Showing posts with label Jeff Christensen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeff Christensen. Show all posts

21 August 2019

Jeff Christensen's GoFundMe for The Bolivian Academy of Magic and Illusion

From Go Fund Me:
The Bolivian Academy of Magic and Illusion was founded in April 2009 on the initiative of Milton Flores Marques (Mago Byron) in the city of La Paz, Bolivia.  The institution is not for profit and promotes the love of magic performance in young people and children. 

Bolivia is not a wealthy country and this group could use your help to create some "real" magic.  Consider budding young magician Raquel who's family can't afford the $3 per class for her to attend and pay for the transportation to get to the school.  Raquel has made the commitment to walk 60 blocks each day that she has magic class. 

Check out the following short video and see what happening at The Bolivia Magic School.



The funds raised from this initiative will go a long well to help provide tuition for the students as well as much needed magic supplies.  Thank you for considering sponsoring the students of this school!

Jeff Christensen
Vancouver, Canada



Read more and fund the project.


29 December 2018

2018 Readers' Choice award results

Thank you all for participating in the spirit in which the awards were intended:  a fun way to recognize and celebrate all of the wonderful things being done by the fabulous talent in our country.

Over 2380 votes were cast in this "bragging rights" only contest.  You all have a lot of devoted fans!

Here are the results of our third annual "Readers' Choice Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year" award!


Beacons of Inspiration (in alphabetical order by surname)

2018 Beacon of Inspiration: James Alan

James Alan
Nominated by Ben Train.
Thank you for lecturing, coaching, and participating fully with organizations like Toronto Magic Company, Ring 17 Hat and Rabbit, and Magicana).


Website: JamesAlan.ca


2018 Beacon of Inspiration: Jonah Babins


Jonah Babins 
Nominated by James Alan.
One of two podcasters in this year's field, which has now enticed me into the realm of podcasts!  Keep up your great work with the Discourse In Magic Podcast, and The Newest Trick in the Book, Canada’s only open mic magic show.


Website: JonahBabins.com





2018 Beacon of Inspiration: Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown
Nominated by Taylor Martin.
Ryan is an inspiration to the students at his alma mater.  Ryan continues to stretch himself by seeking opportunities to learn with and from world class magicians.  Go Ryan, go!


Website: RyanBrownMagic.com



2018 Beacon of Inspiration: Greg Frewin


Greg Frewin
Nominated by Ryan Pilling.
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Greg! I've seen his show on a number of occasions and seen him donate his time to the kids at Sorcerers Safari, lending a hand to the magic community (remember the CAM-JAM and the Browser's Bash?), and supporting his local community too.  Thank you Greg!

And as Ryan stated,
"... what I got was a wonderful show with a performer who shared his passion for magic, and playing to a very full house! It was an inspiration to see one of Canada's best magicians still being amazing two decades after I first saw him, and a testament to the hard work and dedication of Greg and his team to have such a well running theatre."


Website: GregFrewinTheatre.com




2018 Beacon of Inspiration: Carisa Hendrix

Carisa Hendrix  (aka Lucy Darling)
Nominated by James Alan.
Carisa is an in demand, multifaceted performer.  In addition to magic, she does beautiful bubble, entertaining sideshow performances, and is a multiple Guinness World Record holder, while also running her own entertainment company.


Carisa is the other reason I've ventured into the world of podcasts.  She (with Kayla Drescher) is breaking ground with Shezam, "the feminist magic podcast that hopes to make itself obsolete."  They are taking on some pretty big issues in the magic world and I look forward to hearing what else they've got to say.

How big a deal is this podcast?  "This podcast is now funded, in part, through support from the Endowment and Development Fund of the International Brotherhood of Magicians."   Well done Carisa!  That's a big deal!


