Women’s Festival Toronto is hosting the 2016 International Women’s Empowerment & Leadership Conference & Gala at the Shangri-La Toronto (188 University Avenue) on March 4-5, 2016, in celebration of the United Nations’ International Women’s Day. All of the net proceeds from the two-day, not-for-profit fundraiser will directly support Plan International Canada’s Because I am a Girl global initiative to end gender inequality, promote girls’ rights and lift underprivileged individuals out of poverty.

 

Serving as the event’s Honourary Chair and Gala Keynote Speaker is Madame Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, who will address this year’s theme “A Celebration of Women’s Empowerment”. Other internationally recognized speakers attending the gala include Yahoo! News Global Anchor Katie Couric, Pioneer of Black Empowerment the Honourable Madame Jean Augustine, Deputy Minister of International Trade Christine Hogan, UN Women’s President Emeritus Almas Jiwani and Brigadier-General Tammy Harris, just to name a few.

 

The first day of the event will feature a celebration gala with a keynote address by Honourary Chair Sophie Gregoire Trudeau. Katie Couric will also be presented as a special guest speaker. The night will include a welcome champagne toast, dinner, silent auction and live music.

 

The second day of the event features an inspirational breakfast and luncheon speaker series. Topics include: Be Yourself, Be Your Best Self; Personal Branding; Women Who Tech; Women Building Wealth; Your Female Tribe; Perspectives From Young Minds; and Women in Global Affairs. The conference will also include an exhibition area, live performances, indigenous art and a Diversity in Fashion runway show which aims to promote diversity of race, body and beauty.

 

Scholarships to attend the conference are being provided to 150 high school girls to participate in fun, interactive workshops purposely designed for them, with an aim to empower these young girls to discover their authentic selves and develop leadership skills and knowledge.

 

Tickets to the gala and conference range from $175-$800 and are now available at http://bit.ly/1LlPhe5.

 

About Women’s Festival Toronto

 

Women’s Festival Toronto is a non-profit organization with a team of dedicated volunteers supporting initiatives to empower women and girls of diverse cultures and backgrounds, for the benefit of all. The organization celebrates the accomplishments and nurtures the dreams of women in an interactive, inclusive, multi-cultural and multi-tracked program focusing on areas of women’s lives: Personal, Professional, Philanthropic and Plant.

 

WF Toronto’s goal is to facilitate premier gatherings for women’s self-empowerment, as well as provide a fertile ground for networking, mentoring, advocacy, fundraising and resource sharing.

 

Follow Women’s Festival Toronto on Twitter:

@WFToronto

Like Women’s Festival Toronto on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/WomensFestivalToronto/

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@PennantMedia

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Available for interviews:
Antoinette Mak, Executive Director

In celebration of Toronto’s 182^nd birthday, Myseum of Toronto will be launching its inaugural festival of free exhibits exploring the city’s natural, cultural and historical diversity on March 6, 2016. To celebrate the opening, Myseum of Toronto is hosting a launch event at the QRC West Building (362 Richmond Street West) from 3 PM to 6 PM. The event is open to the public and interested guests can RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/myseum-intersections-festival-launch-tickets-21114745773.

 

In venues across the city, Myseum Intersections will tell Toronto’s stories through art, architecture, performances, and exhibits, while highlighting the history of social change alongside current trends. Partners will include Heritage Toronto, major cultural institutions such as the Art Gallery of Ontario, The Power Plant, and the Gardiner Museum, alongside community venues such as Enoch Turner Schoolhouse and Daniels Spectrum. Programming ranges from historic to contemporary issues presented via exhibits, events and interactive community experiences.

 

“We’re really excited to see so many cultural organizations and institutions coming together to focus on sharing different perspectives in Toronto. We look forward to seeing Torontonians experience programming throughout all areas of the city,” says Karen Carter, Executive Director, Myseum of Toronto. “These intersections present new ways of illuminating Toronto’s past, understanding its present, and imagining its future.”

 

Myseum Intersections launches on March 6, 2016 – Toronto’s birthday – and runs through March 31, 2016.

