Jest for Joy is thrilled to announce that we raised $7000 at our Naughty Noses Nifty Fifities Gala at the River Rock Casino, thanks to the extremely generous donations of items and time from Friends of Jest for Joy.  This money will be used towards our continued work at George Pearson Centre and will keep us servicing there with weekly visits for months to come!

As of May, we will have been spreading joy and inspiration at GPC for two years, and our work has been met with outstanding praise and depth.

Sam Greenspoon, Social Worker at GPC says “I have witnessed moments of zaniness, laughter, and humour, which is much needed in a place where the residents have experienced more than their share of trauma and suffering; to more touching moments where I have heard the Clown Doctors gently singing to residents who may be more isolated… Their commitment, [has] more that once, brought tears to my eyes”.

Ron Stedman, Recreational Therapy Director and advocate of the Jest for Joy clown-doctoring program simply states, “The clown doctors have had a tremendously positive impact on the quality of life of the residents at GPC… they have brought countless smiles to the faces of the residents, staff, visitors and volunteers.

George Pearson Centre is hosting a small fundraiser, Fools Fair, on Friday April 1st to support Jest for Joy’s work.  All are welcome and encouraged to stop by either for bbq lunch or for activities and items for purchase – or stay the whole time!  The BBQ starts at 11:30am and the activities will begin at 1:30pm and run until 4pm.

Jest for Joy hugely appreciates the support of GPC and will need further support throughout the year to continue it’s services through 2011.  We are completely committed to servicing the Centre as our “base camp”, even when we begin programing at other locations.  The work is invaluable to all.  As one resident clearly puts it, “Life is hard enough in normal times.  [The clown-doctors] are needed to help bridge the gap.”

Folks, it’s here!

Jest for Joy is having an amazing evening of fun this upcoming Friday January 28th.  This newest edition to our Naughty Noses fundraising events is our grandest event yet, and we’re celebrating 50′s style.  Live jazz by Juno award-winning Creber music and fedoras and cocktail dresses will set the mood.  Stand up comedy by Greg Kettner, and a SLEW of amazing live and silent auction items up for grabs, including a Galiano weekend getaway, Canucks and Giants tickets, gift baskets, hotel packages and much more. This is one event you won’t want to miss!

Naughty Noses – Nifty Fifties Gala
River Rock Casino – Fraser Room
8811 River Road, Richmond

7pm

$35 per person

Get your tickets on Eventbrite:

http://jestforjoy.eventbrite.com/?ref=esfb

Funds raised at this event go directly to supporting the  2011 program at George Pearson Centre, where the clown-doctors have been providing service for over a year and a half to rave reviews.   We are also aiming to fund the expansion of our work to other Centres in and around Vancouver where clown-doctoring is needed and desired as an addition to the holistic treatment of patients and residents.

Your support is not only extremely appreciated by Jest for Joy, but also by the residents, their families and the staff of the Centre where our Jest for Joy clown-doctors ply their trade.  After matching by a corporate sponsor, $50 of donated funds provides two hours of clown-doctoring by the clown-doctors and can bring a smile to the face of dozens of residents and staff.  Those smiles often last well after the clown-doctors have left the building for the day.

To view a short video of our work, check out the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmU8AHa149w

We look forward to seeing you on Friday January 28th for a fun-filled evening supporting a great cause.

Hello Friends of Jest for Joy!

Today we have a guest blogger, our wonderful and invaluable Treasurer of the Board of Directors, Kristine Coombes.  Kristine has been with Jest for Joy since our inception and has been a marked component of our successes so far.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Kristine for all of the hard work, dedication and perseverance she has shown on the Jest for Joy journey.  I am pleased to announce that Kristine has been voted by our Society Members as our Treasurer for another year and we are all most grateful!  The following is what she had to say about our recent and successful AGM.

Jest for Joy held its first Annual General Meeting on September 1, 2010. The Board presented highlights on all aspects of Jest for Joy from how we came to be, to how much money we spent and where we see ourselves in the future. My personal favorite was listening to stories written by the clowns themselves on their experience in the facility.