Website: CarisaHendrix.com





2018 Beacon of Inspiration: Kent Wong

Kent Wong
Nominated by Unknown.
I can't improve on the submitted nomination:

"I nominate KENT WONG from Edmonton. He is one of the most giving an talented magicians in Canada and his shows are extremely well written, rehearsed and thought out. His unbelievable attitude to help magicians and people in general is un heard of and he never asks for anything in return. His door is always open for anyone to use. He uses his magic to raise money for charities, feed the homeless, gloves and coffee for the homeless all through magic shows and when he is not doing that he is performing for children at the hospitals. Kent does this while having a family, and a very busy full time job. He knows all aspects of magic, psychology, timing, misdirection and history. I'm glad he is my friend in magic."

Keep up the great work Kent!

Website: KentWongMagic.com



Editor's Choice


2018 Editor's Choice: Mike Segal
Mike Segal   
Nominated by Sam.
That Mike, through Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp, runs the ONLY magical instructional program certified by the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Public Library is a source of inspiration all on it's own ... there are a lot of hoops to jump through to earn your certification!

But wait! There's more!

Through Sorcerers Safari, Mike has enriched the lives of so many magicians!  Camp alumni include: Nathaniel Rankin, Scott Hammel, Daniel Steep, Sheldon Casavant, Rosemary Reid, Keith Brown, Brad Bond, Ben Train, Alex Seaman, Mark Correia, Chad Juros and the list goes on.  Now think of all of the lives that those people have touched.  That's not counting the army of devoted volunteers he created whose lives were also deeply influenced from the camp experience!  Thank you Mike and keep on keeping on!

From his nomination:
"He inspired a generation of young magicians to turn their hobbies into careers. Magic Mike gave us a space, a special club and to some, a family where we could explore our creativity and expand our knowledge with like-minded people. Magic Mike is not only an amazing mentor but he is also a fantastic performer. Whether he’s teaching a class or performing in front of a huge crowd, he’s always giving 100%. He is known in the magic community for his positive attitude and he will stop at nothing to lend a helping hand. If that doesn’t deserve recognition, I don’t know what does!"


Website: Magic-Mike.com



Readers' Choice

2018 Winner: Jeff Christensen

Jeff Christensen
Nominated by Cyril May.

Congratulations to Jeff for winning the 2018 Readers' Choice award!

Keep up your great work with the Celebrate the Child foundation.


Website: MagicalEducator.com





09 December 2018

Vote now for the 2018 Readers' Choice award

Reader's Choice logo 
The nominations are closed and voting is now open for the 2018 "Readers' Choice Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year" award!  Voting will close on Sunday, December the 23rd at 11:59pm EST.

To vote, scroll down to the bottom of this post and participate in the poll.  (Unfortunately, the poll does not appear in the mobile version of the site.)

Let's have a look at the nominees (in no particular order):


2018 Nominee: James Alan

James Alan
Nominated by Ben Train.
"In the past year he's helped numerous performers make their acts better, has participated in leadership roles on several major magic projects (including Toronto Magic Company, Ring 17 Hat and Rabbit, Magicana, etc). He's lectured on his original magic, he's supported the community..."

"I could keep going on."


Website: JamesAlan.ca




2018 Nominee: Jonah Babins

Jonah Babins 
Nominated by James Alan.
"Magician, podcast host, and neologist. Cofounded the Discourse In Magic Podcast, now with over 130 episodes. Host of The Newest Trick in the Book, Canada’s only open mic magic show."


Website: JonahBabins.com





2018 Nominee: Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown
Nominated by Taylor Martin.
"Ryan Wonder Brown is a rising star of magic from the Toronto area. He should be considered for these bragging rites."


Website: RyanBrownMagic.com





2018 Nominee: Jeff Christensen

Jeff Christensen
Nominated by Cyril May.
"I would like to nominate Vancouver magician Jeff Christensen for using his magic to conjure up a better world.  Jeff has faced loss in his life* but has turned the darkness into light for so many others through his magic and fundraising.  He has raised more than $100,000 for a variety of local and international causes.  He has done this in a variety of ways such as through the sold out charity show “”A Magical Evening” and his foundation, Celebrate the Child (CtC).  CtC has built a school in Kenya, and worked on freshwater in Ecuador. Jeff has gone further to raise money through performances for a health centre in India.  His heart is good and so is his magic.  He received an invitation to attend the very exclusive 4F Close-up Convention….a sort of “Willy Wonka” ticket that every magician would love to get.  Invitation is not random, however, and is generally given in recognition of expert magical skill.  I know Jeff from our learning and work at the McBride Magic & Mystery School.  Jeff received the title of Ambassador from the School this fall at our annual gathering in recognition of his work to further meaningful magic.  Please give him your fullest consideration!"