 

About Myseum of Toronto

 

Myseum of Toronto is a non-profit organization led by a group of private citizens committed to telling the story of Toronto’s natural spaces, cultures, history, archaeology and architecture. Through collaborative programming experiences, Myseum’s objective is to foster a greater appreciation of our city. Using Toronto as the exhibit, Myseum is not one place, it’s every place. Myseum programs are co-created by present and former Torontonians across the GTA and around the world.

 

Like Myseum of Toronto on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/myseumoftoronto

Follow Myseum of Toronto on Twitter:

@myseumTO

Follow Pennant Media Group on Twitter:

@PennantMedia

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Available for interviews:
Karen Carter, Executive Director
Britt Welter-Nolan, Director of Public Programs

After Breast Cancer, an accomplished charity focused on helping women and men celebrate life after defeating breast cancer, will be hosting a VIP cocktail event on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 from 6 PM to 8 PM at the Riviera Parque Dining, Banquet & Convention Centre (2800 Hwy #7 West, Vaughan, Ontario L4K 1W8) to provide guests with an opportunity to meet the organization’s ambassadors, and connect with its sponsors and supporters. JUNO Award winning artist Simone Denny will be performing at the event.

 

Attending guests will be able to learn about upcoming events such as the S|HE Thrives Graduation Ball, Pink Diamond Gala and VIP screening of Decoding Annie Parker at the Italian Film Festival.

 

After Breast Cancer fills a gap in charitable organizations focused on breast cancer by putting “cancer” and “celebration” in the same sentence. With the VIP cocktail event, corporate sponsors will be able to get a first-hand look at how After Breast Cancer has been able to positively impact breast cancer graduates’ lives by fulfilling their needs after they leave the hospital.

 

“We’re an organization that elevates the lives of people who have been neglected after leaving the hospital,” says Catherine McCormack, ABC Board of Directors and Graduate Ambassador. “We understand that after cancer, your whole life changes. We celebrate the lives of our ambassadors and other breast cancer graduates and we hope that through this event we can inspire corporate sponsors to make this cause their own.”

Thanks to event sponsors such as SKECHERS Canada, ThinkCompass, Florence Scovel and Premier Jour, the event is free for all attendees.

 

After Breast Cancer refers to its ambassadors as ‘Graduates’ to bring a more powerful and positive word to what is life after breast cancer. Ambassadors and board members who will be present at the cocktail event include Christine Bentley, Catherine McCormack, Annie Parker, Todd Herzog, Diane Dupuy and Event Chair Sam Ciccolini, just to name a few.

 

In 2015, After Breast Cancer released its 2016 S|HE Thrives calendar featuring for the first time both male and female breast cancer ambassadors. Showing that breast cancer has no boundaries, the calendar tells the inspirational and moving stories of 12 breast cancer graduates through beautiful photography taken at the scenic Toronto landmark, Casa Loma.  The S|HE Thrives calendar retails for $20 and are on sale now through the After Breast Cancer website at http://afterbreastcancer.ca.

 

This year, S|HE Thrives has partnered with Cadillac Fairview Sherway Gardens to help promote and sell the calendar. The courageous breast cancer ambassadors, who are all graduates of the disease, took part in an extravagant one-day shoot that celebrates life after breast cancer. Amongst stunning views of the majestic castle, both male and female ambassadors were primped and polished by partners including Christopher Paunil, Christian, Fredas boutique, and Shirley Wu Beauty Concepts. Ambassadors was style by celebrity stylist Dale Hodder-Elad of Shut up and Dress Me.

 

After Breast Cancer is a charity dedicated to supporting women and men graduating from breast cancer with limited financial resources or no insurance.

“Breast cancer knows no age, race, life eminence, colour or sex; whether it is a young mother of two, an accomplished business woman, a nurse, an actor, a teacher or a father,” says Alicia Vianga, founder of After Breast Cancer. “Breast cancer certainly does not discriminate. S|HE Thrives 2016 will be showcasing the many faces of breast cancer.”

