Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make donations to The Ottawa Mission and to the Shepherds of Good Hope.

The Ottawa Mission offers a full range of services to people in need:

• It provides food to the needy, serving about 2000 meals per day.

• It makes available, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, clean, warm and safe places for individuals in need of emergency shelter.

• It offers clean clothes to those needing them, thanks to workplace clothing drives and to donations by individuals and stores.

• It provides on-site primary health care, dental, and hospice care, as well as mental health care and addictions and trauma treatment, thanks to partnerships with medical personnel.

• It offers transformational programs that provide educational support, job training and housing services that enable people to escape homelessness and build a better life.

The Shepherds of Good Hope are perhaps best known for their soup kitchen, which is open 365 days of a year and provides nutritious meals to our community’s homeless and most vulnerable citizens. In 2016, the soup kitchen served over 350,000 meals, including breakfast and dinner for clients residing in our emergency shelter, a public community lunch, and an evening drop-in.

In addition to food, the Shepherds also provide housing to the homeless, as required.

The Shepherds offer many programs to provide additional support to people with many different kinds of problems:

• The Managed Alcohol Program provides support to individuals requiring help in managing their addiction and maintaining their physical and mental health. It helps them stabilize, gain a sense of community, and live life with dignity.

• The Aging-at-Home program provides support to individuals with physical and mental health issues, and/or addiction challenges.

• The Hope Living program is a supportive housing program with a focus on formerly homeless and/or vulnerably housed individuals, many of whom are elderly and/or live with complex mental health challenges.

• The Women’s Transitional Emergency Shelter Program (WTESP) provides specialized supports for chronically homeless women and gender-diverse adults who suffer from trauma, physical and/or mental health challenges, and/or addiction issues. The goal of the program is to make connections with transient, street-entrenched individuals who have active addictions and ongoing medical and/or mental health concerns, and to help these individuals transition out of homelessness.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make donations to the Austrian Society Ottawa and to SOS Children’s Villages Canada.

The Austrian Society Ottawa was originally founded to allow Austrians in the National Capital Region to get together and socialize, while at the same time doing charitable work to raise money for many worthy causes. Today, the members are old (many in their 90s, a few over 100). This contribution to the Austrian Society Ottawa makes it possible for members of the Society to meet monthly for a meal and conversation.

SOS Children’s Villages Canada is the Canadian branch of SOS Children’s Villages, an organization established in Austria shortly after the end of World War II to help children orphaned by the war. Today, the organization provides alternative care to children around the world. Worldwide, there are over 100 national SOS Children’s Villages associations and the organization is present in over 135 countries around the world. (Wikipedia)

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make a donation to the Austrian Society Ottawa to enable social activities that are so important to older members (some in their nineties) of the Austrian community in Ottawa.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

As part of the European Union Cultural Fair, held on Sunday 11 June at the Aberdeen Pavilion in Ottawa, musicians from Music and Beyond performed Austrian music. The performance was made possible in part by financial support from the Friends of Austria Ottawa, who in turn receive financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make a donation to the Austrian Society Ottawa to enable social activities that are so important to older members (some in their nineties) of the Austrian community in Ottawa.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make donations to Hospice Care Ottawa and the Ottawa Food Bank.

Hospice Care Ottawa offers palliative and end-of-life services at no charge to people living in the city of Ottawa.

The Ottawa Food Bank provides fresh and non-perishable food, as well as supplies such as diapers, toiletries, and cleaning supplies to its network of over 100 emergency food programs across the city.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make a donation to the Austrian Society Ottawa to enable social activities that are so important to older members (some in their nineties) of the Austrian community in Ottawa.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make a donation to the Ottawa Food Bank.

The Ottawa Food Bank provides fresh and non-perishable food, as well as supplies such as diapers, toiletries, and cleaning supplies to its network of over 100 emergency food programs across the city.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make a donation to Hospice Care Ottawa.

Hospice Care Ottawa offers palliative and end-of-life services at no charge to people living in the city of Ottawa.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make a donation to the Ottawa Mission.

The Ottawa Mission helps people experiencing poverty and homelessness to have access to nutritious meals, a safe place to sleep and a change of clean clothes when they need it most.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

The Friends of Austria Ottawa’s goal is to look after the senior immigrants of the Austrian Society. About forty members regularly attend our monthly sit-down luncheons. Especially during Covid, these luncheons have become an important part in their lives. The oldest member in our group is 103, all others are in their 90’s. For them these get-togethers are “more than medicine.” Thanks to the partnership with the Overbrook Capital Gaming & Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria are also able to donate to seven Canadian Charities.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make donations to the St. John Ambulance and the Salvation Army.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make a donation to the Canadian Red Cross.

In the aftermath of Post-Tropical Storm Fiona, this donation will be matched by the Government of Canada. Hence, as the Red Cross website says, our donation will have “2x impact.”