--
* Jeff lost his six-year old sun, Jonah suddenly and unexpectedly.   In response to this tragedy he created the charity foundation Celebrate the Child and produces/performs an annual show A Magical Evening which has sold out for the past 10 years!  Through these charity shows he has raised more than $100,000 for a variety of local and international causes.

Jeff also also gives back to the magic community through his monthly column Magic is Education which can be found in Vanish Magazine.

In November Jeff was honoured by being invited to share his magical story for 20,000 people at Rogers Arena for WE Day Vancouver!

Website: MagicalEducator.com




2018 Nominee: Greg Frewin

Greg Frewin
Nominated by Ryan Pilling.
"In 2018 I was inspired when I saw Greg Frewin at his theatre in Niagara Falls. I was there on a cold day in the off-season. My first visit to Niagara and all I saw was empty streets and mostly closed attractions. On top of it all it was a Wednesday night. I had tickets to the show that night and was expecting the worst... an awkwardly empty house, and a lackluster performance."

"Instead, what I got was a wonderful show with a performer who shared his passion for magic, and playing to a very full house! It was an inspiration to see one of Canada's best magicians still being amazing two decades after I first saw him, and a testament to the hard work and dedication of Greg and his team to have such a well running theatre."

--
Greg also provides support for his local community.  For example, last week he hosted the Good News Breakfast in his theatre.  From Facebook:
"Don't forget that this Friday is the Good News Breakfast. Join us at Greg Frewin Theatre from 7-10am. Come enjoy a free breakfast, world-class entertainment and good news from the community. Donations will be accepted. YourTV will be broadcasting live and streaming it online. Don't miss out on the fun!"


Website: GregFrewinTheatre.com





2018 Nominee: Carisa Hendrix

Carisa Hendrix  (aka Lucy Darling)
Nominated by James Alan.
"Multifaceted magic, bubble and sideshow performer. Co-founder in 2018 of Shezam, the feminist magic podcast* that hopes to make itself obsolete."

--
* Announced on Facebook on November 26th, "This podcast is now funded, in part, through support from the Endowment and Development Fund of the International Brotherhood of Magicians."

Website: CarisaHendrix.com




2018 Nominee: Mike Segal

Mike Segal 
Nominated by Sam.
"He inspired a generation of young magicians to turn their hobbies into careers. Magic Mike gave us a space, a special club and to some, a family where we could explore our creativity and expand our knowledge with like-minded people. Magic Mike is not only an amazing mentor but he is also a fantastic performer. Whether he’s teaching a class or performing in front of a huge crowd, he’s always giving 100%. He is known in the magic community for his positive attitude and he will stop at nothing to lend a helping hand. If that doesn’t deserve recognition, I don’t know what does!"

--
Did you know that now in his post-magic camp days Mike runs the ONLY magical instructional program certified by the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Public Library?  From Facebook:
"Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp is NOW offering The ART of MAGIC in all school programs (After 4, Artist in Residence, Lunch and Team Building). Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp is THE ONLY magic instructional program certified by the TDSB and TPL. Bring a little MAGIC to your school."

