Good Morning Folks,
I have a fair amount to cover with you today so please take a minute or so to read through this message.
TASTE Road Closures, Security & Contact Info:
- Danforth will be closed tomorrow (Friday) at 10am and will re-open on Monday morning at 4am.
- There will be increased security throughout the site for the entire weekend. The Broadview and Danforth intersection and the Jones and Danforth intersection will both have large vehicle barricades throughout the active times of the Festival: Friday 6pm to Midnight; Sat. noon to midnight; Sun. noon to 10pm.
- Suspicious packages: as most of you know we've dealt with 2 incidents of suspicious packages over the past couple of days (last Friday and this past Tuesday). During Taste we ask that you take note of your surrounding area and if at some point a bag, box, container etc. shows up please take note - it is probably just something left inadvertently by someone or someone just not hitting the trash can with their garbage but if it doesn't, for whatever reason, look "right" to you please contact me via text at 416-995-1049. If you don't hear back from me in a very timely fashion and you're worried then please call 911. And again, I stress, it's Taste and we know how much junk gets dropped by people so please keep that in mind.
- If you need anything over the weekend you know that you can reach me via email or text (416-995-1049). Albert Stortchak our Board Chair will also be on site and available throughout the weekend and his cell # is 416-462-9013.
Fundraising Initiatives during Taste:
We have the following activities happening during the Festival to raise money for the Toronto Strong fund and the victims of the shooting:
1. The Billy Talent Concert - Sat. night at the Danforth Music Hall
- Food donation request - we need to feed about 30 crew members on Saturday at 12:30pm and 5:30pm. If any of our restaurant/food businesses are able to help with a donation of food that would be so greatly appreciated. Everyone involved with this concert are donating their time so if we can make sure that they're fed during the day that would be great. If you're able to help please email me directly.
2. Danforth Strong t-shirts:
- We will be selling Danforth Strong shirts for $20 each. We will be set-up in front of The Combine Eatery (thanks to Amy and Albert Chow for allowing this) throughout the festival.
3. Silent Auction:
- We have a number of really cool items that have been donated to us and we will be hosting a silent auction throughout the Festival - thanks to Micheal Hollett and his NXNE team for organizing this as well as the Billy Talent concert. The silent auction will be held in the area around our stage at Broadview and Danforth.
4. The LCBO:
- We've negotiated with the corporate office of the LCBO and they will launch their Toronto Fund campaign starting tomorrow (Friday) in 157 downtown LCBO locations. Our LCBO member at Ellerbeck and Danforth will be included in this campaign.
The Memorial & First Responder Recognition:
- The various memorials have been taken down for TASTE and one central memorial will be created tonight in front of St. Barnabas Church located at Danforth and Hampton Avenues. We have organized a second floral arrangement for this new site on behalf of all of us in the Danforth BIA. Thanks to our FRESH Florals team for helping with this.
- Tomorrow night (Friday) we will open our stage line-up at 6pm with a tribute to all of the first responders and regular people who came to the aid of the many people in need during the shooting. Alexander Stewart who sang so beautifully at the memorial will do a special performance on our stage at this time.
- Greektown will also open with a special ceremony at their Logan stage at 8pm tomorrow night. The Prime Minister is expected to attend the Festival tomorrow night.
Okay that's everything I have for you today. Thank you for reading through all of this, have a safe and fun Taste weekend, and don't hesitate to reach out if you need help with anything.
Thanks kindly,
Susan