‘Tis the season, Ottawa. Not just for Old Saint Nick to stroll through town, but for Timeraiser to rock around the nation’s capital!

This time last year, a very special individual took home ‘Gin & Tonic’ - a gorgeous oil on panel piece created by artist Jennifer Kershaw. That very special individual is Venissa de Castro, who pledged 125 hours for the piece. Via her Timeraiser commitment, Venissa had the opportunity to work with several different agencies, ultimately providing her with memorable experiences and valuable life lessons.

But experiences and a gorgeous piece of art wasn’t all Venissa got: she was also nominated for a 2011 Voscar! (You got it – the Oscars for volunteerism!) Venissa was nominated for the Mayor’s Award for Volunteer Spirit, which is awarded to individuals who regularly volunteer their time to positively impact the community. Award candidates must also display great enthusiasm in volunteerism, and promote volunteerism within the community. Although Venissa didn’t take home the VOscar, she was honored to be nominated for the award, and was even able to make friends with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.

The Timeraiser Team would like to extend its congratulations to Vinessa for this amazing achievement! Connecting people with causes they care about is what makes our hearts beat, and hearing stories like this makes them beat a little faster.  

The 4th Annual Ottawa Timeraiser is this Saturday, November 19th, 2011 at the National Gallery of Canada. Come to mingle, gawk at gorgeous art, pledge your time, or just to cheer on Vinessa as she picks up her piece! Tickets are available at 

This time last year, a very special individual took home ‘Gin & Tonic’ - a gorgeous oil on panel piece created by artist Jennifer Kershaw. That very special individual is Venissa de Castro, who pledged 125 hours for the piece. Via her Timeraiser commitment, Venissa had the opportunity to work with several different agencies, ultimately providing her with memorable experiences and valuable life lessons.

But experiences and a gorgeous piece of art wasn’t all Venissa got: she was also nominated for a 2011 Voscar! (You got it – the Oscars for volunteerism!) Venissa was nominated for the Mayor’s Award for Volunteer Spirit, which is awarded to individuals who regularly volunteer their time to positively impact the community. Award candidates must also display great enthusiasm in volunteerism, and promote volunteerism within the community. Although Venissa didn’t take home the VOscar, she was honored to be nominated for the award, and was even able to make friends with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.

The Timeraiser Team would like to extend its congratulations to Vinessa for this amazing achievement! Connecting people with causes they care about is what makes our hearts beat, and hearing stories like this makes them beat a little faster.  

The 4th Annual Ottawa Timeraiser is this Saturday, November 19th, 2011 at the National Gallery of Canada. Come to mingle, gawk at gorgeous art, pledge your time, or just to cheer on Vinessa as she picks up her piece! Tickets are available ‘Tis the season, Ottawa. Not just for Old Saint Nick to stroll through town, but for Timeraiser to rock around the nation’s capital!

This time last year, a very special individual took home ‘Gin & Tonic’ - a gorgeous oil on panel piece created by artist Jennifer Kershaw. That very special individual is Venissa de Castro, who pledged 125 hours for the piece. Via her Timeraiser commitment, Venissa had the opportunity to work with several different agencies, ultimately providing her with memorable experiences and valuable life lessons.

But experiences and a gorgeous piece of art wasn’t all Venissa got: she was also nominated for a 2011 Voscar! (You got it – the Oscars for volunteerism!) Venissa was nominated for the Mayor’s Award for Volunteer Spirit, which is awarded to individuals who regularly volunteer their time to positively impact the community. Award candidates must also display great enthusiasm in volunteerism, and promote volunteerism within the community. Although Venissa didn’t take home the VOscar, she was honored to be nominated for the award, and was even able to make friends with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.

The Timeraiser Team would like to extend its congratulations to Vinessa for this amazing achievement! Connecting people with causes they care about is what makes our hearts beat, and hearing stories like this makes them beat a little faster.  

The 4th Annual Ottawa Timeraiser is this Saturday, November 19th, 2011 at the National Gallery of Canada. Come to mingle, gawk at gorgeous art, pledge your time, or just to cheer on Vinessa as she picks up her piece! Tickets are available at http://timeraiserottawa.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebtn  


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By Tori Ainsworth
How did you first hear about Timeraiser? 
The first timeraiser event that I applied to participate in was Timeraiser Calgary in 2007.  I believe I heard about it through the Alberta Craft Council e-newsletter.

What initially drew you to the event?
That it was an out-of-the-box idea!! To encourage a new demographic to become art collectors, and getting them volunteering in the community – brilliant!

Are you involved with any other events that bare similarities to Timeraiser (i.e. combining art with volunteerism)? If so, please explain. 
Often as an artist I am asked to donate work to a charity for a fundraising auction or door prize, and occasionally I am able to give a piece of my work.  While I would like to be able to donate my work more often, it is not a sustainable way of including artists in a fundraising event.  It is a very significant strength of the Timeraiser event, that they pay the artists well for the work that they receive.  This enables the artist to do what they do best, and provide their strongest work for the event.  As an artist, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity, and feel proud to show some of my very best work at the Timeraiser events.

Do you feel differently about someone taking home your artwork as a result of volunteering as opposed to paying for it traditionally? If so, how? 
Yah, they have to really want it!  And what a positive continuation of the artwork’s story – to be the ‘finish line’ after so many hours of hard work, for such good causes.  An artist always wonders where their work ends up, and in this case it is sure to land in the warmest of hands!

Do you plan to continue your involvement with Timeraiser? Why or why not? 
It is an absolute pleasure to be a part of Timeraiser.  The application process is very straightforward, and I heard back very quickly regarding the outcome of my application.  I will certainly be submitting applications in the future.

Hey everyone,

United Way GenNext’s signature event, Rouge, is happening in less than a week! Buy your tickets now https://payment.csfm.com/registrations/uwgt/index.php and join us on Thursday, November 10, 2011 at The Fifth Social Club—it’s going to be an amazing event you don’t want to miss!

Starting at 8 p.m., Rouge is going to have food, drink, music, and entertainment—plus two auctions. Not to mention really hot swag bags with goodies from CoverGirl, Olay, Gillette, Pantene, Halls, Life Savers, and Fulcrum Audio.

If you missed our Timeraiser in Toronto back in March, this is your second chance to take part—we’ll be at Rouge, so be sure to bid your time and volunteer at one of United Way’s member agencies. Or try your luck in the silent auction to win exclusive items and experiences. New auction items have just been added, so check them out! http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/rouge/SilentAuction.php

Proceeds go to United Way Toronto and their work to help create opportunities for a better life for everyone in our city.

Don’t miss out! Get your tickets to Rouge - before they’re all gone! https://payment.csfm.com/registrations/uwgt/index.php

See you next Thursday :)
Timeraiser Team