 

Without this support, many women are unable to function in day-to-day life and tend to withdraw from both society and family. After Breast Cancer hopes to help not only these women, but the often forgotten about men who are also graduates, restore their former quality of life.

 

“If the After Breast Cancer program didn’t exist, I would not be wearing my prosthetic breast and mastectomy bra,” says Elizabeth Johnson, After Breast Cancer ambassador. “I would still be stuffing my old bras with anything I could find and hoping that it matched close enough for others not to notice. The prosthetic breast saves me lots of time getting ready for my day, as it is the right size, is very comfortable and light weight.”

 

When men and women move from breast cancer patient to breast cancer graduate, their world becomes a different place.  Obtaining a properly fitted breast prosthesis and mastectomy bra enables women to engage in their journey of regaining their self confidence and restoring their feeling of being whole again.

 

About After Breast Cancer

 

After Breast Cancer was set up to provide resources that contribute to a woman’s Quality of Life (QOL) after breast cancer. Ensuring that women have access to basic

needs during recovery and providing mastectomy bras, camisoles and breast prostheses to women who are financially unable to afford them.

 

The majority of breast cancer organizations focus on research and the cure for breast cancer. After Breast Cancer focuses on women and men who have survived, who do not have insurance, and who cannot have their basic needs met after a mastectomy or lumpectomy surgery. As the survival rates improve, additional resources that support a man or woman’s QOL after breast cancer are required to assist women and men with the various issues that arise during and after treatment.

 

 

For more information visit:
http://www.afterbreastcancer.ca/

Like After  Breast Cancer on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AfterBreastCancer

 

Follow After Breast Cancer on Twitter:
@ABC_program_

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Available for interviews:
Alicia Vianga, Founder
Catherine McCormack, Board of Director and Graduate Ambassador
Dr. Marla Ash, Board of Director
Todd Herzog, Graduate Ambassador

SNAP!, presented by TD, is Toronto’s most exciting annual auction of contemporary photography in support of the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT). Featuring both a live auction and silent auction, SNAP! takes place Thursday, March 31, 2016 at the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon (Toronto Reference Library, 2^nd Floor, 789 Yonge Street) with Joe Mimran as Honorary Chair. Tickets for the event are now on sale at http://www.snap-toronto.com.

 

SNAP! is an evening of photography featuring established and emerging artists. For attendees, SNAP! provides an opportunity to purchase from a curated selection of works from local, national and global artists. The live auction collection pieces are valued between $300 and $6,000 and the bidding for silent auction items, excluding the winners, starts at $120.

 

As an avid collector, retail, fashion and business pioneer, and the newest ‘Dragon’ on CBC’s Dragon’s Den,
Joe Mimran is familiar to the arts scene in Toronto.

 

“It is a great honour to be part of the 15^th anniversary of SNAP!” says Joe Mimran, Honorary Chair. “Not only is it a celebration of photographic art, it also supports the work of ACT, Toronto’s leading HIV service organization. It is inspiring to see a talented group of photographers donating their time and energy in support of people living with HIV in Toronto.”

 

All funds raised at SNAP! help support ACT’s programs and services for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Since its inception in 2002, SNAP! has raised over $2.5 million to help gay men, women and young people to increase their knowledge, skills and resilience, and reduce HIV transmission.

 

SNAP! and ACT are very grateful to the generous sponsors and supporters who help make the event possible, including presenting sponsor TD Bank Group, Henry of Pelham Family Estate, Dimensions Custom Framing, Toronto Image Works, Akasha Art Projects, Colourgenics Fine Art Imaging, and many others.

 

About the AIDS Committee of Toronto

 

The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) has been a respected leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS for over 30 years. ACT works with gay men, women and young people to increase their knowledge, skills and resilience in the face of HIV/AIDS. ACT also helps to reduce HIV transmissions through bold prevention campaigns, outreach and public education.

