TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR TONIGHT!
A fundraiser for the EMCS Community Theatre.
Presented by the EMCS Society and the Sooke Harbour Toastmasters Club.
After a wonderful debut early this year, Sooke Talks returns on the evening Friday Nov. 2 to showcase another unique fractal of the fascinating people living in our midst. All their stories are unique yet the common thread is passion ~ how to find it, cultivate it and allow it to blossom in ways surprising, rewarding and unexpected.
Some of our speakers are familiar faces locally, others less so. All are giving their time freely for the second in an ongoing series of evenings that will raise funds for the EMCS Community Theatre.
MC Tania Ehman is back to introduce a second line-up of speakers/presenters, namely Layton Engwer, Melody Kimmel, Frederique Philip, Gord Phillips, Janet Raynor-Thorn, Kaidyn Robertson, Zachery Vine and Quinn Yates. Read more about these remarkable folks and the subjects they'll address in the detailed descriptions below.
Tickets are again a nice-priced $15 each. Upon purchase, you'll receive an email with print-your-own ticket(s). Extra donations in the amount of your choice are warmly welcomed in support of Sooke's Community Theatre. Charitable receipts for all ticket sales will be issued by email following the event.
Tickets are also available at the Stick in the Mud Coffeehouse, Shoppers' Drug Mart Sooke and the EMCS Society office at the community school.
Layton Engwer ~ What happens when you don a white fur-trimmed red jacket and matching hat? Magic, that's what. Layton, a health care professional and East Sooke emergency responder, had the requisite beard and personality to be the perfect choice for the jolly holiday role on family day at a local restaurant. Expect to be surprised, charmed and moved by his experiences.
Melody Kimmell ~ In her vivacious way, Melody will share insights from neurological science that reveal how movement and body awareness can make our brains "sparkle." Mel is a registered massage therapist in Sooke with a life-long passion for dance that these days finds her leading fun and invigorating classes locally.
Frederique Philip ~ Food is a double-edged sword that can be a "medicine" or a deadly weapon. Co-founder of the legendary Sooke Harbour House and a Governor General's Award winner, Frederique has had a long, pleasurable relationship with food dating back to her childhood in France. Reflecting on society's fast food obsession, she'll ask: "Why are so many of us overstuffed yet undernourished?"
Gord Phillips ~ It doesn't get much more Sooke than this popular singer-songwriter. Our "audience energizer" this time around has the knack for connecting with hearts, minds and stomping feet via his rootsy rhythms, storytelling lyrics and between-song banter. For Sooke Talks #2, he's got a few stories to share and something special up his Cowichan sweater sleeve for the night's audience.
Janet Rayner Thorn ~ Life's many inevitable losses, transitions and traumas can leave us feeling lost and disoriented. An accomplished local artist and registered Clinical Social Worker, Jan will reveal how time-honoured mythological stories -- in this case the Russian tale of the Baba Yaga -- can help us rekindle our personal light and hope as we find our way forward again.
Kaidyn Robertson ~ Kaidyn, aged 9, is dedicated to following his passion and inspiring everyone to find their own. You may have met him at the Sooke Country Market selling medicinal herbs he grows himself at his family's Silver Cloud Farm. He's studied Leonardo da Vinci and hums Mozart concertos in his head. Earlier this year, this Grade 3 student earned wall space at the Sooke Fine Arts Show. What's his secret? "I'm not afraid of rejection yet," he says with his sweet, innocent laugh.
Zac Vine ~ Discover how Journey Middle School's athletic director went from restoring kids' sneakers as an inner-city youth educator in Toronto to creating custom pairs for the likes of pop superstar Drake, rock group Def Leppard and New York Yankees' pitcher Aroldis Chapman. Nowadays he's bringing "sneakerhead" culture to Sooke students through his Fresh SOLES program.
Quinn Yates ~ Unfulfilled with what he was learning in college, Quinn Yates wanted to foster his own education through travelling, adventure, and diverse peoples and cultures. His travels have taken him throughout South America, Scandinavia and the South Pacific. He’s travelled down the Amazon by boat, into the mountains of Patagonia on foot, down the Western seaboard of the United States by car, and now, across Canada by bicycle. Quinn will relate how his travels have helped him reflect on the formation of his own ideas and ideals.
MC Tania Ehman is a gifted speaker and coach herself who generously donates her time in helping people discover their voices, stand in their power and soar.