Upcoming Fundraiser

So, when I was at Green Drinks last month, I met a nice guy named Jimmy van Bramer. He's running for City Council's 26th District (that's where Eric Gioia is right now, but he's leaving and running for another position). He is a Democrat, passionate about green and environmental issues, and is committed to bettering his community.

He's out there raising funds for his campaign and has put together a great event this Thursday over at The Creek in LIC. If you're curious about what his positions are, are looking to support someone who feels similarly about the environment as you do, or if you just want to bend his ear about local issues, consider coming by. Any donation amount will be welcome.

Along with your donation, please consider bringing a donation of canned organic or locally produced food to the party. To help out needy families and highlight the need for better healthy food access, all of the food will be donated to a local food pantry.

Here are the details:

Earth Day fundraiser for Jimmy Van Bramer
Thursday, April 16, 6:30 - 9 p.m.
The Creek
10-93 Jackson Avenue
Long Island City, Queens (map)
Just steps away from the #7 Train at Vernon-Jackson and the G Train at 21st Street/Van Alst.

Feel free to RSVP on Facebook or at jimmyvanbramer@aol.com. See you there!

Call for Artists: AMandA in Wonderland

I received this in my inbox and wanted to pass it on. Please note that April 3, 2009 is the deadline for applying. Please contact astoriamusicarts@gmail.com for a copy of the application form.

Greetings From Astoria Music & Arts and the Wonderland Collective!

We would like to invite you to be part of an event we are putting together for April 18th 2009 called... AMandA in Wonderland. We are calling upon all fellow conspirators: artists, musicians, djays, dancers, performers, fire spinners, spoken word, comedians, filmmakers, organizations, collectives, and other creative energies, to be a part of this celebration.

Wonderland and Astoria Music & Arts are both dedicated to the enrichment of the artistic community in the Astoria/LIC area and beyond. Only with a network and community of artists will this come to fruition. This is a great opportunity for all of us to build together.

AMandA in Wonderland is going to be a fundraiser for Astoria Music & Arts. We are planning numerous events around LIC with all of this culminating in a huge festival in Astoria Park on July 25th and we want all of you to be involved!

We have already received grants from Queens Council on the Arts and the City Parks Foundation. We feel very strongly that we as a community and citizens need to seize our public spaces for celebration.

If you are interested in collaborating with us for this event on the 18th, summer festival, or any other events, or know of any other organizations or performers that would be interested in working together please contact me directly or email astoriamusicarts@gmail.com and we can start planning these events together.

Blessings :)

Mike Tummolo, AMA and Wonderland!

For additional info on the organizers
Wonderland on Facebook and their blog
Astoria Music and Arts on Facebook

Recent Events: Queens Holistic Moms and LIC Boathouse Fundraiser

Just wanted to post a little about two recent events I attended - the Queens Holistic Moms kickoff meeting on Wednesday, and the LIC Boathouse Fundraiser event last night.

The Queens Holistic Moms meeting was a huge success! Lots of people showed up with their kids and families, so much so that the space had to be expanded at ARROW (they have movable partitions to separate the space into multiple sections). It was great to see so many people interested in holistic living/wellness in Astoria. They have a bunch of events upcoming, which I think will be a good time for all involved.

The LIC Boathouse event was also a great success! There were probably over 200 people there throughout the evening. I didn't get a chance to taste much of the food, but the few sweet things I tasted were wonderful - I'm guessing they were from Sage General Store. There was beer, wine, and soft drinks, a slide show, and a film or two playing in the background. It was neat to see The Foundry as well, which I'd heard so much about. The best part about the night was seeing so many from the community come out and support this important community resource. On a personal level, I loved seeing so many friends there!

I took pictures of both events and will share them with you here as soon as I can upload and edit them!

Don't Forget the Paddle Party

&

Images by www.licboathouse.org and www.thefoundry.info

As Meg mentioned a few weeks ago, the LIC Community Boathouse will be throwing a paddle party this Thursday from 6pm - 9pm at the chic venue, The Foundry. The event will celebrate the renewal of our harbor and estuary as well as honor Dorothy Lewandowski, a key player in the preservation of parks and recreation, and the Newton Creek Alliance for their success in rescuing and reviving this waterway.

The party promises much fun - including raffles, dancing, and scrumptious food courtesy of Tuk Tuk, Manducatis Rustica and Sage American Kitchen.

Tickets are still available online and range from basic ($20) to generous ($100). But remember that all proceeds, go to the LIC Community Boathouse, an all volunteer organization that provides free access to our harbor and estuary for recreation and education.

LIC Community Boathouse 2009 Fundraiser Party
Thursday, March 12th, 2009
6pm - 9pm
The Foundry - 42-38 Ninth Street, Long Island City NY 11101
718.228.9214
www.licboathouse.org

Long Island City Community Boathouse Party!

This came through in my email, so I'm passing on the details. It sounds like a very worthy cause, and lots of fun, to boot!

The Long Island City Community Boathouse requests the pleasure of your company at our winter 2009 fundraiser party. We're working hard to create an extraordinary event that will put winter behind us, herald the coming of spring and celebrate the (almost) first anniversary of the New York City Water Trail.

A wide variety of food, beverages, entertainment, prizes and surprises will complement the good company of friends and guests of honor from around our harbor. It's a "come as you are" casual event in a unique and intimate venue.

When paddling season arrives, LICCB will open our new location on Anable Basin. Suggested donations, sponsorships and proceeds from raffle and silent auction will fund the launch site improvements needed to be ready for opening day.

Please plan to be part of this enjoyable and memorable event and support the good work of the all volunteer, not for profit Long Island City Community Boathouse.

Even if you cannot attend the event, there are options to "sponsor but won't attend" on the "buy tickets" page.

Thursday, March 12
6 - 9 p.m.
The Foundry
42-38 Ninth Street (half a block south of the Queensboro Bridge in LIC.)
Tickets are available online.

The Race is on!

Astoria has a team in the Mongol Rally. Check it out, insanity!

These guys get props from me for sure for even attempting this crazy race. They start the trek July 21st so get in on the fundraising action anytime before then at some of our favorite bars- The Irish Rover Sunday the 8th (37-18 28th Ave), The Quays (4502 30th Ave) and the Glen Oaks Friday the 6th (36-16 3oth Avenue).

Team MTA has just purchased their lovely chariot (a 17yr old VW Polo) and are just about ready to take off.

Check in on the website to keep up with their progress and to donate to their charities Mercy Corps and Send a Cow (gotta love it!)

Be safe racers, Astoria supports you!