Website: Magic-Mike.com





2018 Nominee: Kent Wong

Kent Wong
Nominated by Unknown.
"I nominate KENT WONG from Edmonton. He is one of the most giving an talented magicians in Canada and his shows are extremely well written, rehearsed and thought out. His unbelievable attitude to help magicians and people in general is un heard of and he never asks for anything in return. His door is always open for anyone to use. He uses his magic to raise money for charities, feed the homeless, gloves and coffee for the homeless all through magic shows and when he is not doing that he is performing for children at the hospitals. Kent does this while having a family, and a very busy full time job. He knows all aspects of magic, psychology, timing, misdirection and history. Im glad he is my friend in magic."

and from another Unknown:
"I too nominate KENT WONG from Edmonton. Kent had a fundraiser for the non profit organization Adarius 4 Autism. He took the time to set it up, and spent the whole day doing shows and donated all the profits. The event raised $1300. All the attendees were very entertained."


Website: KentWongMagic.com


Cast your vote now at Poll Junkie!





21 November 2018

Vancouver: Celebrate The Child - A Magical Evening

We Day Family Vancouver takes place November 21, 2018.


From Jeff Christensen:
Over the past 10 years we've held our annual event A Magical Evening to raise money for various children's charities. During that time we've supported Make A Wish, Raise A Reader, Canuck Place Children's Hospice, Me 2 We (WE). Together we've built a school in Kenya, supported a fresh water project in rural Ecuador and restored a health clinic in rural India. This is real magic and I want to thank all of the magic friends that have supported our charity foundation in memory of my son Jonah.

I'd like to publicly thank Jeff McBride, Paul Romhany, Shawn Farquhar, Murray Hatfield, Christopher Taylor, Vitaly Beckman, Eric Samuels, John Kaplan, Eric Bedard, Steve Hamilton, Bruce Hunt, Tony Chris, Chris Yuill, Steve Dickson, Henry Tom, Rod Chow, Ray Roch, Matt Johnson, Trevor & Lorena Watters, Kelvin Ng, Gabby and so many others that have helped make our charity event a success. Thanks to all of these people and so many more we've been invited to share Celebrate The Child - A Magical Evening this week at We Day Family in Vancouver for 19,000 people!

https://www.we.org/w…/we-day-events/we-day-family-vancouver/

So often we have drama in the magic clubs and in our community but these people have put all of this aside to create something truly special. On behalf of my family I'd just like to take this opportunity to say thanks for your kindness and support. We will never forget your amazing talent and generosity.

Much love,
Christensen Family
CelebrateTheChild.me


09 May 2018

Richmond: A magical evening

See a show with Murray Hatfield, Eric Bedard, and Jeff Christensen on June 16.

From the Facebook page of A Magical Evening - "Celebrate the Child in All of Us":

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13 May 2016

Richmond: "A Magical Evening"

From Celebrate the Child:
We look forward to hosting you at our 8th annual A Magical Evening fundraiser in memory of Jonah and in support of children’s charities.  This year our plan is to support the Village of Bellavista in Ecuador, where we recently visited to work on a fresh water project with Free the Children.  Given the recent disaster in Ecuador, our efforts are even more important.  Please join us in creating “real magic” on Saturday, June 18, 2016 at our A Magical Evening fundraiser!


Read more and buy tickets.

28 December 2015

Vancouver: Magic Dinner Show Live 2016

From Event Brite:
Fri, 22 Jan 2016

Your MC is the Award Winning Jeff Christensen. Featuring the North American FISM Champions of Stage Magic Trevor & Lorena Watters and their Comedy Magic Variety Act - Steve The Pretty Good! Pre-dinner Close-Up Magic by the Society of American Magicians #95! Fabulous 9 course Delicious Chinese Banquet Dinner!

Read more and buy tickets.

25 December 2015

Benevolence of Magic part 3

Dennis Schick's third annual Benevolence of Magic (in the December "Linking Ring" (v95,12)) features two Canadian projects.  From Dennis:

The first is magician Jeff Christensen from Vancouver. Each year he and his wife and daughter produce “A Magical Evening” in honor and memory of their son, Jonah, to raise money for their Celebrate the Child Foundation, which supports numerous worthy causes.


The other is John Kaplan, also from Vancouver, whose Fundraising Magic program raises money for organizations and communities across Canada.

Well done Jeff and John for your hard work to help others.

Thank you Dennis for sending this information my way!  


Previously featured "Benevolence of Magic" Canadian projects: