HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
CHEERS TO THE MVCAN ANNIVERSARY REVUE!
M.C. Fabrice Florin welcomes the audience to the MVCAN-Do Revue. Photo Martha Ture.
Thanks to you, MVCAN had a spectacular first year, culminating in the MVCAN-Do Revue, a community celebration and fundraiser at the Throckmorton Theatre Nov. 11 that was a success on every level. This community celebration was produced and hosted by activist Fabrice Florin with a world class team of MVCAN volunteers, to honor community members who took political action this year. Along with filmmaker Gary Yost, he created special video montages to tell the story of how MVCAN came together the day after the election, to resist the attacks against democracy by the Trump regime and right-wing extremists.
Their Year in Review video showed many of the actions we took together: We marched for democracy, defended civil and womens rights, phone banked to flip elections, protected the environment, helped reverse Trumpcare, created political art, and much more. Watch other videos of this event in our MVCAN Vimeo album.
Danny Altman and Bill Jansen present The MVCAN Top 10. Photo Martha Ture.
MVCAN's Danny Altman and Bill Jansen presented The Top 10 MVCAN Achievements This Year (read the list below). Lisa Ristorucci asked audience members to share their activist highlights from the past year, as well as what they planned to do next year. June Cooperman reminded us to continue to use our power in 2018 and make the change we want to see. Marin County Supervisor Kate Sears praised MVCAN as a national role model for the resistance. Leads and members of the MVCAN Action Teams received a special shout-out for their hard work this year on multiple fronts. Read about the MVCAN Teams and how to get involved, or see below.
Poet and activist Natalie Frederick. Photo Martha Ture.
It wouldn't be a revue without music and dance, and ours featured talented MVCAN members and performers: singer/songwriter Matt Jaffe, poet Natalie Frederick, hip hop dancers from RoCo Dance, and music director Reed Fromer, with the Shady Ladies and the Can-Do Singers. This made for a rousing and heartfelt celebration of our unique community and time.
Singer/songwriter Matt Jaffe. Photo Martha Ture.
Members of the Shady Ladies Chorus. Photo Martha Ture.
A deep bow of gratitude to the 60 cast and crew members and volunteers, the generous Throckmorton Theater staff, and all community members who took political action this year! We’re especially grateful to our new Events team for their dedication to this event: Fabrice Florin, Danny Altman, June Cooperman, Mary Cosgrove, Suz Lipman, Carol Korenbrot, Marilyn Price, and more. If you have any questions or comments for the team, or have good photos or videos to share, please email events-lead@mvcan.org.
Audience members vowing to keep up the resistance in Year Two. Photo Martha Ture.
MVCAN takes a bow. Photo George Osner.
Lady Liberty catching Donald Trump in another lie. (June Cooperman and Bernard Catalinotto). Photo Suz Lipman.
Marilyn Price, Rebecca Brackman and Barbara Rowe ready to welcome guests. Photo Suz Lipman.
Grant Rudolph, Dorothy O'Leary and Carol Korenbrot at the MVCAN Donations Table. Photo Suz Lipman.
Events Team members Suz Lipman, Marilyn Price, Fabrice Florin, Mary Cosgrove and June Cooperman. Photo Ed Ellsworth.
See more pictures of the MVCAN-Do Revue anniversary celebration in our photo album on Flickr and on Facebook.
At MVCAN we find it therapeutic and useful to live by the words: “Stop worrying, Start doing.” And 2017 was a year of doing.
AND NOW ... The Top 10 Achievements of MVCAN's 1st Year
(drumroll please ...)
10: THE MVCAN WEEKLY WAG
It’s truly a labor of love. You get it each week, and hundreds of us use it to take action.
9: WE LEAN ON OUR REPS
Our elected representatives know us by name, and sometimes they take our phone calls!
8: KIMBERLY ELLIS
MVCAN worked really hard for Kimberly Ellis, who fell just short in her battle for the chair of the California Democratic party. We’ll be back!
7: ROCK THE CONGRESS
MVCAN helped organize it: hundreds of people in North Bay grassroots groups who are working together to control Congress in 2018.
6: 1,000 MEMBERS!
MVCAN has grown to over 1,000 members, we’re training a new generation of old activists–be a role model for your kids.
5: WE MARCHED
MLK Day. Women’s March. Tax Day. Science March. Climate Mobilization.
We’ll march again–it’s good exercise.
4: HUGO MEJIA
Father of 3. We’ve been fighting for 6 months for his release from ICE custody. He has been finally granted a hearing before a judge on November 21.
3: A RESISTANCE MODEL
MVCAN has become a national model for the resistance. People tell us we look like we know what we’re doing.
2: DEFEAT TRUMPCARE
MVCAN made more than 50,000 phone calls and texts to help tip the scales for Democratic candidates and to defeat Trumpcare!
AND THE #1 THING MVCAN DID THIS YEAR: DUMP TRUMP!
We’re still trying! When it happens, this is what it will look like:
Learn more about our MVCAN Anniversary.
For updates about this event and MVCAN, join our Facebook Group.
THE UPCOMING WAG
Look for a Regular Edition of the MVCAN Weekly Wag in your inbox the week of Nov. 27, with a slate of new achievements and actions, including an important Electoral Phone Bank Sat., Dec. 2.
KUDOS TO OUR WEEKLY WAG editorial team for making it happen EVERY WEEK: Annie Cooperman, Associate Editor; Danny Altman, Tom Keefe, June Cooperman; and Wag Founder Suz Lipman.
WANT MORE NOW? CONTACT OUR ACTION TEAMS
CHECK THEM OUT! : Much of MVCAN's work is done in one of our 9 awesome action teams. Click the team name to read their latest news and find their next meeting.
Civil Rights/Immigration battles for justice and fair treatment of women, immigrants, working people and followers of all faiths.
Communications works on strategy, branding, messaging and program development for MVCAN. They are looking for bright ideas and people who want to make them happen.
Dump Trump's 25 active team members work on ways to remove Trump from power, with special focus on on our petition to impeach him. We encourage all MVCAN members to go to our web page and sign the petition.
Eco Warriors are engaged in change at the local, state and national levels, to impact the CA carbon tax, climate change, and community outreach and action.
The Economic Action team has launched AIRLIFT, our first national project. AIRLIFT funnels money to grassroots groups in winnable 2018 districts. These are seriously vetted groups that work all year round in their communities-- they get tangible results without blowing through millions of dollars. Read about it in the Huffington Post.
Electoral works to elect candidates for the 2017 state house and governor races, and other targeted races from now through the mid-term elections, following the recommendations of the flippable.org team, which are analyzing and selecting winnable races. The Electoral team uses phone banks and travel to targeted districts to talk with voters through phone calls and door-to-door canvassing, voter registration, and campaign volunteering.
Health Care is forging ahead after their successful fight over the repeal/replace of ACA.
Tech supports MVCAN through technology.
Women's Rights fundraises and canvasses for NARAL and Planned Parenthood; supports women in public office(s); and engages in local, state and federal legislation for women's protection and rights.
NEW TO MVCAN?
Visit MVCAN.org to learn about the organization and strategies, join a team, read past MVCAN newsletters, and gain helpful Resistance tools.
Thank you for all you do, and have a happy Thanksgiving!
– June, Bernard, Suz, Danny, Eileen, and everyone at MVCAN