 

About SNAP! 2016 Honorary Chair

 

Joe Mimran is a retail, fashion and business pioneer who has helped build some of our best-known brands: Joe Fresh, Club Monaco, Alfred Sung and Caban. He is now a Dragon on CBC’s hit show Dragon’s Den. As founder and former creative director of Joe Fresh, Joe Mimran oversaw the brand’s design and retail concepts, and made it the country’s second largest apparel brand. In 2001, Joe founded Joseph Mimran & Associates, a consulting firm that worked with global retailers such as Woolworths in South Africa, Saks Fifth Avenue in the United States and Coles in Australia. As a patron of the arts, Joe’s philanthropic activities include supporting the Reena Foundation, CANFAR, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Luminato Arts Festival.

 

For more information visit:
www.snap-toronto.com

Like SNAP! Toronto on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/snaptoronto

Follow SNAP! Toronto on Twitter:

@SNAPtoronto

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Available for interviews:
John Maxwell, Executive Director
Joe Mimran, SNAP! 2016 Honourary Chair

On March 6, 2016 Myseum of Toronto is launching its first annual festival of exhibits exploring the intersecting perspectives of the city’s natural, cultural and historical diversity. The festival presents a wide range of programming that will help Torontonians gain a deeper appreciation of the richness in their city.

 

Myseum Intersections invites the public to explore the ways in which Toronto’s cultures converge and interact to create new understanding. Participants will include major cultural institutions, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, alongside more recent entities, such as Neilson Park Creative Centre and Heritage Toronto. Programming ranges from historic to contemporary issues presented via exhibits, events and interactive community experiences.

 

“We’re really excited to see so many cultural organizations and institutions coming together to focus on sharing different perspectives in Toronto. We look forward to seeing Torontonians experience programming throughout all areas of the city,” says Karen Carter, Executive Director, Myseum of Toronto. “These intersections present new ways of illuminating Toronto’s past, understanding its present, and imagining its future.”

 

Myseum Intersections launches on March 6, 2016 – Toronto’s birthday – at the QRC West Building (362 Richmond Street West) and runs through March 31, 2016.

 

About Myseum of Toronto

 

Myseum of Toronto is a non-profit organization led by a group of private citizens committed to telling the story of Toronto’s natural spaces, cultures, history, archaeology and architecture. Through collaborative programming experiences, Myseum’s objective is to foster a greater appreciation of our city. Using Toronto as the exhibit, Myseum is not one place, it’s every place. Myseum programs are co-created by present and former Torontonians across the GTA and around the world.

Like Myseum of Toronto on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/myseumoftoronto

Follow Myseum of Toronto on Twitter:

@myseumTO

Follow Pennant Media Group on Twitter:

@PennantMedia

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Available for interviews:
Karen Carter, Executive Director
Britt Welter-Nolan, Director of Public Programs

Coming off a three-week stand up tour, Toronto-based comedian and actor Andrew Chapman will return to the stage as the Caveman in one-man show Defending the Caveman on Thursday, February 11, 2016. Opening at Toronto’s Alumnae Theatre (70 Berkeley Street), the play will run on select dates from February 11 to 26.

 

Defending the Caveman opened for previews in October 2015 at the Al Green Theatre. Written by comedian Rob Becker, Defending the Caveman explores misunderstandings in relationships and the way men and women relate through a mix of comedy, lecture and a form of therapy for the audience. The play holds the record for the longest-running one-man show in the history of Broadway and will be celebrating its 25th anniversary this season.

 

Andrew will be seen next on television hosting hidden camera series Made Up! on Disney XD. Premiering in the United States in February 2016, the show will also be available in Canada on YTV in Fall 2016. With 13 episodes in the first season, the series will follow teens who pull pranks on unsuspecting family members.

 

Andrew recently wrapped up filming on two independent feature film projects. He was in Cancun in early December 2015 filming the lead role of Chris in Duchess of Cancun. Based on the writer-director’s real life events, Chris gets invited on a trip to Cancun by an old high school flame, thinking this could be the chance to rekindle their relationship. Unknown to him, his ex-girlfriend has a lot more to her past than Chris bargained for.

 

Set to finish filming at the end of January 2016 is the indie film Contractors produced by Sudden Storm Entertainment. Andrew stars as Mark Miller, a cop who lost his girlfriend to his enemy and is forced to build a “safe house” or else he could lose everything. The problem is what he builds may not be what he thinks it is.

