Published February 2018.
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It’s time for our very special BIRTHDAY EDITION of Ferreira Fest! It’s Louis Ferreira’s birthday today, February 20th, and we’re celebrating with a big party, highlighting his acting career, charity projects and recent activities of his friends. We have lots of photos, videos, news, screencaps, our exclusive Reading Series and so much more, so grab a pineapple cocktail at our virtual bar and a wedge of pineapple-upside-down cake and come on in!
This year’s birthday project consisted of origami paper cranes, embellished with good wishes on their wings. Around 650 cranes were signed and collected and strung together in a very long garland.
Here is the garland in the giant box that was shipped to Louis. There are 4-5 layers!
If you missed this year’s birthday project please put next year’s project on your calendar – it will start December 20th, 2018, so keep an eye on the Birthday Project Page.
Louis wanted to thank everyone for participating in the 2018 Birthday Project – in the style of Despicable Me:
LF – Hello my friends, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart! Because this is my birthday and I got lots of birthday wishes from all of you so it makes me feel real nice inside. So, I love you! And I wish everybody many happy days. Sunday, Monday, happy days. Tuesday, Wednesday, happy days! All days make for happy birthdays. I love you. Night night.
CHARITIES NEWS
Ability Online
Ability Online, the online forum for special needs kids, has shared their Valentine’s Day newsletter
2017 Stats
Over the past year Ability Online has soared to new heights. Each area of development has seen a rise in numbers. Total page views, unique visitors and logins were all areas that increased on the website in relation to 2016.
Our most popular chat forums included would you rather, television shows, movies and books, what’s on your mind and advocacy and diverse ability. This is a very distinct group of topics that shows off individual members interests when using Ability Online. The average time allotted to each website visit was an impressive 25 minutes.
We hope these numbers will improve over the next year as we head into February 2018. With higher hopes and even more ideas, Ability Online plans to make this the year we’re all ready and able.
Event News: Abilities Expo – “The event for the disability community.”
The second annual Abilities Expo on Canadian soil was held January 19-21 at the International Centre in Toronto. The Abilities Expo promotes greater independence and offers a chance to discover life-changing products, services and workshops to those with special needs. Different events ranging from wheelchair dancing and basketball, face painting, and service dog demonstrations were available all weekend.
This year for the very first time, Ability Online was able to participate. Ability Online had the chance to reconnect with members from the past and present at our booth. Highlighting ways that kids, teens and young adults with disabilities as well as parents and professionals can connect to get support in a safe environment.
Products and Services: A wide variety of products and services were available to try all weekend for anyone including mobility products, devices for those with developmental disabilities, other medical equipment, necessary services, and more. Not-for-profit organizations (like Ability Online) were also on hand to provide helpful resources.
Sports and Dancing: Physical activity has always been a key to better health. Attendees of any ability could test out their skills with sports like hockey, basketball, rugby, tennis and sitting volleyball. Dancing queen Auti Angel and Wheel Dance offered interactive dancing workshops that got the entire crowd moving.
Assistance Animals: Animals have always been near and dear to our hearts, but even more so to the disabled community. Service dogs are essential in guiding, hearing, diabetic alerts, autism support, and seizure alerts. Service dog demonstrations offered information about how these animals can improve one’s life.
Go check out Ability Online’s social media to see some more photos from the event.
Ability Gives – Stella
This month’s special child at Ability Gives is Stella.
Stella was born on April 21, 2010 after a normal pregnancy. She was perfect and we began enjoying our new life as a family.
At eight months old we began to notice she was no longer meeting developmental milestones. We spent several anxious months waiting for tests and answers all the while Stella showed signs of increased weakness. We were terrified.
Now, Stella is a sweet and enthusiastic seven year old. She loves music, driving her power wheelchair FAST and having dance parties in our living room. Stella is currently in grade 2 and loves to read, do art, learn new things, and playing with her friends.
Obstacles
Stella was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Type 2 just before her first birthday. We were heartbroken. SMA doesn’t make life easy and we usually have to do things a bit differently, but we try as hard as possible to give Stella the life that she wants and deserves; full of rich experiences and surrounded by the love and support of family and friends.
Solutions
We are currently interested in getting Stella an adaptive bike. This would allow us to go for bike rides as a family and enjoy the outdoors together. These special needs bike are great as they allow for full support, as well as growth over the years. The duet bike is a tandem bike – necessary for Stella as she would be unable to pedal even an adapted bike.
