one reason i don't watch award shows is it's such a challenge is sit through the thank-you speeches. but after our street newz party i have a much better appreciation of how difficult it is to acknowledge an accomplishment, and all the people who help make it happen, without boring everyone to tears with a long list of thank-yous. i think we covered it .... we thanked the vendors and the writers, without whom the street newz wouldn't happen, and we thanked the people who read and buy the paper, whose contribution is equally as important. we thanked the musicians (the rabbleberries, art & terry, without a net) for all their fabulous musical contributions, and michael who organized the music and provided the sound system, and colin who facilitated the sound, and gordon who went the extra mile and got us a vegan and gluten free cake (from origins bakery, very yummy!). we thanked the people who offered up gifts for the raffle (hemp & company, christine comrie, kim fagerlund, christina nikolic, chris cook), and the management and staff of the solstice cafe. I hope we remembered everyone. did we thank james and kim, intrepid board members, for their help coordinating and facilitating? we meant to.
the party was lots of fun. we had three different musical groups, and just enough time to hear enough of each of them to make it worthwhile for all involved (i hope!). we raised a bit of money towards sending rose to scotland for the international conference in july. we had an appreciative crowd, happy vendors (they work hard selling the paper and it was so great to see them enjoying themselves), and a chance to reflect on 7 years of independent media. i was a bit too stressed to really appreciate it, i was running around trying to take photos and make sure everyone was being introduced around, and all that party organizing stuff, but i had moments of sitting and relaxing and being really truly grateful for all of it.
shayne and tim, the solstice staff, were real troopers .... we ran a tiny bit over time but a few of us stayed to help rearrange the tables and clean up so hopefully they were able to get out of there and on with their friday nights without too much delay. i used to work in food services, i know what it's like to want to close up on time, especially on a friday night. so thanks to them for all their friendly customer service, and especially to david cardinal for allowing us to access the very unique and special space he's created at the solstice cafe.
with any luck we'll do it again next year!