 

In December 2015 Andrew worked with Kessel Run Studios to release short film Bar Wars. The Star Wars parody was filmed exclusively in Toronto’s trendy neighbourhood The Annex and is now available on YouTube (https://youtu.be/epqfZ92Wqtw).

 

Andrew can also be seen starring as the mysterious Will in new Vervegirl TV web series V Morgan Is Dead. Produced by SmokeBomb Entertainment, a Shaftesbury Company, the 20-part series is about Violet Morgan, a young woman who finds a new life in the afterlife. New episodes are available Thursdays on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbvYWjKFvS5pW7sI6rk2LTIGgPtFPOu8t).

 

In between filming for the big and small screens Andrew continues to hone in his comedic skills. He performed his one-man show Cable Box Alarm in November 2015 and currently in the midst of a short stand up tour from Ottawa to Toronto at all the Absolute Comedy clubs.

 

About Andrew Chapman

 

Andrew Chapman began performing in comedy clubs while he was still in high school and continues traveling telling his clean, clever and polished jokes to a wide range of audiences. His comedy has been heard on SiriusXM Radio and CBC‘s Laugh Out Loud and he has performed for the Royal Canadian Air Force in Kuwait and Lithuania. Chapman has been seen on television as W.C. Fields in Murdoch Mysteries for CBC, and as host of the Gemini Award Nominated series SCI Q, as well as YTV’s Crunch and has been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for his hosting duties on Extreme Babysitting. He currently is featured in the web series V Morgan Is Dead and hosts the traveling game show Cash Mob for CMT and can soon be seen hosting Made Up! on YTV and Disney XD.

 

For more information visit:
http://www.andychap.com/

Follow Andrew Chapman on Twitter:
@chap_andy

 

Follow Pennant Media Group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/PennantMediaGroup

Follow Pennant Media Group on Twitter:

@PennantMedia

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Available for interviews:
Andrew Chapman

Toronto – January 5, 2016

 Veteran Canadian actor Kevin Hanchard has been nominated for the Outstanding Male Performance award at the 2016 ACTRA Awards taking place at The Carlu (444 Yonge Street, 7^th Floor) on Saturday, February 20, 2016 in Toronto. Kevin is nominated for his role as reliable police officer Detective Art Bell for the popular television series Orphan Black. Currently shooting in Toronto, the series will premiere its fourth season on CTV in April 2016.

Starring Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black follows Sarah, an orphan outsider who witnesses the suicide of Beth, a stranger who looks just like her. Sarah assumes Beth’s identity in an attempt to clean out her bank account and finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy. Detective Art Bell, who worked alongside Beth, immediately grows suspicious of Sarah’s uncharacteristic behaviour and attempts to solve the mystery.

Along with Orphan Black, Kevin can be seen on the SYFY series The Expanse as Inspector Sematimba. The series premiered on December 14, 2015, and Kevin is featured prominently in the latter half of the season. Kevin can also be seen in the third season of Rogue where he plays Agent Nate Lowry. The first 10 episodes of season three have aired on DirecTV, with the final block of the season airing in 2016.

Kevin will soon appear in feature films Suicide Squad with Will Smith, Jared Leto and Margot Robbie, and It’s Not My Fault and I Don’t Care Anyway with Alan Thicke.

In the summer of 2016, Kevin will be returning to the stage as Hero in the Canadian premiere of the epic three-part play Father Comes Home From the Wars. Written by Suzan-Lori Parks, the play will be produced by Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre.

About Kevin Hanchard

Kevin Hanchard is a Canadian actor best known for his role as Detective Arthur “Art” Bell on the hit series Orphan Black. From a young age, Kevin was a natural born performer, often auditioning for elementary school plays. He graduated from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting.

Kevin has been recognized with three Dora Mavor Award nominations for his work in Miss Julie: Freedom Summer, TopDog/UnderDog and The Mountaintop. Kevin has also received a Betty Mitchell nomination for The Mountaintop and a Canadian Screen Award nomination for his work on Orphan Black.

