recently, Salt Lake is saturated with things to do this summer – from music in the parks to movies in the canyons, from farmers markets to the Outdoor Retailer show, from 5k fun runs to big mountain marathons … just squeeze a little room on your calendars for this night of great music for a great cause!

The musical line-up includes Better Off with the Blues, Koko and Camaro, The Last Look, singer-songwriters Cambriah Heaton, Kaleb Hanly, Sara Baldwin and Eric O’Keefe.  Save the date and spread the word. If your friends are there, where else would you want to be! So – bring ’em all!

Click here to read about all of the local businesses and artists who have donated to make the raffle and silent auction very much worth your while!

Where – The Woodshed – 800 South 60 East, SLC UT

When – Friday August 5th; kicking off around 7pm

Music – Cambriah Heaton, Better Off with the Blues, Koco and Camaro, The Last Look, Kaleb Hanly, Eric O’Keefe and Sara Baldwin

$15 at the door; includes one raffle ticket.  More for sale inside, plus a silent auction!

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Local Artist Donates to Project Wezesha

Local Utah artist, Hadley Rampton recently had a summer show to display a collection of her oil and water color paintings at Phillips Gallery in Salt Lake City. Amazingly, Hadley decided to donate 10% from the sales of the water colors in her Zanzibar series to Project Wezesha! 

In 2010, Hadley accompanied Rai to Tanzania to see for herself the impact of Project Wezesha on the children of Mgaraganza and Kiganza villages.  On their way to Western Tanzania, they took some time to enjoy the wonders of Stone Town on the island of Zanzibar.  This trip inspired several amazing water colors depicting the worn buildings, cultural richness and great history of the area. 

Once we reached the village, she was moved by the children and knew that she would find a way to continue supporting Project Wezesha.    In May, she had the idea of incorporating Project Wezesha into her show and by the time it ended, Hadley had sold four water color paintings of varying sizes.  As a result, she made a contribution of $285 from these sales.  Project Wezesha owes a great big Thank You to Hadley Rampton, to those who invested in her work and to Phillips Gallery for supporting Hadley’s decision to make this contribution.

Please be sure to visit the gallery to support Hadley Rampton and other local artists represented by Phillips Gallery.

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Empower through Education

Project Wezesha is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2009 by Lucas Lameck and Rai Farrelly.  We founded Project Wezesha to address the needs of children in rural villages within the Kigoma Region of Western Tanzania.  Wezesha is the Kiswahili word for Empower.  The aim of Project Wezesha is to empower local communities through increased access to education for the children.  By engaging the community and relying on village leadership, Project Wezesha is able to target the locally identified needs of the community.  Our current programming includes a secondary school scholarship program for children most in need as well as a building project to provide Mgaraganza Village with its first ever secondary school – Amahoro Secondary.

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Utah Artist, Hadley Rampton, Supports Project Wezesha through Art Sales

Upcoming June-July sales of Hadley Rampton’s watercolors from the ‘Zanzibar’ series will benefit Project Wezesha!  Keep reading to learn more!!  We’re so excited!

Hadley Rampton is an exceptional artist from Salt Lake City, Utah.  She is perhaps best known for her remarkable plein air oil paintings of wilderness landscapes in Northern Utah.  However, her talents with watercolor are equally impressive.  For her watercolor inspiration, Hadley makes annual trips to Europe to capture the history, architecture and culture of old cities.  She strives to find the story of time gone by in the old buildings and cobble stone streets.

Hadley Rampton painting the sunset over Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania

Continue reading “Utah Artist, Hadley Rampton, Supports Project Wezesha through Art Sales”

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May 2011 Update on Amahoro Secondary School

It is so exciting to see the progress on Amahoro Secondary School.  Project Wezesha is lucky to have Lucas as our co-founder and in-country director because he is really driving this project with his encouragement, diligence and excellent photos.  He just sent 27 photos via email to share the progress!

Since November, there have been some interruptions in the work due to intense rainy periods and some illnesses.  Our General Contractor, Isaya, got very sick in January, but he’s better now and back to work – keeping his crew motivated and doing stellar work.