Goal
The basic duet bike is $5000 USD, a hefty price tag for any family. But this bike would open a world of family fun and inclusion for Stella for many years to come. Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated. You can donate at Ability Gives.
If you’d like to make a donation to help disabled kids meet in a safe, monitored online environment, please click on the logo below.
Project Limelight
Stay tuned for an announcement about the next Tuesday Night Live fundraiser for Project Limelight, which will be posted on their Facebook Page.
In the meantime, please consider making a contribution to help Vancouver’s most talented inner city kids receive a free top quality performing arts education and click on the logo below!
Haven Toronto
There are various fascinating news articles on the Haven Toronto website:
- Random Act of Kindness Helps Those Less Fortunate
- Happy Family Day
- Psychology of Poverty is Hard to Overcome
- How Pets Help The Homeless
There’s a series of new ads, all modeled after well-known commercial ad slogans. Check them out here.
Be sure to read the February E-Magazine. You can also subscribe here.
You can help in two easy ways: make a purchase at Shop & Share – an online store where anything you buy goes directly to an elder homeless man at Haven Toronto. If you have a birthday or other celebration coming up, instead of receiving presents yourself pay it forward by asking people to shop at Haven Toronto instead!
Or you can donate to the general fund by clicking on the logo below. Note: this will lead you to our very own HT donations page which is still under the organization’s former name The Good Neighbours’ Club.
The Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada
Keep up with The Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada by checking out their online newsletter The Buzz.
We’re thrilled to accept nominations for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada Stand Up for Kids National Award, until March 27, 2018. Are you or is someone you know making a difference in the lives of kids currently in or from the child welfare system? We want to know about it! The Stand Up for Kids National Award recipient will be given the chance to direct $50,000 to a child welfare, child rights, or child-or youth-serving agency in Canada. Five short-list nominees will be able to direct $5,000 each to a child welfare, child rights, or child-or youth-serving agency in Canada.
Children in the foster care system need your help. Give them a chance of a successful transition into adulthood and self-sufficiency by donating to The Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada.
SHOWS NEWS
Louis’ next episodes of S.W.A.T. (Ghosts) will air March 1 and 8 on CBS – check your local listings for the exact time!
The episode synopsis places Louis’ appearance in the March 8th episode but Louis was told it was the March 1st episode – editing sometimes spreads those story lines over two or more episodes, so watch both March 1st and March 8, just in case!
Louis will reprise his role as William ‘Buck’ Spivey, the main character’s former mentor.
Louis also filmed a short part in an abbreviated pilot of a potential series called The Fixer. His co-stars included Victor Zinck Jr (Motive). Keep your fingers crossed that it gets picked up!
Louis’ guest starred in The X-Files (Ghouli) last month. Here is an extensive recap; Louis is mentioned at length!
VIDEOS
Here are two recent videos Louis and Jackie wanted to share – a New Year’s video and a Valentine’s Day video. Enjoy!!
PHOTOS
Here are some photos from Louis’ family holiday vacation, and from a recent road trip along the West Coast.
And here are two very special photos: Louis now – and way back when…
SCREENCAPS
This month we have 250 screencaps of Louis’ recent episode of Arrow (episode 6-10 Divided). Louis plays a shady character named Jerry Bertinelli. Please note that the screencaps contain major spoilers, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched the episode yet!
Here is a direct link to the album: https://ferreirafestscreencaps.shutterfly.com/pictures/19689 or click on the screencap below.
THE NEW READING SERIES: MR. MUGS – PEEK IN PLEASE
The third monthly reading series is Mr. Mugs – Peek In Please by Martha Kambeitz, Denise Burns and Josephine Proctor.
Louis credits the Mr. Mugs books series with helping him to learn English at a very young age. The Mr. Mugs books have been out of print for many years but occasionally you can find them on eBay, Amazon Marketplace or various other antique book dealers.
You can listen to the book readings under the Reading Series Tab.
This month’s issue is chapter 2 of Mr. Mugs – Peek In Please.
FRIENDS NEWS
Alaina Huffman
The Supernatural cast is helping with a fundraiser for Random Acts. Alaina traveled to Nicaragua to assist in a Dreams to Act construction project. It’s a form of “Volun-Tourism” that combines tourism with charity projects. Watch a video on her adventures on day 2 here!
Crossroads is a big Supernatural convention May 18th-20th in Birmingham, UK. Alaina will be there this year!
The Affolter Brothers
The Undertaker’s Son
“Working with Aidan Ferreira was a joy! His positive and uplifting energy made him a fantastic first AD.”
