YMCA peace medals awarded to Vancouver role models who push for change

by Charlie Smith on November 19th, 2015 at 11:00 PM

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A registered clinical counsellor, a young mental-health advocate, and charities founded by a Vancouver photographer and Vancouver musician have all been honoured at the 18th annual YMCA Power of Peace Awards.

The musician is Hey Ocean! band member David Vertesi who, along with his partner Ambrosia Vertesi, founded the charity concert and video series called #singitfwd.

It was honoured with a YMCA peace medal as the social-change leader in the organizational category for its local work.

#singitfwd has raised more than $130,000 for the Saint James Music Academy.

It enables Downtown Eastside kids to receive music education. The charity has put on several sold-out events at the Vogue Theatre.

The Saint James Music Academy enables kids from modest circumstances to become musicians.

Performers have included Ryan Guldemond, Kathryn Calder, Hannah Georgas, the Zolas, Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer, Said the Whale, Yukon Blonde, Shad, K-OS, and, of course, Hey Ocean!, among others.

https://instagram.com/p/938jacjpcw

The next two performances will take place on January 14 and 15. The lineups won't be revealed until the days the shows take place.

The event tonight at the Orpheum Annex coincides with International Peace Week, which runs from November 14 to 21.

The awards go to individuals or groups who, without a great amount of resources, strengthen communities through a commitment to the values of peace.

The Compassionate Eye Foundation, which was founded by photographer Robert Kent, was honoured with a YMCA peace medal as a social-change leader in the organizational category. This came for its international work.

Leah Lockhart and Daniel Rogers accepted the award on behalf of the Compassionate Eye Foundation.

Michelle Hondl

Nearly a decade ago, Kent persuaded Getty Images to create a royalty-based funding model to enable photographers, models, makeup artists, and others to donate their time to raise money for worthy causes. The funds go to countries ranked in the lower third of the UN Human Development Index.

The social-change winner in the individual category was Sharalyn Jordan of Rainbow Refugee. It assists refugees who are fleeing dangerously homophobic or transphobic countries of origin.

Sharalyn Jordan has helped refugees who've fled homophobic and transphobic countries of origin.

Michelle Hondl

Jordan, a registered clinical counsellor and assistant professor at SFU, has made presentations in Ottawa and filed affidavits in court to assist refugees.

The youth social change leader award went to Geoffrey Ching, who created the Youth Mental Health Association while still in secondary school. It led to the creation of mental-health awareness clubs in eight schools.