Despite the rain and wind which arrived at 8 PM, Al Fresco had just enough good weather to make it another success. With the hard work put in by a small army of volunteers, our community came together to reach its fundraising goal of $15,000. The funds were donated to the Zebra Child Protection Centre on behalf of the 104th-Street community. Well done everyone!

We would like to acknowledge the people and groups who made this event possible. If I missed anybody, please accept my apologies in advance. A big whooo-rahhhhhh to all of you!

Planning the Party

Special thanks to Caitlin McElhone, our Event Planner who saved our sanity and helped connect everyone together. Thank you to Kelly McCauley and the Coast Edmonton Plaza for hosting our meetings. Thanks to all the members of the 104th Street Action Committee for their hard work, dedication and focus.

Financial Sponsors

Thank you to the Downtown Business Association and Melcor Developments Ltd. for financially sponsoring our event. You are true leaders in providing support for Downtown vibrancy. Thanks to deVine Wines & Spirits and Yellowhead Brewery for their pre-event fundraisers.

Zebra Child Protection Centre

A big thank you to Barbara Spencer, her team at Zebra and all the volunteers who lent a helping hand. The Zebra Centre was a true partner in our community effort and was there to do the “heavy lifting” with us throughout the entire process. Kudos to your dedicated group of volunteers who went above and beyond, especially when the rain came. Thank you to Cheri Onusko from the City for supporting the Melcor Kid’s Zone and Chris Martens who helped entertain the little ones.

Getting the Word Out

Thank you to Yuri Wuensch for coordinating media promotions and Blair Mcfarlane for producing the event artwork. Thank you to Dirk Chan for writing the special e-newsletters and blogs. And thanks to everyone who spread the word via social media: Mack Male, Sharon Yeo, Ryan Mayer and Shauna Warwick. Thanks to the Downtown Business Association’s Core Crew for being event ambassadors. Thank you to Corey Edel of CBC, our emcee who kept the crowds informed during the event. And to all of our media sponsors and supporters, thank you for your coverage!

On-line Auction

Special thanks to Dirk Chan for maintaining the silent auction. This was no small and easy task. Huge thanks to all the donors and all the enthusiastic bidders who made the auction possible. A record 94 lots were generously donated.

What the Truck!

Special thanks to Mack Male and Sharon Yeo for organizing a special edition of What the Truck! Thank you to Eva Sweet, Smokehouse BBQ, The Act, The Lingnan, Molly’s Eats, Batista’s Calzones, Carnival Cravings, Filistix, Nomad and Fat Franks for participating and generously donating a portion of their proceeds in support of Zebra.

Pancake Breakfast

Special thanks to Sharon Yeo and the Downtown Edmonton Community League (DECL) for donating proceeds in support of Zebra. You clearly demonstrated that the “C” in DECL stands for commitment! The team of volunteers you put together to flip pancakes, prep, cook, serve and clean was exemplary. Special thanks to Sobeys Jasper 104 for donating the food for this event and the City of Edmonton for providing the picnic tables.

deVine Wines Tasting Lot

Special thanks to Ralph Young, Darin Rayburn and Brandon Park of Melcor Developments Ltd. for donating the use of their parking lot. Without you, this event could not have happened! Huge thanks to Annabelle Evaristo, Hayley McRae and deVine Wines & Spirits for their dedication in managing this event. Thank you to all the wine, beer and spirits importers who donated all of the sampled product and their time in support of this event. You guys rock! Thanks goes to Tres Carnales Restaurant for providing patrons with great Mexican food and fun. Last but not least, to Bob Parsons for being the trooper he was.

Extended Patios

Special thanks to John Williams for lending a huge hand to help organized your neighbors in this endeavor. With your dedication and assistance, the Blue Plate Diner, Credo Coffee, Tzin Wine & Tapas and Lit Wine Bar all participated and made donations to Zebra.

Fashion Show

Thank you to Janice Galloway and Bridget Smatlan for coordinating the fashion show. Thanks to the Eye Care Group, coup garment boutique, Blunt Hair Salon and various vendors for their wares and services. Thank you to the makeup artists and all the organizers behind the scenes. And thanks to all the models for making it real. Lastly, to the lovely drag queens that graced our stage, you were fabulous! Thank you to all the vendors who participated and donated to our cause in Fashion Alley.

Music Program

Huge thanks to Blair Mcfarlane for all his hard work in booking the bands, DJs and for securing the sound equipment. You rock! Special thanks to Mike Tully of Listen Louder Productions Ltd. for all your audio support. To all the musicians and DJs who performed and gave us favorable rates, thank you for your community spirit and support.

Art Program

Thank you to Angele Karosi for help work in coordinating the graffiti artist program. Big thanks to Daniel “Danskee” Chmielewski for creating an amazing piece for the auction and inspiring deVine Wines to do a private label featuring our street. Thank you to A.J.A. Louden and Rast One for their works as well.

Downtown Farmers’ Market

Special thanks to Gabrielle Campbell and Chris Wallis for helping with the logistics in planning this event. Thank you for putting out a call to the vendors for auction items and to the vendors who stepped forward in support of Zebra. Thank you to the City Market Board of Directors in assisting us run our events concurrently. With your assistance, we overcame many logistical challenges and gave our patrons a special day to enjoy.

Keeping Things Clean

Thank you to Downtown Proud! and the Boyle Street Co-op for helping keep our street clean. Thank you to Tri-Line Disposals for your services and support. Thank you to Mark Foerster from the City’s Roadways Department for the extra care you took to clean our streets before the event. Thanks to all the volunteers who swept up in the dark and the rain when the event closed. And thanks to Capital City Clean Up for donating cleaning supplies.

Keeping Things Safe

Special thanks to Barb Ursuliak from Responsible Hospitality Edmonton for her work with Edmonton Police Services. Thanks to the two EPS Special Duty Constables on scene and all the patrons who came and enjoyed themselves in a responsible manner. Your actions as patrons allowed us to have a fourth incident free year. Thank you to Paladin Security for providing us with great service. Thanks to St. John’s Ambulance Services for being there for us.

Event Suppliers

Thanks to Big Top Rentals, Special Event Rentals, Elegant Touches, Showmobile (Events Edmonton), Derrick Fencing and Port-A-Potty and Westcor for the excellent service.

In Kind Donors

Many groups not mentioned above donated time and services to support Al Fresco. Thanks to Precise Link Parking Lot, AGLC, Mode Models, Hair Design, City of Edmonton staff at the Melcor Kid’s Zone, the Farmers Market for donating portable washrooms and Impark.