Read a different kind of very thoughtful review about The Undertaker’s Son at OtakunoCulture.
And here are two stills of Louis in his two Affolter Brothers productions.
Other Projects
Check out the new artwork for Bike B Q!
“We’re pleased to announce we’re collaborating on the stopmotion for the inspiring company Imagine Create on their adorable CBC kids show Daisy and the Gumboot Kids.”
Heath Affolter is working on Travelers as an assistant to the executive producer and writer. He also appeared in the episode Jenny as… Heath!
Soggy Flakes was presented at the Vancouver Short Film Festival, and the four brothers were there to celebrate.
Justin Breault
Justin now has his first stunt credit on A Series of Unfortunate Events.
And he finally accomplished his dream of being a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Congratulations, Justin, and way to go!!
Amanda Alexander
Amanda’s recent show ALTErED CArBON is now streaming on Netflix.
Read an interview with the series’ show runner here.
Greyston Holt
Greyston’s been jamming on his guitar again! He is a very talented musician – check it out and click on the screencap for a video link!
Greyston has new headshots, made by Callum Gunn.
Mika McKinnon
Here are links to Mika’s most recent published articles:
- Herds of endangered antelope die within hours when unusual weather event triggers disease
- Astronauts prepare to teach Christa McAuliffe’s lost lessons from the Space Station
- Meteor hunters recover fragments from Michigan’s fireball
- Endangered desert pupfish spawn in the wake of an Alaskan earthquake
Mika writes about Tsunamis:
“Why yes, that was me on Global TV, Sirius radio, the Weather Network, and I don’t even know where else (Links to coverage in comments so I don’t go clogging timelines). Have earthquake & tsunami questions? Ping because you know you aren’t the only one asking.”
And this!
I Don’t Need the Most Expert Expert Who Ever Experted: Q & A with Journalist Mika McKinnon
Troy Mundle
Sometimes you have to work with difficult colleagues… and sometimes with really great ones. Troy writes:
Found this old school snap shot today…
I’ve never been snubbed like I was snubbed by co-canine-star during this commercial shoot.
Working with talented and delightful director Paula Elle on her new film project Stalwart – thank you for having me on board!
Patrick Gilmore
Here are some new interviews with Patrick!
Patrick writes about the Travelers still on the left:
“This scene was done all in one shot! (from S2 E11). The camera sneaks behind Eric McCormack and me, the doors close, the crew removes the back wall for room and swaps out the FBI office for a parkade… all in one go. Even the floor number is changed outside the elevator door. Amazing crew!”
Sawyer Ferreira
Sawyer is in an Improv Troupe at her new university in Ottawa. They recently traveled to Montreal where they obviously had a great time together!
Jennifer Spence
Jen traveled to Los Angeles earlier this month and was able to catch up with a few people!
Jen hung out with her Travelers colleagues…
She also had dinner with Louis and Jackie last week.
Rob Munic
Rob directed a new short film called Caged.
Logline: (Drama) A teenage girl, burdened with emotional issues, tries to escape the impossible as she finds herself trapped in a hostage situation.
Ice Season 2 premieres March 28th on Audience Network (available through DirecTV).
And last week Rob went on a hike with his sister Staci, Louis and Jackie!
Peter Kelamis
Peter’s current series Beyond airs on Thursdays on Freeform TV. Watch a Yellow Jacket interview here!
Peter was at the ACTRA Day In LA with Ian James, a fellow Goku, and of course they had to do the photobooth visit!
Corner Gas Animated premieres Monday, April 2 on Comedy Network. You can get a special Live Read & Sneak Peek on March 29th!
And finally, you can watch an SGU Brody fan video here. Louis and Peter co-starred on Stargate Universe.
Bradley Stryker
Bradley can be seen in El Infiltrado which airs on Telemundo. Here he is during the filming:
HEALING BODY ART
Every month Vancouver artist Nicole Pilich shares one of her henna creations with Ferreira Fest. Please visit her website for lots more photos and fascinating facts and information about this ancient artform. And if you find yourself in Vancouver – visit her studio and treat yourself to some Healing Body Art made just for you.
This month Nicole writes:
I’m going to try and do something with a crane for this installment. I doodled on a napkin today and this is what I came up with:
And that, dear Friends, is about it for this month! Thanks for visiting often! Be sure to follow us on Twitter for all the Louis news you can handle and TV reminders!
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We hope to see you all next month!
