The Longest Day fundraiser was a giant success !

Thank you for coming out to the Longest Day event to raise money for

Saint James Music Academy

Thanks to everyone who sponsored (listed below) or participated (listed below) in our 9th annual Longest Day fundraising event. And thank you to all of those who couldn't make it, but sent a donation !

This was our best event ever in many ways. Outstanding weather, record attendance, and more than double last year's money raised for our wonderful cause, Saint James Music Academy (SJMA).

For those of you who heard Arlene's talk, you know that SJMA is more than just a music school in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. It feeds, inspires, and provides emotional support for children and young people in "Canada's poorest postal code." It is a great privilege to be able to support this tremendous organization. 

You'll be seeing new branding for our event in the future: Friends In Travel, which sums up what we are all about. Our event is one of the few opportunities for all our friends in the travel industry to get together, have fun and do a bit of good for our community at the same time. Kudos to the many travel agencies, travel companies and friends who want to support the downtown Eastside who have made this all possible.

Next year will be our event's 10th anniversary. We are planning something really big to celebrate. Stay tuned ! 

A special thanks to:
Arlene, Dee Dee and Melodie from Saint James Music Academy. Marie from Insight to Wellness, and everyone else who helped in the planning to make this day possible, you know who you are.

Thanks to all of you for making this a successful event !

Colleen, Organizer

Prizes sponsored by: Hello Fresh, Epic Rides, Westjet, APT (Australian Pacific Touring), Air Canada Vacations, Manulife Travel Insurance, Fairmont Waterfront, The Travel Group & Capilano Suspension Bridge.

 

Participating companies & groups: Aboriginal Travel Services, Air Canada, Air North, Article, APT (Australian Pacific Touring), Bayleaf, Fernweh Travel, Forbes Travel, Globus family of brands, HB Travel, Hagens Travel, Insight to Wellness, La Power, Manulife Travel Insurance, North South Travel, Outsetters Club, Pan Pacific Hotel, Playa Resorts, The Travel Group, Travel Concepts & Saint James Music Academy.

Join us in June

The countdown begins

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Longest Day - 7th Annual

With no rain in sight, we did not even have to think of a "rain" plan. One day our luck will run out!

Heading into a long dry summer, we had an incredible day on June 21st, raising money for the Vancouver downtown eastside. Each year raising a little more money and getting a few more people to attend.

This year we added door prizes to the mix. Thank you to the sponsors: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Manulife Travel Insurance, Travel 2, The Travel Group, & The Western Beer Club for your great donations. And congratulations to all the winners!

Thank you to Marie from Insight to Wellness for coming to give us a pre-race stretch and thank you to Starbucks for your continued support in donating coffee every year.

To the surprise of Anne-Marie she took first place for the fastest runner, with a time just over 45 minutes.

Freddie & Dave came in at tandem for the fastest walkers at 51 minutes. Dave was also a wild hat winner, with a funky chicken hat. 

There were some fabulous hats, and we could not do just 1 prize. Corene was a runner up with her Mickey Mouse hat.

Enjoying the sun, food and fundraising we wrapped up our event at noon to spend the day with our Fathers on Fathers Day. 

Hope to see you next year !

~  The Travel Group

Longest Day fundraiser - 6th annual

Again, we lucked out with the weather! Cloudy skis, but nice and warm with no chance of rain.

Thank you to everyone who attended in supporting The Travel Group and the Vancouver Downtown East Side. We raised $500 towards our charities.

Colleen started things off with a welcome and thank you to everyone whom helped her organizing the event. Thank you to Lawrence from Starbuck for the coffee and Madison Avenue Shampoo Bar for the gift prizes.

David followed by telling everyone which charities we'd be supporting this year, WISH, The Potluck Café, and a new one of Saint James Music Academy.

It was great to welcome back Marie from Insight to Wellness, she did a pre race stretch and then we were off.

Alisha was the first to cross the finish line, as the fast runner or the group, with a time of 38:00. 

Most of our walkers were doing a lot of socializing along the way so Joan took the prize with a time of 50:28.

When Clarissa walked up sporting a Viking hat, it was a sure win for her, until Darren put on his Turkish hat and tied up the "wild hat" category.

There were so many sexy shorts that Tara and Karen both took a prize. Tara with colourful girly shorts with fringe. And Karen in her silver metallic shorts and an "I hate running" tee completed her outfit.

The dogs ran and played with their new squeaky toys, with snacks and great conversation to round out the day.

Thank you everyone for your efforts and coming out this year, we hope to see you next year.

 

Join us for our annual Longest Day Race

Longest Day fundraiser - 5th Annual

The sun shone on us again this year. We were blessed and know that one day we won't be so lucky with the weather.

A new exciting venue was picked, mainly because of the insane parking prices last year. We set up for our 5th Annual Longest Day Fundraiser on the lovely Iona Jetty, Richmond. We picked this location, because of the view of open ocean. Which you can see from the beach as well as the 4km Jetty. Amazing bird life all around, dogs are welcome and free parking !

