Posted by Larry Gleeson
Vancouver, BC — Vancouver-based actor, filmmaker and activist, Pauline Egan, has been selected as this year’s recipient for the 17th Annual 2024 AFBS Leslie Yeo Award for Volunteerism. Pauline joins an impressive roster of change makers whose volunteerism and service to the local and international community have served as an inspiration to others. The AFBS Leslie Yeo Award annually honours one AFBS member’s contributions towards volunteering and community efforts. The award is presented in honour of Yeo; a founder of AFBS, whose career spanned nearly six decades in theatre, television and film.
As an award-winning actress, Pauline has a body of work that spans almost two decades. Some of her most recognizable roles were playing Dr. Erika Myers on popular SyFy series, Sanctuary, guest starring roles on Supernatural, Blue Mountain State and Family Law, and lead and supporting roles in feature length films on Hallmark, Lifetime and Netflix. Pauline will soon be seen in season 2 of Netflix series My Life with the Walter Boys, in 2025. Pauline has also produced several films with a focus on social justice or activism including El Mulatto, El Color Negro and One But Many.
Pauline is a Registered Nurse (QUT) with a Postgraduate in Primary Health in developing countries. Nine years ago, after writing and directing her first film Through the Pane, Pauline attended the premiere of her film at the Hollywood Film Festival where she met a documentary filmmaker who was working in East Africa helping communities get clean water, sanitation and health education. It was from there that she began her journey working in community health in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, Pauline volunteered in off-grid communities in Mozambique for 5 months. Ever since, Pauline has continued to work in East and West Africa including in Mozambique, Kenya and Liberia, helping remote communities, who lack the basics of clean water, sanitation, and health education gain access to these basic essentials. Pauline has most recently been working with FACE Africa International, an organization founded by Saran Kaba Jones, developing, designing and leading community water and sanitation projects which focus on decolonizing aid through capacity building of local Indigenous peoples so that they can lead the change in their own communities. One of Pauline’s greatest passions is helping women find their voice and become leaders and mentors. This has included her volunteering her time as a mentor for women in Africa through the Deloitte Women in Africa Initiative and more recently in mentoring two women from Ghana and Sweden through the 2024 Agenda for Change Women in WASH and RWSN Mentoring program.
Pauline’s volunteer work began from a young age in Australia, and continued when she moved to North America. Her service and advocacy has ranged from volunteering and raising money for causes including the Battered Women’s Support Services, poverty reduction, breast cancer research, Alzheimer’s research and awareness, guide dogs for the blind, the red cross and many more. When the devastating Australian wildfires struck in 2020, Pauline and two of her Australian friends came together to organize an emergency fundraiser for the victims. They raised over $20,000 for the Red Cross.
The event honoring Pauline where she will be presented with her award is sponsored by the AFBS, Truffles Fine Foods, World Centric, Pender PR and Legend Water Co. The event will bring Vancouver’s film industry and the public together to fundraise for a new clean water and health project for a community in Liberia. The night will be MC’d by talented local actress, filmmaker and voice over artist, Rhona Rees, with performances from Natasha Burnett (When Calls the Heart), and DJ Sam Chimes. There will be giveaways from generous local partners including William F. White International Inc./Sunbelt Rentals Film & TV, Whistler Film Festival, GEMS, Tightrope Theatre Co, Kristine Cofsky Photography, Cold Nose Studio, Feel Good Everyday Gym and Sauna, Al Miro Studios, Tara Bell Irving (Jackie Lind Casting), The Lumie Co., Feel Good Everyday, Como Taperia, FriendsQuarters Co-working space, and many more! All proceeds from ticket sales, raffle entries and the silent auction, will go directly towards funding a new clean water and health education program in Liberia.
Pauline was nominated for the Leslie Yeo Award by local actor, Mackenzie Gray (Fargo, Man of Steel), and letters of support for her nomination were written by her acting colleagues including Heather Doerksen (Pacific Rim), Brian Markinson (Mad Men), Jason Cermak (Superman & Lois), Broadus Mattison (Bates Motel), Kirk Caouette (Prey) and Rhona Rees (Wu Assassins).
The celebration will take place at FriendsQuarters Event Space and will be an inspired evening of kindness, generosity and togetherness. The $40 ticket provides guests with food, beverages, and brings one person clean water for up to 10 years. The team is also offering a $15 OFF discount code for those who want to support, but may be facing challenging times.
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MORE INFORMATION:
Tickets / Images
Event Details:
Friday, November 22, 2024
Doors 6:30pm (start 7:00pm) @ FriendsQuarters in Gastown, 328 W Hastings St
About Pauline Egan
With almost 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry as an actress, director, writer, producer and composer (including television, feature films and documentaries), Pauline is passionate about using storytelling for social impact, utilizing the arts to raise awareness for global issues such as the water and sanitation crisis, poverty and gender inequality.
Pauline is an international leader in health and development, with 9 years experience in developing health education programs and designing sanitation and water infrastructure across Sub-Saharan Africa. Pauline’s programs focus on community peace and trust building as a means for sustainable impact for rural and peri-urban community settings, capacity building of local people to lead their programs, and supporting women and girls to find their voices and become leaders and change makers in their communities.
About AFBS
ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society (AFBS) is a not-for-profit, Member-owned, federally incorporated insurance company operating for over 35 years. Members of AFBS are primarily members of ACTRA and the Writers Guild of Canada.
About FACE Africa
FACE Africa is an AFRICAN founded, WOMEN-LED 501c3 non-profit organization. We believe that living a dignified life should not be a luxury only for some, but a basic human right for ALL people, regardless of where we were born. Access to essentials such as CLEAN WATER, SANITATION, SAFETY, HEALTH, NUTRITION, EDUCATION & FINANCIAL SECURITY changes everything. But this is not a reality for hundreds of millions of people living in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our programs aim to provide vital and SUSTAINABLE infrastructure while also BUILDING CAPACITY of local people (especially women and youth) to become changemakers in their communities. WOMEN and GIRLS are at the forefront of all our training and leadership programs to improve gender equality and increase women’s representation in leadership roles.
MEDIA REQUESTS:
Nicole Trask, Pender PR
nicola@penderpr.com
penderpr.com / @penderpr