Recent building progress was possible thanks to contributions from friends and family over the holidays and into February when the Ignite Salt Lake presentation garnered some attention for the work of Project Wezesha.  I also drove some funds into Project Wezesha as my birthday wish on Facebook this year.  We’ll have to arrange a few good fundraisers in the summer before I head back in August to make sure all the completed classrooms can get their roofs this summer.

The first big successes of the winter building endeavor were the two additional classrooms that Isaya and his crew finished.

 

After completing this row of rooms (4 classrooms and 1 office space), Isaya began work on the foundation for the next set of 5 rooms.  This required the very difficult job of clearing the land and digging the trenches for the foundation.  The foundation consists of a cement/lyme mix poured over boulders placed in the trenches.  These stones and the sand that gets mixed with the cement are valuable to local villages – in this case, the village of Mgaraganza has donated all the stones and sand as well as the labor required to get these heavy stones and buckets of sand to the site from a nearby dry riverbed.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, those buckets are HEAVY and the women carry them with no hands, babies on their backs and flip flops on their feet.  I’m ever impressed!

 

Again, without Lucas the work would likely get done at a much slower rate.  Lucas is often visiting the village and talking with the local leaders to remind them that the school is a community project.  After the rainy season, Lucas stirred everyone into action again by checking in and encouraging them to pitch in.  I think he’s getting good at giving pep talks (as you can see in the picture where he’s captivating them). 

In addition to the villagers of Mgaraganza, a group of students in the Project Wezesha scholarship program came out to help!  These students are already going to secondary school at Mwandiga Secondary School and PW helps with their school fees, uniforms and materials.  But still, they have come out to Mgaraganza with Lucas to chip in!  They carried sand and water and then took some breaks to make sure Isaya was staying on task. 🙂
 
After a strong push to get the foundation dug and round up enough stones and sand, the workers finished the foundation for the next row of classes!  The next step will be to buy bricks, transport them to the site and start raising them to the sky!  So exciting!!

 

Lucas, you rock! Asante Sana!!
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Project Wezesha Founder Speaks at Ignite Salt Lake

Ignite Salt Lake is part of a worldwide speaker series entitled Ignite.  The slogan for Ignite is “Englighten us, but make it quick!”  The idea is that regular folks from around the world have a chance to speak about something they are passionate about … in five minutes!

After submitting a proposal and being accepted to present, each speaker prepares a powerpoint presentation on their topic with the following guidelines: You must have 20 slides which will turn automatically every 15 seconds for a total presentation time of 5 minutes exactly.  The range of possible topics is unlimited, so the audience is sure to be engaged and entertained as the ideas fly at them all night.  The speakers this year presented on topics ranging from communicating directly with astronauts in space to hunting underwater.

In 2011, Ignite hosted its seventh event in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Other Ignite events took place around the world in cities such as Dublin, Mumbai, Bucharest, Amsterdam and up to 100 more!  I found out about Ignite through another friend’s Facebook wall.  She was attending this Ignite event in Salt Lake City and I was intrigued.  After finding out there was a call for proposals, I decided to give it a whirl and my topic would be “What happens when you say “Yes” to the request of a village Chief?”  The presentation was fun to plan and exciting to deliver – and at the risk of sounding overly confident, I think I nailed it!  I even recieved some donations in the days that followed from people who were there and were impressed by the work we’re doing in Tanzania!  Thank you very much to those fabulous supporters and all of you who have contributed along the way!

So, without further ado – here is my presentation, which tells the story of Project Wezesha.

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Watoto Wanataka Kusema ‘Mambo’ to You!

Saidi is one of the newest students in our scholarship program.  He just started secondary school in Mwandiga town this past January (2011).  I recorded him last summer in a very informal little chat at his house.   When you hear the voice in the background prompting him a bit, that’s Lucas – making my cryptic question about what he enjoys doing when he’s not in school a little more comprehensible.  Enjoy this bright youngster!