It was an amazing experience as the Board of Directors was able to share this inspirational charity with some of our 31 new society members. The society members were eager to offer valuable ideas that the Board has already started to implement.

We would like to offer a special thank you to Rosa Parks Improv, Blacker Training Systems, ITSAZOO Productions Theatre Company, the Soap Show and Invoke Photography for providing amazing deals and opportunities to all society members. If you are interested in becoming a Society Member please email allyson@jestforjoy.ca for more details.

Kristine Coombes

Treasurer, Jest for Joy Board of Directors



Jest For Joy

Hello Friends and Fans,

We hope you have been having a marvellous summer full of smiles and adventure!

Jest for Joy has been a registered society for one year and it is time for our Annual General Meeting. We request the support of our friends and fans by attending this meeting to vote in the Board of Directors for another season of hard behind-the-scenes work.

In order to tantalize and tempt you to attend, we are offering a fabulous incentive package which will be available as of the AGM! Here are the details:

For a $20 donation you will become a Jest for Joy Society Member and:

 Be eligible to vote at our Annual General Meeting
 Receive a bi-annual Jest for Joy e-newsletter exclusive to Society Members
 Receive a very cool Members Benefit Package including a membership card and reference guide, entitling you to discounts with local Vancouver companies. These discounts are valid from Sept 1st 2010 to Sept 1st, 2011 so becoming a member early gives you more time to reap the rewards!

Please RSVP if you can, to allyson@jestforjoy.ca indicating your attendance at our AGM which will be on:

Wednesday September 1st
7pm
Oakridge Public Library, Vancouver

(Located in Oakridge Shopping Centre at 41 Street & Cambie, southwest corner).
Please bring cash or personal cheques to purchase your Society Membership.

We all thank you in advance for your support and for contributing to our continued success. See you there!

The Jest for Joy Team

Hello Readers,

Today we have a guest blogger, Mr. Rob Walker. I am proud to introduce Rob to you as a committed and double-duty member of the Jest for Joy family. Mr. Walker is one of our dedicated Board members, as well as being one of the select group of performers who have been trained by Jest for Joy as a clown-doctor.

In December, just a few days before Christmas, all four of Jest for Joy’s clown-doctors visited our George Pearson Centre friends together in a Clown Christmas Caroling Day. Although Rob has been trained and has developed a character, he had not yet clowned in this facility, and was touched by the relationships and connections we have established with so many of the residents over the past 8 months that we have been servicing George Pearson. Upon reflection (about clown-doctoring at large, it seems), here is what he has to say:

Hello,
I’m tall, lanky, have a strong goofy streak. Goofy? Heck, I downright could be his love-child. People are always asking me, “Just, what are you, exactly?”

What I do find myself responding to are questions about what clown-doctoring is. Specifically, the clowning. Pop culture proves a pedestal for my explanation. Our organization pays individuals for their professional work in a healthcare setting. That training happens to be in voice and movement rather then fluid identification.

The background I bring to Jest for Joy’s board of directors is Fine Arts and Education. References to the work of Decroux and Marceau come easy to me. I find, however, that Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Tina Fey and Robin Williams are more familiar references. Speaking of Mork, it was his role in the film, Patch Adams, that provides the clearest window. We are establishing a standard of care that returns joy and inspiration to individuals, using the philosophies of therapeutic clowning, amidst the medicine and machinery. Clown-doctoring is about celebrating and encouraging the spirit. Our organization is inspired by international organizations who have been involved in this work for many years. We are in communication with the Canadian Association of Therapeutic Clowning, hoping to gain guidance and alliances with other reputed therapeutic clowns across Canada.

