Miss Osoyoos Fashion & Talent Show 2015

  Miss Osoyoos Intro Speech, Talent and Fashion Show 2015 

Featuring the 2014 Osoyoos Royalty & the public debut of the new Miss Osoyoos Candidates hosted by the Osoyoos Royalty Program

On April 30th members of the Osoyoos Community gathered together in the Elks Lodge eagerly awaiting the public debut of the three 2015 Miss Osoyoos Candidates during their first judged event. 

There was  no shortage of people helping out at the event and Viveka and I assisted with the Program and Ticket Table. Other people assisted with the Baked goods & Carnation [Provided by Flowers on Main] sale which took place during the Intermission.








The evening would see the three young ladies who are competing for the Title of Miss Osoyoos 2015 

• Tianna Morgan - Miss Buy-Low Foods Osoyoos
• Bailey Toepfer - Miss Elks Lodge #436
• Emma Fernandes - Miss Desert Aire Reality 

During the evening each of the young ladies presented her introductory speech which is partially about the girl herself & partly about her sponsor. Each of them also Showcased her own talent which was unique to each girl for instance Tianna performed a Song & Dance from the musical Hair Spray , Bailey taught the audience some of her first aid Skills and spoke about why learning how to do CPR & use an AED machine was important to her and saw Emma perform a dance to the Song Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen . 

During the evening the reigning Royalty team acted as the MC's for the first part of the evening as well as the talent portion of the evening. The 2014 Osoyoos Royalty team includes [L to R]

• Miss Osoyoos Teagen Aspell 
• Osoyoos Princess Amara Leeson 
• Osoyoos Princess Ali Hutter 

It was not only work and no play for the Osoyoos Royalty as they also took part in the evening's fun activities. As Jennifer a long time supporter of the Osoyoos Royalty program took over the MC duties for the Fashion Show and Apron Auction portion of the night as the Osoyoos Royalty were part of those events. Albeit they of course were not being judged on their modeling skills! 

The Fashion Show

For the first part of the fashion show it saw the Miss Osoyoos Candidates dress in theme to their sponsor. Tianna toted around Buy-Low Bags, Bailey called out BINGO on her giant Bingo Cards and Emma eagerly chatted away on her cell phone whilst she carried a For Sale Sign but after a successful call that sign went from For Sale to SOLD. 

For the rest of the fashion Show the Reigning Royalty Team joined the candidates to show off their modeling skills. The Next outfit of choice was fairly unique as it was made up of clothes of Yester Year as the theme was favorite childhood clothing. We saw the girls split off into Pairs where each delightful duo included a Reigning royalty Woman paired up with one of the sparkleheads in training aka a Candidate. 

  The next theme for the ladies was to wear clothing representing your favourite Sport. We saw a variety of Athletic Gear and clothing and sports represented like Basketball, Hockey, Baseball, Volleyball, and a Dance Costume! 

  

Next up we saw the girls show their Thrifty and frugal fashion buying skills as each girl was given $5.00 to spend at a local thrift shop in town! 

For the last outfit of the evening we saw the Osoyoos Royalty & Candidates joined by the 2015 Little Buddies. For the older girls they were seen Rocking the latest trends from Wander Home & Cafe Osoyoos   and saw the little buddies dressed in children's clothing that is made locally by Kara Burton and can be found for Sale at the local Farmers market. This outfit was the finale to the fierce Fashion Show! 

Apron Auction

Through out the evening there was a number of different mini fundraisers going on from the Baking & Flower sale to the People's Choice fundraiser where each Candidate had a donation can on display for people to donate loose change to go towards their favorite candidate. 

The real excitement came from the Apron Auction. For those who are unfamiliar with an Apron Auction basically what happens is each girl including the current royalty are given a plain Baking Apron. The girls are allowed to decorate the apron however they choose and then the Aprons are put up for Auction for people to purchase. Prior to the Auction the aprons acted as decor being seen hanging up in the back of the room. This also helped people scope out their favorite aprons by viewing them up close and personal! 

Here is Tianna in her decorated Apron.                                                        Next up we saw what Bailey was able to create 

Next Came Emma eager to present her Apron 

Unfortunately I was unable to get a good picture of

 Ali and her apron but next up was Amara's Apron.

 

Lastly we saw Teagen Show off her Terrific Apron! 

Next the girls nervously awaited their turn when it came time to Auction off her Apron

The last apron Sold concluded an incredibly successful Apron Auction & was the conclusion for the evening. The Most expensive Apron Sold for $256 and the cheapest Apron sold for $50. The Apron Auction was extremely successful as a fundraiser for the Osoyoos Royalty Program as people spent over $900 on the aprons in total.

 This money is truly appreciated by the Program as it goes towards costs such as Traveling expenses which the program faces during the extensive traveling the Osoyoos Royalty Does through their reign. 

I would like to commend the Miss Osoyoos Royalty Candidates on doing a terrific job during their first of three Publicly Judged events! The initial Public debut and first time being judged is always very daunting and quite the difficult hurdle to get through. However each of the girls were truly fabulous and I know they are going to do extremely well during the rest of their judged events. 

