June 14, 2014
IN SUPPORT OF
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
(Click on location for map)
TONY'S PROMISE
MUSIC FEST
David McColl
President, Tony's Promise
As Tony’s dad, David works hard with a dedicated team to promote the Tony’s Promise campaign conducting numerous presentations each year. Aside from his “new normal” that losing a child creates, David works as a consultant in the National Capital Region. With a renewed appreciation of family, he remains involved in the community and his many hobbies, when he finds the time.
Fabian Santos
EVENT ORGANIZER
I have been singing and performing since the age of 10. I started performing in musical theatre in grade 7, where I met Tony for the first time. We both graduated from D'Arcy McGee High School in 2009. After Tony passed away, I wanted to create an event to celebrate his life and make it a "production" of sorts. Tony loved music, so I knew that having an event that was focused on primarily on music, would attract people by the dozens, and so it did. Samantha and I both approached Tony's parents (David & Monica) to put the plans in motion for the event. It was a tremendous success. We were all touched by how many people came out to perform and enjoy the event. As I sit here and write this, we are in the final stages of securing talent and rentals for this year. We are confident that people will enjoy all the event has to offer. I am so proud of what we accomplished last year. You can look forward to a day of fun in the sun, with many activites for kids and families. We are very excited to be partnering with CHEO, which like Tony's Promise, is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart.
MEET OUR TEAM
Andréa Black
PUBLICITY COORDINATOR
I was born and raised in Ottawa, and have been performing since the age of four. I graduated from the Canterbury High School Arts Program and have performed and volunteered with various companies throughout Ottawa, including the Orpheus Musical Theatre Society for the last 20 years. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English from the University of Ottawa, and a Bachelor of Education degree from Queen's University. For six years, I taught Junior Kindergarten at the Ganon Preschool and for the last year, I have been working as the Student Recruiter at the Ottawa Jewish Community School. I became involved with Tony’s Promise Music Fest last year when my good friend, Fabian, asked me to perform and I am so excited to get the word out about this year’s event as the Publicity Coordinator.
Jon Picard
TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Playing music has been a big part of my life. I come from a large family of musicians/artists and enjoy spending most of my time either playing drum, guitar, singing, or practicing with my local bands. I also work as a audio engineer and DJ independently across the Ottawa Vally. Anthony and I were good friends through the years. We played football, we were both part of the local music scene in different band and were part in many classes together through high school. Knowing him to be as big of a music lover as I am, I am more then honoured to be part of the amazing team that is Tony's Promise Music Fest.
Beki Lantos
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
I’ve been involved in the arts scene in and around Ottawa for over 20 years. I met Tony while doing a play with the Aylmer Community Theatre Co. years ago. When Tony’s Promise Music Fest was brought to my attention, I jumped on the chance to be a part of it. I’m a very passionate person and to help a strong legacy continue on Tony’s behalf is something I feel very honoured to be a part of. As a mother of two, I couldn’t imagine losing a child, especially in such tragic circumstances. So many of Tony’s friends and family have worked (and continue to work) hard in creating meaning in his tragic death. I believe in Tony’s Promise and while I wish it hadn’t meant losing a life, I’m proud to be a part of something so important and worthwhile. I am so excited to be TPMF’s Production Coordinator this year and want to thank Fabian and David for the opportunity.
Ben Cote
HOSPITALITY COORDINATOR
Tony was a friend of mine back in college. We used to hang out and play computer games like World of Warcraft and Counter strike. Losing him was painful and although you can't change the past, you can definitely have a part in shaping the future. This is the reason I have become part of this event. I believe that by getting people together and raising awareness to the issues such as distracted or impaired driving, we can influence minds for the better.
Andrea Blaustein
SECURITY COORDINATOR
I spent about 15 years in Corporate and physical security, including a year as security manager at the Ottawa Convention Centre. I will never forget the moment my daughter found out about what happened to Tony. I had known Tony and Dave and Monica before...at sporting events at D'Arcy. Dave was there photographing basketball games that my son played in and football games that Leilani was in with Tony. She and Tony had birthdays just two days apart and she always felt very close to him. It seemed unreal to us both that he was gone. I lost my best friend when I was in elementary school so I knew how Leilani felt. I offered my security experience to the Music Fest as my way to giving something to a cause I believe in strongly as well as to let Leilani know I understand.