In the last year, Kevin has starred opposite Kimberly Elise in the film Apple Mortgage Cake and played jazz legend Dizzie Gillespie opposite Ethan Hawke’s Chet Baker in Born to Be Blue. He has also made appearances on television series Hemlock Grove, The Girlfriend Experience and The Strain.

 

Follow Kevin Hanchard on Twitter:

@KevinHanchard

Follow Pennant Media Group on Twitter:

@PennantMedia

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Available for interviews:
Kevin Hanchard

For media inquiries please contact:

Pennant Media Group

Kevin Pennant  [email protected]

Toronto 416.596.2978

USA 855.596.2978

Toronto – January 15, 2016

Canadian actor Kate Drummond co-stars as Nikki Bender, best friend of Brooke Shields’ Abby Knight, in new Hallmark Movie & Mysteries detective series Flower Shop Mysteries. The first movie in the series, Flower Shop Mystery: Mum’s the Word premieres on Sunday, January 17, 2016.

Based on the bestselling novels by Kate Collins and directed by Bradley Walsh (The Listener, Lead With Your Heart), the series is about Abby Knight, a former lawyer turned florist who starts her life over after the death of her husband. After a black SUV rams into her vintage car, Abby tries to track the driver down only to get caught up in a murder mystery where her good friend is the prime suspect and everything links back to the hit and run. The series also stars Beau Bridges (The Millers, The Descendants) and Brennan Elliott (Cold Case, What About Brian) and includes several two-hour movies slated for production.

Kate will also be appearing as a recurring character in the new SEVEN24 Films series Wynonna Earp. The contemporary thriller about a modern day gunslinger and paranormal crime fighting has a cast and crew that is exclusively Canadian and is scheduled to premiere on Monday, March 28, 2016 on CHCH. The series will also air on Syfy in the United States.

Kate made her writing and directorial debut recently with feature film, Go Fish. Starring Gillian Wetherald, Rocky Keller, Shaina Silver-Baird and Mark Ettlinger, the film is currently in post-production and has an anticipated release in 2016.

Also on the lineup for Kate is the lead role of Taylor working opposite Ian Matthews (Bitten, Orphan Black) in Jonathan Bensimon’s short film County Time funded by BravoFACT. Written by Josh Peace (You Might As Well Live, Up in Cottage Country), the film is based on his experiences living in Huron County, and his time spent with some larger than life characters.

As a former elementary teacher-turned-actor who had a late start in the entertainment industry, Kate is an advocate for people following their dreams. On May 8, 2014, Kate was the opening speaker at TEDx in Oshawa, where she told her story of Chasing Dreams and Beginning Again. Her presentation has connected her globally with many people who are also on their path to reaching their goals.

Kate is also committed to philanthropic work, organizing Toronto’s first Street Store in 2014. Only the fourth of its kind in Canada, the store is a community-based pop-up shop where quality clothing and other items donated by the community, were given to the homeless and needy in a dignified, retail setting. Held for one day, more than 300 homeless took part and all leftover items were donated to Engage and Change, further helping the city’s homeless.

 

About Kate Drummond

Kate Drummond is a highly sought after Canadian elementary school teacher-turned-actor who has diverse experience working in film, television, voiceover, stage and video games. She has appeared in numerous commercial campaigns such as Cheerios, Nissan, and Bell Fibe TV. Kate has also lent her voice to Johnson & Johnson’s widely popular baby commercials, Nestle, RBC and recently became the voice of Canada Blood Donor online campaign, just to name a few. Despite the late start to her acting career, Kate has already worked alongside many renowned actors such as Matthew Modine, William Baldwin, Joan Allen, Alexis Bledel, Mina Suvari, and many others. She has appeared in numerous television series and movies, including Beauty and the Beast, Being Human, Covert Affairs and Hallmark’s Lead with Your Heart.  Kate is also widely recognized for playing the role of lead female, Anna Grimsdottir, in Ubisoft’s internationally acclaimed video game, Splinter Cell Blacklist. Kate is also an active volunteer and advocate for her community. She recently did a TED Talk called Chasing Dreams and Beginning Again which has had thousands of views online. She has also worked with charities such as Gamers for Sandy Hook, Habitat for Humanity, the Breast Cancer Foundation, OSPCA and KidSport Ontario.