 

More pictures can be view at: http://on.fb.me/13ZaTSN

 

Thank you to everyone who attending in supporting
The Travel Group and the Vancouver Downtown East Side
with our 5^th annual event.

Unfortunaly this year Marie from Insight toWellness was not able to give us our pre-race stretch, but we hope she will be able to join us next year.

 

 

Zahida was the first to cross the finish line after an 8km run.

 

Followed very quickly by our fastest walker, Carol.

It was the longest walk event we've done at 5 km

 

This year we had the most consistence enter for Sexy Shorts!

Karen took the prize again with her sexy coral shorts.

 

 

Nicole took the runner up prize with her
psychedelic black and white shorts.

 

Thank you to everyone who attending in supportingThe Travel Group and the Vancouver Downtown East Side
with our 5^th annual event.

 

Mark your calendars for next year - June 22nd 2014

With a prize for "Best Hat"

 

 

 

Longest Day - 2013

This Sunday join us in fundraising for the Vancouver downtown East Side. 

 

We are holding this in the driest part of the lower mainland at the spectacular Iona Park (just south of YVR). 

Weather looks great.

Free parking.

Doggie-friendly event

** Prizes ** 

food/beverages afterwards

 

 

Longest Day of the Year Fundraiser - 4th Annual

With a grey, dark rainy Saturday, we were all very concerned about the weather for Sunday. We have lucked out the last 3 years and not had rain. And we lucked out again!

Waking up to clouds, and a dark one over Vancouver, the grass was damp on arrival, however no rain and sunny blue sky's as the day went on.

Thank you to everyone who attending in supporting
The Travel Group and the Vancouver Downtown East Side
with our 4^th annual event.

Each year we add a more to the event, in hopes to make it bigger and better.

This year Marie from Insight toWellness was invited to do a pre-race stretch.

Alam was the first to cross the finish line taking the first honors

many were hot on his heels

The fastest runner this year was Alar.

A frist timer, and hopefully not his last.

Our 4 legged contestants were said to slow our walkers down with all the stopping and sniffing, but they enjoyed the walk, and some play time with their new squeeky toys.

There were limited contestants for Sexy Shorts this year.

Karen took the prize with her mint green shorts.

The day was full of laughs, food and fun.

Raising money for the Vancouver Downtown Eastside.

Longest Day of the Year Fundraiser

4th Annual Longest Day of the Year

Fundraiser is fast approching !

** Join us **

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Longest Sunday of the Year Walk / Run - 3rd Annual

Thanks to everyone for participating in the
Longest Sunday of the Year Run/Walk.
It was a great success, raising more money each year !

A big thanks to James at Air Canada for their sizable donation.

Vancouver is still waiting for our summer to begin, but all the sun dancing worked. Sunday was a fabulous day!! The temperature broke 20’C and the sun block was needed.

 

Before heading out on our run or walk we did a quick warm up to loosen the muscles.

The Longest Day’s youngest contestant
took home the fastest walker.

5 year old Sidney, took home the gold medal for 5km

 

Raul, a first timer, snuck past the finish line a mere milliseconds ahead of the rest of them.

Contestants for Sexy Shorts

Anne-Marie took home the prize for sexiest shorts once again this year.  It was her  complete outfit with sparkling runners, that put her ahead of the rest.

  

See you all next year !

Longest Sunday of the Year Race

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Join The Travel Group

For the 3rd annual

Longest Sunday of the Year Race.

Stanley Park, Lumberman's Arch.

Sunday June 26th - 9:00am

Race start at 9:00am promptly: be there early !

Registration fee: minimum $10 donation.

All money goes toward our Downtown East Side fund.

Choose between a

Run (approx. 8km) or Walk (approx. 3.5km)

Snacks, refreshments, and awards to follow the race.

! PRIZES TO BE WON !

* 8km first place award *     * 3.5km first place award *

* Sexiest Shorts award *

RSVP Colleen is appreciated

Last year's event: http://bit.ly/k87BBW

Longest Day of the Year Race - 2nd annual

The clouds cleared just as the work day was ending, giving The Travel

Group a crisp evening for their

2nd annual Longest Day of the Year Race.

The whistle blew and everyone was off.

As they all made a dash to the finish line,
Mark was the first across the finish line with a time of 30:57,
followed closely by Teresa with a time of 30:58.

We had a 3 way tie for the runners this year
all crossing with a time of 45:33

Jason, Clarissa, David & Topsail

Topsail and Dakota represented the 4 legged contestants this year,

we hope to increase this number next year.

Anne-Marie won for Sexiest Short's unanimously
with her pink hawaiian board shorts

The night was full of laughs, food and fun

All for a great causeRaising money for the Downtown East Side
Hope to see you all next year !

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