The greatest stereotype I work to dispel is that of the traditional circus or birthday-party clown. Jest for Joy clown-doctors perform with a minimum of makeup, costume and prop. Our clowns always work in pairs, two noses per shift. Doing so allows the audience to participate at will. Working in pairs also increases the artists’ awareness of the patients needs within the medical environment. A person may be experiencing a tough treatment or be susceptible to transmitting or receiving infection (we gown-up outside the room while gently crooning). Might we wear unflattering shoes? Certainly – but Jest for Joy clown-doctors do not step into any room without prior consultation with the clinical team and being invited at the door.

Bet ‘cha didn’t know there was an association of therapeutic clowns! Obviously, we’re not just goofing around.

To you, with joy and inspiration,
Rob Walker

We have 3 great ways that you can continue to show your support for our work this Holiday Season and beyond:

Great way to donate #1 – Jest for Joy is Swell!

You may make an online donation of any amount through Pay Pal, at the Get Involved page on our website or see link below.  No donation is too big or too small!

http://www.jestforjoy.ca/get_involved.html#donate

Great way to donate #2 - Sponsor a clown-doctor ($20-$59)

With a donation of $20-$59 through our Pay Pal account, (or by cheque/cash in person through a member of our Board of Directors) you will be mailed a Sponsorship Card about one of our wonderful clown-doctor characters!  This package includes:

• A Thank You Sponsorship card with a photo of your clown-doctor, and a summary about them.
• Your name on our Jest for Joy Donors list (on our website)**

**This makes a great gift!  If you would like the card to be mailed to an address other than the one connected to your credit card, or you would like the donation to be made in someone else’s name, please send an email to allyson@jestforjoy.ca with details.

Great way to donate #3 – Sponsor a clown-doctor Fund-RAZOR

($60+ Super stocking-stuffer idea!)

Clown-doctors are sharp and so are our blades!  With a donation of $60 or more, you will be supporting Jest for Joy and getting an amazing gift in return!  With this package you will receive:

• Women’s Razor and Refills* (Comparable to “Venus Embrace” by Gillette)

42 refill blades (10 packs of 4 blades)

6 blades per cartridge

Comfortable hand grip

A retail value of approx. $190.00 (taxes incl.)

• A Thank You Sponsorship card with a photo of your clown-doctor, and a summary about him/her.
• Your name on our Jest for Joy Donors list (on our website)**

*Quality Top Care Products Supplied by: By-the-Case Fundraising Co.

**If you would like the package delivered to an address other than the one connected to your credit card, or you would like the donation to be made in someone else’s name, please send an email to allyson@jestforjoy.ca with details.

Jest for Joy is a registered not-for-profit organization. We look forward to being able to issue you tax receipts for future donations once we have obtained our pending Charitable Status in the New Year.

Thank you once again for your continued support!

The Jest for Joy Team

JN Burnett High School in Richmond is lucky – they are one of the high schools in the Lower Mainland that has an elective Leadership class.  They are even luckier to have a thoughtful, motivational teacher, Ms. Leslie Dell, teaching the Leadership course.

Three years ago, a fellow clown-doctor and I approached Ms. Dell in hopes of creating a curriculum for her students, who are generally grade 11 and 12 students.   We wanted to share the basics of Red Nose work with non-professionals, and have them experience the connection, self-expression and creations that can be made wearing “the smallest mask in the world”.  She welcomed us with open arms and thereupon we created Spirit Clowning.

Now in its third year of success, Spirit Clowning is a branch of Jest for Joy that promotes Educational/Outreach opportunities in Red Nose.  Spirit Clowns are non-professional performers who are facilitated by a professional clown-doctor to promote joy and inspiration through Red Nose work. This intensive workshop series culminates in a celebration of life with a selected community group, performed by the Spirit Clowns.

As Spirit Clowns, participants:

• gain a new-found respect for and connection with humanity

• gain self-confidence, body-awareness, and leadership skills

• heighten their sense of creative self-expression

• be challenged to take on the responsibility of creating a connection with strangers

• develop artistic performance skills

This year, I worked with 57 students in two classrooms for an 8 session workshop series to prepare them for their Celebration of Life day.  We chose an Inner City Elementary School in East Vancouver to present our event to.  This elementary school is in the top 3 schools within the Vancouver system for high needs.  We had been there two years before, and the feedback that we continue to receive event to this day about our last visit, encouraged us to approach them again.