 

Like Kate Drummond on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ActorKateDrummond

Follow Kate Drummond on Twitter:

@KateDrummond_

Watch Kate’s TED Talk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOsD2N96CU0

Follow Pennant Media Group on Twitter:

@PennantMedia

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Available for interviews:
Kate Drummond

For media inquiries please contact:

Pennant Media Group

Kevin Pennant  [email protected]

Toronto 416.596.2978

USA 855.596.2978

Toronto – January 8, 2015

 

Award-winning documentary film Soul on Ice: Past Present & Future has been chosen for a private screening in Washington D.C., with the National Hockey League. Hosted by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, the screening will take place Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 7:00 PM, at East Street Cinema (555 Eleventh Street NW, Washington D.C.). There will be a short question and answer period including writer and director Damon Kwame Mason and retired NHL veteran and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Grant Fuhr.  

 The film captured the People’s Choice award for Best Feature film at the 2015 Edmonton International Film Festival. Written and Directed by Toronto’s Damon Kwame Mason and produced by Chester Sit, the film focuses on how black athletes are making a name for themselves in the sport of hockey.

Following the Washington screening, Soul on Ice: Past, Present & Future will return to Toronto and be showcased at the Harbourfront Centre as part of Kuumba, in celebration of Black History Month. The screening will take place on Friday, February 5, 2016 at 7pm at the Studio Theatre (235 Queens Quay West).

Taking over two years to complete, Soul on Ice: Past Present & Future looks at past, present and future black hockey players in all levels of hockey from the minor leagues to the majors. With their numbers on the rise, the film focuses on how the history of black athletes in hockey has influenced and encouraged more youth and their families to put their children into programs, regardless of race.

“Hockey has a long-standing history of great men doing great things but it also has a history hardly spoken of, “ said Damon Kwame Mason, producer, director and writer of Soul on Ice: Past Present & Future. “This film is the story of some great athletes from the past and present who have changed the face of the game called hockey.”

The film introduces us to Brampton’s Jaden Lindo, a young black athlete looking to get drafted in the 2014 NHL Draft. The audience follows Jaden and his parents through the season, seeing the stress and pressure he has to go through to achieve his goal.

Soul on Ice: Past Present & Future includes appearances from hockey legend Don Cherry as well as influential players such as Grant Fuhr who was the first black athlete to win a Stanley Cup and get inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as well as Wayne Simmonds, Devonte Smith-Pelly, and Trevor Daley to name a few.  These men talk about their experience of hardship and accomplishments that currently exist for black athletes in hockey today.

About Damon Kwame Mason

Damon Kwame Mason has been working in the Canadian entertainment industry since 1996.  Kwame got his name out there thanks to popular radio stations like KISS 92.5 in Toronto where he co-hosted 2 hour hip hop and R&B mix show Da Vibe with DJ Short. In February 2001 Kwame became the weekend announcer on Toronto’s first urban radio station FLOW 93.5. He eventually went on to work for the morning show and became the Saturday night live-to-air announcer.

In addition to hosting, Kwame used his experience and expertise to help launch countless radio stations across Canada and has co-hosted with some of Canada’s most well-known DJs and stars like former NHL tough guy George Laraque.

Not afraid of being in front of an audience, Kwame has made appearances on popular sports shows like Off the Record and was named number 23 on Cabbie’s (Cabbie on the Street, The Score) Top Canadians. His philosophy is summed up like this “There’s nothing to it but to do it, let’s keep it moving.”

For more information visit:
www.soulonicemovie.com

Like Soul on Ice: Past Present & Future on Facebook: www.facebook.com/soulonicemovie

Follow Soul on Ice: Past Present & Future on Twitter:

@soulonicemovie

Follow Soul on Ice: Past, Present & Future on Instagram:

@soulonicemovie

Follow Pennant Media Group on Twitter:

@PennantMedia

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Available for interviews:
Damon Kwame Mason

Toronto – December 1, 2015

 after BREAST CANCER has released their 2016 S/HE Thrives calendar featuring for the first time both male and female breast cancer ambassadors. Showing that breast cancer has no boundaries, the calendar tells the inspirational and moving stories of 12 breast cancer graduates through beautiful photography taken at the scenic Toronto landmark, Casa Loma.  The S/HE Thrives calendar retails for $20 and are on sale now through the after BREAST CANCER website at http://afterbreastcancer.ca.

after BREAST CANCER uses the term ‘graduates’ instead of survivors, bringing a more powerful and positive word to what life is after breast cancer. This year, the calendar features Annie Parker, Susan Fulford, Diane Dupuy, Seema Gill, Pamela Greiner-Labelle, Lynn Manwar, Melissa Frew, Catherine McCormack, Shirley Scott, Grace John, Cathy Drago and Todd Herzog, all graduates of breast cancer.

This year, S/HE Thrives has partnered with Cadillac Fairview Sherway Gardens to help promote and sell the calendar. The courageous breast cancer ambassadors, who are all graduates of the disease, took part in an extravagant one-day shoot that celebrates life after breast cancer. Amongst stunning views of the majestic castle, both male and female ambassadors were primped and polished by partners including Christopher Paunil, Christian, Gente Boutique, Fredas boutique, and Shirley Wu Beauty Concepts by celebrity stylist  Dale Hodder-Elad of Shut up and Dress Me.

“Men don’t think they can get breast cancer; that it’s a ‘women’s’ disease. Not true,” says Todd Herzog, 2016 after BREAST CANCER ambassador and breast cancer graduate. “Besides raising awareness for men to check themselves, the real bottom line is that you need to be your own advocate – “better safe than sorry”.

ABC is a charity dedicated to supporting women and men graduating from breast cancer with limited financial resources or no insurance.

“Breast cancer knows no age, race, life eminence, colour or sex; whether it is a young mother of two, an accomplished business woman, a nurse, an actor, a teacher or a father,” says Alicia Vianga, founder of after BREAST CANCER. “Breast cancer certainly does not discriminate. S/HE Thrives 2016 will be showcasing the many faces of breast cancer.”

Without this support, many women are unable to function in day-to-day life and tend to withdraw from both society and family. after BREAST CANCER hopes to help not only these women, but the often forgotten about men who are also graduates, restore their former quality of life.

“If the after BREAST CANCER program didn’t exist, I would not be wearing my prosthetic breast and mastectomy bra,” says Elizabeth Johnson, after BREAST CANCER ambassador. “I would still be stuffing my old bras with anything I could find and hoping that it matched close enough for others not to notice. The prosthetic breast saves me lots of time getting ready for my day, as it is the right size, is very comfortable and light weight.”

When men and women move from breast cancer patient to breast cancer graduate, their world becomes a different place.  Obtaining a properly fitted breast prosthesis and mastectomy bra enables women to engage in their journey of regaining their self confidence and restoring their feeling of being whole again.

 About after BREAST CANCER

after BREAST CANCER was set up to provide resources that contribute to a woman’s Quality of Life (QOL) after breast cancer. Ensuring that women have access to basic needs during recovery and providing mastectomy bras, camisoles and breast prostheses to women who are financially unable to afford them.

The majority of breast cancer organizations focus on research and the cure for breast cancer. after BREAST CANCER focuses on women and men who have survived, who do not have insurance, and who cannot have their basic needs met after a mastectomy or lumpectomy surgery. As the survival rates improve, additional resources that support a man or woman’s QOL after breast cancer are required to assist women and men with the various issues that arise during and after treatment.

 

For more information visit:
http://www.afterbreastcancer.ca/

 

Like After  Breast Cancer on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AfterBreastCancer

 

Follow After Breast Cancer on Twitter:
@ABC_program_

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Available for interviews:
Alicia Vianga, ABC Board Director