The Official Bulletin: 2016 Q4 / NO. 654

CANADIAN LOCALS AND FOOD DRIVE SUCCESS
For the second year, IATSE partnered
with Food Banks Canada for the Every
Plate Full Challenge. Every dollar contributed
buys three meals for hungry Canadians.
Last year, we surpassed our goal of
100,000 meals so we raised the bar and
set a goal to raise 200,000 meals. Locals
competed against one another to see
who could raise the most funds.
Locals like 709 got very engaged
through social media, while others got
engaged by holding fundraisers, like Local
58’s Young Workers hosting an Every
Plate Full BBQ. Two of our employers,
Great Lakes Scenic and F&D Scene
Changes, were also presented awards
due to their huge involvement this year, and
we were thankful for a large donation from
equipment supplier William F. White’s.
Canadian Locals surpassed the new
goal and raised 235,605 meals. The International
also added to our participation
this year by contributing funds to Food
Banks Canada so that they were able to
complete a promotional video for their
website and social media channels. At the
Canadian Convention, held in Montreal in
September, the winners were announced
by Graham Hill of Food Banks Canada.
Local 212 received the award for Largest
Donation and Local 828 for Highest Donation
per Member. Congratulations to both
Locals and thanks to all who participated.
This was not the only fundraiser in
which the IATSE helped to feed the hungry.
Rather than competing unions or
Locals, the Reel Thanksgiving Challenge
pits all Vancouver-area films & TV series
against one another to compete for funds
raised. IATSE Locals 891 and 669, along
with other participating unions, guilds and
productions, raised an incredible total of
$156,830 for this year’s challenge! Top
production went to the TV series “Arrow,”
whose total of $37,272.50 included a
$5,000 donation from the IATSE for being
a daily fundraising winner.
Thanks to all who participated and donated.
Many hungry families across Canada
will be a little less hungry this year,
thanks to all of your hard work!
The crew of
“Arrow” pose
after winning the
Reel Thanksgiving
Challenge by
raising over
$37,000.
CHRISTMAS IN JULY FOR CALIFORNIA LOCAL
For the third consecutive year, Studio
Teachers from IATSE Local 884 participated
in California State Senator Holly
Mitchell's Christmas in July. The goal of this
event was to reach as many low income,
high risk families as possible to provide
them with information about community
resources, senior and child care, and services
available to help deal with the challenges
of poverty and racial discrimination.
Studio Teachers from Local 884, along
with members of Famous Fone Friends (a
Local 884 sponsored charity that links
up celebrities with seriously ill children
through phone calls), donated over 400
children's books and held a "bookmarkmaking"
booth for the children to use with
their newly acquired books. Each child
who attended this event with their parents
went home with one or more new books
and to their excitement and amazement, a
new bicycle, helmet and lock, donated by
the IA West Coast Locals.
In addition to the volunteers from Local
884 and Famous Fone Friends, this
year some of the stars of popular children's
shows also volunteered to help
the kids make their bookmarks (and take
pictures and sign autographs!). A goal of
some of the Local 884 Studio Teachers is
to instill the value of volunteerism into the
lives of the child actors we work with. It's
all about giving back and that is a quality
that cannot be acquired too early in life.
Pictured here
are Cecilia
Cardwell, Eric
Burns, Sandy
McNeil, Linda
Stone, Dan Benjamin
and CA
State Senator
Holly Mitchell.
LOCAL UNION NEWS
FOURTH QUARTER 2016 53