Hello, Vancouverites and visitors from all over!
I have a confession to make: I secretly love the Olympics. I love cheering until my throat hurts. I love the cheesy figure skating outfits. I love the inspirational athlete bios set to swelling music. I love it all.
Well, almost all of it. I’m not so in love with all of the corporate sponsorship. And I’m bothered that the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) is neither transparent nor elected. And I don’t like that our right to criticize the event has been repeatedly threatened.
But the thing that bugs me the most is the fact that our city is going into debt while homelessness and poverty are at record levels in BC. Many of the most marginalized British Columbians live in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES)—a neighbourhood that borders on some of the largest Olympic venues and celebration sites. These are the people who are being displaced, swept aside, or mistreated in the name of this global celebration of excellence.
So how do I celebrate the Olympics without turning a blind eye?
Pins+Needs has come up with one small way—our special-edition True Patriot Love Pin. 100% of the profit will go to giving folks in the DTES opportunities and a voice through Megaphone Magazine, Vancouver's only street newspaper. Wear the pin, and show everyone your Olympic pride and your support for the people who need it most, all at the same time.
Plus, you know, it looks pretty nifty too.
Lauren Bercovitch - Founder, Pins+Needs