Thanks, Giving, and Spirits: A Recap of the 2014 Roberta Beiser PuSh Festival Benefit

October 31, 2014

Thanksgiving has just passed, but the PuSh Festival has not forgotten about all the things that we are thankful for. On October 9, PuSh Festival Leaders Council member Roberta Beiser hosted, for the fourth consecutive year, a wonderful benefit event on behalf of the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. In keeping with the spirit of thanks, we invited some of our closest supporters to this lovely private event to say thank you for all that they have done for us.

Mixing familiar faces with new, attendees enjoyed cocktail tastings courtesy of small-batch craft distillery Odd Society Spirits. Odd Society Spirits whet our appetites with their locally produced Wallflower gin and East Van vodka, while delicious hors d’ oeuvres from Emelle’s Catering flowed throughout the crowd.

One of the highlights of the evening was a $6,000 cheque presentation by Allan Seckel from the Telus Community Board in support of the PuSh Youth Program. This support will assist the second year of the PuSh Festival’s Youth Program, designed to make the arts more accessible for youth—another reason to be thankful. Marcus Youssef and James Long topped off the evening with an excerpt performance from Winners + Losers (the breakout hit at the 2013 PuSh Festival). Their fast-paced analysis of arts, culture and Vancouverites ended the evening at a high for all guests.

At the PuSh Festival, our donors mean the world to us; they make it possible for the Festival to grow each year, and bring more dynamic and inspiring performances from all around the world. The entire PuSh Festival team sincerely thanks all of our contributors for their generous support and belief in keeping the arts at the centre of Vancouver, Roberta Beiser and Allan Black for opening their home to us year after year, James Long and Marcus Youssef for keeping us laughing, and our astonishing sponsors of the evening, Odd Society Spirits and Emelle’s Catering.

To receive your own invitations to exclusive events like the Roberta Beiser benefit, join the PuSh Patrons Circle today!