I also want to commend the Osoyoos Royalty for showing the candidates the ropes and taking part in the evening's events. 

Of course I also want to say how wonderful it was to see so many people come out and support the Royalty Program last night. We had so many people attend that we ran out of programs & had to put out extra chairs for people to sit. That's how many people came out to the event! \

Lastly of course  I want to truly commend and congratulate the Osoyoos Royalty Committee for not only putting one a Successful first event and Public debut for the 2015 Miss Osoyoos Candidates but for continuing to make sure the program exists. Each year the Co-coordinators & committee members make sure that the candidates are well prepared for the Pageant and it's different events. There are weekly meetings as well as workshops that all take place for the duration of the Candidacy. Countless hours are spent working the candidates to help assist, encourage, and empower them to become the best Young Women they can be. The Osoyoos Royalty Program is one of those situations where the more you put into it is the more you can get out of it. These Young ladies are taught a variety of skills that have the ability to take them to "Infinity & Beyond." Truly, though they are given the tools that can help them continue to be successful for the rest of their lives. I cannot stress the value and benefits this program provides, enough. So a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who works hard to make sure this program not just the events it hosts but everything that happens behind the scenes to ensure that the Royalty & Candidates themselves are successful.

Osoyoos Desert Centre Season Opening

Osoyoos Desert Centre Season Opening 

On April 26th the Desert Society of Osoyoos opened the doors of the Osoyoos Desert Centre for the 2015 season. The Osoyoos Desert Centre is surrounded by 67 protected acres of the unique environment that surrounds Osoyoos. For those that don't know Osoyoos is Canada's only pocket desert as we are the southern most part of the Sonoran Desert. This means that Osoyoos is home to one of Canada's most unique ecosystems. Having said that our natural ecosystem is also rather fragile and sensitive as it's home to many different Plants, Animals and even insects that call Osoyoos and the surrounding South Okanagan area home. Many of which are classified as Endangered. 

The Osoyoos Desert Centre offers a unique perspective on the Dry Shrub - Grass land ecosystem. As it allows you to walk along a 1.5 km Board Walk either by yourself or as a part of a group tour. Tours are offered through out each day and have knowledgeable tour guides lead you along the board walk. 

Tour guides are a wealth of knowledge and stop at several key points through out the board walk to talk about a variety of interesting tidbits and information about the Plants, Animals, Bugs and Birds that call the Osoyoos Area home. 

On April 26th during the Season Opening the desert centre started off the 2015 season with free admission and had 2 guided walks at 10 a.m & Noon as well as a photo walk from 2-4 p.m. 

My mom and I went on the Noon Tour and to our surprise Lauren Sherwood's parents were also part of our group. For those that don't know Lauren Sherwood was Miss Osoyoos in 2006 and was most recently a member of the 2013 British Columbia Ambassador Team. I watched Lauren retire in 2007 and was at her crowning pageant as well as retiring pageant when she was a British Columbia Ambassador. I also graduated from Osoyoos Secondary School with her younger brother Mark. Funnily enough Lauren and I were together quite a bit growing up as we were both members of the local Youth Choir that ran for several years as well as taking Drama together in school. So it was quite nice to be a part of the same group and learn a bit about what Lauren has recently been up to. Most recently she along with Julie Martine a Current BC Ambassador were introduced by our Local MLA - Linda Larson to members of the Legislative Assembly. During that time they also had a Private tour of the Legislative Assembly Building in Victoria. 

Going back to the Osoyoos Desert Centre Opening I thoroughly enjoyed our tour and learned so much from our tour guide. For instance one of the things she pointed out to us was this kind of moss on the ground. This Moss was identifiable when our tour guide poured some water on it and it changed color before our eyes! 

She also talked to us about the bat Boxes that are located on the property and how the birds have kind of taken them over. 

We were also taught us the difference between a rattle snake and another snake that actually mimics that sound that a rattle snake makes as a way to protect itself. She told us more often than not when people think they hear a rattle snake it is actually the other type of snake. 

The tour guide had a Rattle Snake Rattle with her and shook it for us to hear and explained that there are no loose components in a rattle snake rattle. The Sound comes from the specific movements of the rattle and it just sounds like there is something in it because of how fast the snake is able to whip it's tail back and forth. 

I cannot recommend visiting the Osoyoos Desert Centre enough. You learn so much unique information about Osoyoos and the surrounding South Okanagan area! The Osoyoos Geography and natural landscape is actually something that interests me greatly because it is so unique and thus so fascinating. 

During my visit to the centre I was able to meet the director of the facility since she was there for the Grand opening of the 2015 season! 

Not only is there a lot to do and learn outside on the board walk but the Interpretative centre is also quite interesting as well. 

They have a painted landscape mural that feature life sized birds and animals that you might see outside & even have a small version of the board walk. 

Not only do they make use of your sense of sight but they also have things that you can actually touch & physically play with such as the Animal Imprint Sand station where you can make life size animal prints using castings from the specific animals to leave tracks in the sand. 

It also gives you the opurtunity to see things up close and personal with the things you will see during your walk. Thus giving you a chance to view things up close and personal to help you understand more and give you a chance to be able to better identify the things you see during your board walk tour! 

One of the really neat things I saw & was able to take my Picture by was Stellars Jay which is British Columbia's Official Provincial Bird. 

I would again highly recommend anyone who is able to visit the Osoyoos Desert centre to do so! The centre is open Daily from 10 until 2 p.m until the 16th of this Month [May] when they will extend their hours from 9:30 until 4:30 p.m. With tours happening at 10 a.m, 12 p.m and 2 p.m also starting on the 16th. 

Osoyoos Daffodil Dash

On April 26th the town of Osoyoos was hosting it's first Inaugural Daffodil Dash as a replacement  for the previous Relay for Life events that were held in Osoyoos previously. 

Both the Daffodil Dash & the Relay for Life are Fundraising events for the Canadian Cancer Society that are held within a community. 

The Relay for life is typically a walk that goes on for a duration of either 24 hours or 12 hours and teams that participate have one member who is always out on the track walking during the event. 

The Daffodil Dash is a Run where teams or individuals can sign up to either walk or run between 1km, 5 km or 1 km. 

All of the money raised at either of these events goes to the Canadian Cancer Society BC & Yukon Division.  

The Osoyoos Daffodil Dash  was being held on Sunday April 26th and was an extremely successful first time even with 45 different participants as reported by the Osoyoos Times.  Originally Viveka and I had been planning to attend the event as Volunteers however an unwise shoe choice by both of us at the previous evening's Oyster Festival left us both a little worse for wear. 

Instead I made a Monetary Donation and walked a small portion of the track which rang alongside the different but equally stunning walking paths along the shore line of Osoyoos Lake.  

It was such a gloriously sunny afternoon and perfect timing for this event! 

For those who did not know the Month of April was known as Daffodil Month . Daffodil month is another Canadian Cancer Society initiative and fundraiser where through out the month daffodil flowers and daffodil flower pins are sold by Volunteers across the country. People then wear the pins as an act of solidarity for those whose lives have been impacted by Cancer. 

I bought a Pin this year and wore it until it all the petals fell off & then found my old Daffodil Pin which remained on my Banner for the rest of the month. 

I myself have had several members of my family be diagnosed with different types of cancer and have lost 4 different beloved members of my family who lost their own battles. Most recently I lost my cousin Laurie on December 31st in 2014. In the past I have always made an effort to go out and support as well as attend different Canadian Cancer Society Fundraisers being held in Osoyoos. My initial volunteering & Fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society started when I was only 5 years old and I canvassed door to door with my Mom. A Few years ago I raised over $1500 for the Canadian Cancer Society during one of the Relay for Life events that was held in Osoyoos.
So naturally I was quite pleased at the turn out and success of the first ever Daffodil Dash held here in Osoyoos last weekend. 

Lastly I would like to commend and congratulate everyone who participated in, volunteered at, or made donations toward this first time event held last weekend! I hope that the Daffodil Dash continues to be a successful fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society for many years to come! 

Osoyoos Oyster Festival

The Osoyoos Oyster festival started a few years ago and was created to showcase the delectable Fresh Osysters from the Westcoast paired along side the Divine Wines that are produced and enjoyed through out the Okanagan Valley. This year's Oyster Festival Ran from April 22nd to April 25th with 7 different events spread between the days. 

Viveka & I  were asked to volunteer at the Oyster Festival as British Columbia Ambassador Candidates.  So we along with two of the 2015 Miss Osoyoos Candidates  helped out at the Art of the Oyster Pearl Gala which was held at the conference centre at the Watermark Beach Resort  on Saturday April 25th. 

Our duties were to refill the Water jugs as needed and to hand out the Gourmet Okanagan Wine Truffles. 

During the evening we met several interesting people who asked us lot's of questions about the British Columbia Ambassador Program as well as the Osoyoos Royalty Program. 

One of the people we met happened to be Cassandra Anderton  who is the editor of a Blog called The Good Life Vancouver . She was an incredibly pleasant person to talk to and get to know better. Cassandra had a lot of questions for all of us about the Osoyoos Royalty Program as well as the British Columbia Ambassador Program. A lot of her questions had to do with the fact that she was a bit familiar with the Lady of the Lake royalty program in Kelowna as she had grown up in the Okanagan. So most of her questions were to do with the similarities and differences between the different programs and we were more than happy to talk to about everything. 

It was truly delightful meeting someone who shared several similar interests to my own. Check out her blog here as well as The Good Life Vancouver Facebook page  

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Another interesting group of people we met were these two lovely ladies who had decided to dress in Costume and attend as ladies of the Sea similar to the woman on the poster. This was a fairly interesting choice because these two were from Kelowna which has the Lady of the Lake Royalty program. So it was entirely fitting for them to have dressed in Sea theme. 

All in all it was a pretty fun event to have volunteered at. I would like to thank the Oyster Festival as well as Destination Osoyoos for inviting all of us to Volunteer at the festival!