The Review.ca Wednesday, April 13, 2011 9

VANKLEEK HILL – As you read this, work is already underway to transform the Vankleek Hill Community Centre for the much-awaited second edition of Yes, Women Can! 2011, a day devoted especially to women on Sunday, April 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Quality of life” is this year’s theme, and it is what guided the choice of speakers, semi-nars, kiosks and on-hand, live events. It is best summed up by the event’s tagline: Live, Laugh, Learn!

This year, Yes, Women Can! features 66 booths covering finances, careers & training, health & well-being, fashion & style as well as travel & leisure plus 2 jury-selected artisans.

New this year, the downstairs show floor will have a Pink Carpet Showcase where live-ly presentations will include: country line danc-ing, laughter yoga, the chance to join a drum-ming circle, self-defence, kick-boxing, fitness demonstrations, fashion shows and even a per-formance by gospel and jazz singer Janice Har-rington.

But more than this, additional speakers were recruited based on the most popular present-ers at the 2009 edition of Yes, Women Can!, said Louise Sproule, who along with The Re-view staff and community volunteers, organiz-es the women’s event every alternate year at the community centre.

Twenty-four presenters will use dedicated space upstairs at the Vankleek Hill Communi-ty Centre this year and topics will include heal-ing energy therapy, tips to reduce the stress in your life, work-life balance, how the media af-fect your children, how breathing can change your life -- just to name a few subjects.

A main stage upstairs will include presen-tations such as: zootheraphy, feng shui, home decorating, Native American Tarot card read-ing, sprout-growing and wine selection.

The show’s bistro area will provide space for show visitors to enjoy the food and snacks pur-chased at the Yes, Women Can! mini food court – a new feature at this year’s show.

Extra parking has been secured, thanks to cooperation from Vankleek Hill Collegiate In-stitute. A free shuttle bus to bring event-goers to and from VCI will make other stops in Van-kleek Hill throughout the day, including a stop at Beau’s All-Natural Brewing Company, where the men can stop in during an all-day open house. The shuttle is sponsored by Beau’s All-Natural Brewing Company, with support from Campeau Bus Lines.

Parking at the Vankleek Hill Community

Centre will run more smoothly thanks to the efforts of volunteers supplied by the Vankleek Hill Fiddle and Dance Association. First aid support will be furnished courtesy of the Van-kleek Hill Volunteer Firefighters.

Decorator Carole Robert is back to enhance the entire community centre. All of the usu-al fittings from the Vankleek Hill Communi-ty Centre lobby are being removed to make way for luxurious furnishings from Meubles Levac Furniture in Vankleek Hill. That is where guests can relax during Yes, Women Can! and tick-

et-holders can collect their healthy snack and free beverage, all included in the price of ad-mission!

Ticket-holders will also be entitled to a free goodie bag full of samples, information, dis-counts and other special offers from a wide ar-ray of suppliers. Volunteer Ella Wolfe has been working hard to solicit interesting items for in-clusion in the goodie bags and will be work-ing with VCI Relay for Life volunteers Satur-day morning to prepare the goodie bags in time for Sunday.

The goodie bags are in keeping with an im-portant part of this year’s show, which is the photo montage prepared using photos taken by

professional photographer Marie-Noël Shank. Twenty local women were photographed

last autumn and are all featured on the bilin-gual website for Yes, Women Can!

Nine of the photographs were selected for inclusion in advertising, promotion, the goodie bags and directional signs for the event.

You can view a slide show of all 20 photo-graphs online at www.yeswomencan.ca

New this year is that admission to Yes, Wom-en Can! is free for women aged 80 or over (call Irene at -877-678-3327 to make arrangements).

“We are also very excited to offer a very spe-cial draw prize this year at Yes, Women Can!” notes Sproule.

“Every ticket purchased entitles the ticket-holder to a chance to win a FAB FOUR trip to New York City. We were so pleased to arrange this special trip through Voyage DK Travel in Hawkesbury,” notes Sproule.

Ticket-holders can complete their ballots at the show and the draw will take place near the end of the show. The winner will be announced at 4:45 p.m.

All those who purchased advance tickets pri-or to March 3st, 20 were eligible to win one of dozens of earlybird prizes. Winners’ ticket

numbers are posted online and winners can col-lect their prizes before Friday, April 5 at 5 p.m. at The Review offices or can collect their prizes at Yes, Women Can! on Sunday, April 7.

Several off-site activities in Vankleek Hill will complement the YES, WOMEN CAN event: two art exhibits with feminine-inspired themes, respectively entitled Re-examining Pink (at Arbor Gallery) and Brigid: the warri-or Goddess of the Celtic people (at Three Owls Gallery), a visit to the Vankleek Hill Museum and, for the gentlemen looking to occupy a few hours... amazing taste-tours at Beau’s Brewery.

In 2009, $5,000 from Yes, Women Can! was donated to help with the cost of installing a splash pad in the Mill Street Park, right next door to the community centre.

This year’s Yes, Women Can! will benefit five young women from surrounding communities who will be pursuing post-secondary studies next fall in one of the following areas: business, science, the environment, social sciences or the arts. A $,000 bursary will be presented to five young women graduating from the following high schools: North Glengarry District High School, Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute, École publique Le Sommet, École catholique secondaire régionale de Hawkesbury and Lau-rentian Regional High School. Young women have already completed their application forms for this bursary. The winners will be announced at :30 p.m. at the Pink Carpet Showcase at Yes, Women Can! on Sunday, April 7.

There are still a few advance tickets left for Yes, Women Can!

Visit the website at: www.yeswomencan.ca to learn more about this year’s much-anticipat-ed event. You can also call toll-free to -877-678-3327 to purchase your advance tickets by telephone. The Review’s telephone system will forward your calls to staff after regular business hours from now until p.m. on Saturday, April 6.

Sproule expressed her appreciation to the show’s sponsors: Hillcrest Funeral Home, Pot-tery Lane Imports, Voyage DK Travel and Beau’s All-Natural Brewery, for their support.

Visit the bilingual website:www.yeswomencan.ca

Rolling out the pink carpet in Vankleek Hill for Yes, Women Can!