The Leadership students were largely responsible for creating the structure of the event – this year they created the theme Rumble in the Jungle and the following stations: story time, face painting, magic, bracelet making, improv games, snack decoration and balloon animals.

We invited approximately 90 children at this elementary school, in kindergarten to grade three, to join us for the fun.  We had two hours of play and celebration, and ended with a bang thanks to a very generous donation of pizza and water for all the children from the Boston Pizza Foundation.

By the end of the day, many of the Spirit Clowns were sweaty, exhausted, overwhelmed and delighted by all of the smiling faces they witnessed and hugs they received.  They recognized the impact of the gift they had given, and many of them were sharing in anecdotes of the day before they had even changed out of their costumes.

I love this work!  Facilitating and participating in this work fills me with joy and inspiration- it does not go unnoticed by me that the key words include in our mission statement and hope to deliver through the work of Jest for Joy are the same experiences I gain from the work and its creation.

I have now worked with Spirit Clowns with the Richmond School Leadership Conferences (RSLC), at an Orphanage in the Dominican Republic, at an Inner City Elementary School and at a Community Centre’s Skate with Santa.  The situations and length of time I am working with these students vary, but the results are always similar for me: an intense love for humanity, and a re-instilled sense of how we can all make a positive difference in the lives of others.  I am so inspired by these students, many of whom have never taken a drama class before, or for whom English is a second language.  The self-imposed barriers that they are faced with are challenged by their desire to have fun and do the work, and the breakthroughs are beautiful.

I have the students write a reflection page after we have performed the Celebration of Life day, and I would like to share a few of the following question and responses from them that warmed my heart.  Remind yourself of what high school life was like, and how amazing these comments are, coming from 15-17 year olds:

What 3 words would you use to describe your experience of Spirit Clowning?

• touching, life changing, awesome
• inspirational, self-discovery, freedom
• beneficial, love, courage

What does Red Nose Work mean to you, in your words?

• It means that you just let everyone be who they want to be.
• The passion, in leadership and life.
• The Red Nose work to me means being yourself, totally letting go of whatever is holding you back.  Preparing yourself to become a better and stronger person
• To bring joy to the people who need them.  To let them know that they are not left out.
• It means creating joy in other people’s lives and inside yourself while also getting to know yourself better.
• To free ourselves.
• For me, the Red Nose is a tool to help me get out of my comfort zone and be in the actual world where everyone is different.

These comments from the students let me know that they understand the connection between Spirit Clowning, and their Leadership class.  But most of all, they allow me to see the love that we all have and want to share with others.

With a smile,

Allyson

Hello,

Thank you for visiting our site. Jest for Joy is currently awaiting Charitable Status and has been running our program at George Pearson Centre in Vancouver on generous donations for the past 6 months. The work we are doing has received extremely positive and enthusiastic feedback!

Jest for Joy has registered for an “Aviva Community Fund Grant”, a major community grant that would enable us to touch hundreds of lives with the work we do over the next year or two if we are selected. The details of the project and how the grant is awarded are at this link.

www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf1796

The selection is based on a voting process and is highly competitive. All you need to do is register your email address and vote for our project today and again every day for the run of the contest. You can register one vote per day per person. Please feel free to pass this information along to your friends who may find our work inspiring. Every vote counts!

This is a great opportunity to show your support AND the least money you’ve probably ever given to a fundraiser as we ask for no funds from you!!

We sincerely appreciate your help and thank you in advance for your support.

With a smile,

The Jest for Joy Team
www.jestforjoy.ca

PS  Check back for blog updates about updates on our work, events, and more!

This site will have all the information you should need to learn about our initiative. Also, through the site we hope to encourage and inspire people to support the project whether it be via sponsorship, volunteering, spreading the word, or just moral support!

For enquiries or general information about Jest for Joy and Our Team please visit our what we do page or contact page