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to assist in the funding of several events by the Austrian Society Ottawa and of a project by the Austrian Canadian Council to record the contributions to Canadian life and culture that Austrian immigrants to Canada have made over the years.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to support the Ottawa Food Bank and Music and Beyond.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to support the Ottawa Food Bank.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to support a luncheon for elderly members of the Austrian Society Ottawa.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

With the financial support of the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make a contribution to the Hospice at May Court.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the support from Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, 33 members—all seniors—of the Austrian Society Ottawa were able to enjoy a social gathering and luncheon at Biagio’s Italian Kitchen on the 26^th of March.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

The Friends of Austria Ottawa Inc. are proud to continue to provide financial support to the Ottawa Viennese Winter Ball. Organized by Music and Beyond, the Ball took place on Saturday, February 26 and was a virtual gala of music and dance celebrating Austrian music and culture. It opened with a virtual cocktail hour starting at 5:30 p.m. The main presentation began at 7:00 p.m. and featured Viennese music performed by some of Canada’s finest musicians. Patron of the Ball was Austria’s Ambassador to Canada, Sylvia Meier-Kajbic.

History of the Viennese Winter Ball Ottawa

Launched in 1996 with the enthusiastic support of the Austrian Embassy and the Austrian-Canadian Council, Ottawa’s Viennese Winter Ball is modelled after Vienna’s Opernball, and was officially sanctioned by the Austrian Government. It quickly became a must-attend event on the Ottawa gala calendar. After being organized for many years by dedicated Canadian and Austrian volunteers, Music and Beyond was approached in 2015 by the Ball’s organizing committee to take on this iconic annual event. Roland Pirker, the president of the Austrian Canadian Council and the Friends of Austria Ottawa, was not only a founding member but was part of the organizing committee for 20 years. In addition to offering a truly magical evening, the Ball has always been dedicated to giving back to the community with over $1 million raised over the past 25 years. Supported were the Cancer Society Ottawa, Children’s Aid Society and Young Musicians just to name a few……

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the FoAO were able to support the Canadian Red Cross.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Because of the rapid spread of the new omnicron mutation, the FoAO volunteers have been instructed not to appear at the Bingo Hall until further notice.

The Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre continues to run their daily Bingo sessions but under tight Covid rules.

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the FoAO were able to support the Austrians Society Ottawa as they celebrated “St. Nikolaus and Krampus.”

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

With the financial support of the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were able to make a contribution to the Hospice at May Court.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

With the lifting of capacity restrictions on the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre imposed by the provincial government as part of its measures to fight Covid-19, the Centre is now permitted to accommodate 266 people for Vegas-style machines and bingo.

Thanks to the financial support from the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were are able to provide a sit-down luncheon for members of the Austrian Society Ottawa.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

On 31 October, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., the Overbrook Bingo Palace will be holding a special costume party to celebrate Halloween. Get all the details here. Come and enjoy the fun!

On 23 October the Austrian Society held its first meeting since the beginning of the pandemic. Since the members are now all old, with many in wheel chairs or requiring a walker, the meeting was held at Biagio’s Restaurant, which is handicapped-accessible. Thanks to the financial support provided by the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre, the Friends of Austria were able to provide a free luncheon for the 50 members who were able to attend.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

With the financial support of the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre we, the Friends of Austria Ottawa, were able to make a contribution to the Salvation Army

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

In August, the Friends of Austria Ottawa were proud to support the Ottawa Food Bank. We are grateful to the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre for making this possible.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Overbrook Bingo / Capital Gaming Centre posting

In July, the Friends of Austria were pleased to provide support to the seniors in the Austrian Society Ottawa! After not having an event after 18 months, the Austrian Society is looking very much forward to have their first social get-together in the near future. The members are grateful to the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre for its financial assistance.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

Because of the pandemic, the Overbrook Bingo Palace has been closed. This is a major source of income for the charitable work of the Friends of Austria Ottawa. Nevertheless, we are proud that we have been able to continue to provide financial support to the Shepherds of Good Hope.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

The Friends of Austria Ottawa Inc. are proud to continue to provide financial support to the Ottawa Viennese Winter Ball. Music and Beyond announces that the Ottawa Viennese Winter Ball, an event celebrating Austrian music and culture, will sparkle this year as a virtual gala of music and dance. Hosted by Her Excellency The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean and internationally renowned tenor Ben Heppner, the Ball will take place on Saturday, March 13, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (EST). It will feature Viennese music performed by some of Canada’s finest musicians and will introduce Austria’s new Ambassador to Canada, Sylvia Meier-Kajbic, as Patron of the Ball.

History of the Viennese Winter Ball Ottawa

Launched in 1996 with the enthusiastic support of the Austrian Embassy and the Austrian-Canadian Council, Ottawa’s Viennese Winter Ball is modelled after Vienna’s Opernball, and was officially sanctioned by the Austrian Government. It quickly became a must-attend event on the Ottawa gala calendar. After being organized for many years by dedicated Canadian and Austrian volunteers, Music and Beyond was approached in 2015 by the Ball’s organizing committee to take on this iconic annual event. Roland Pirker, the president of the Austrian Canadian Council and the Friends of Austria Ottawa, was not only a founding member but was part of the organizing committee for 20 years. In addition to offering a truly magical evening, the Ball has always been dedicated to giving back to the community with over $1 million raised over the past 25 years. Supported were the Cancer Society Ottawa, Children’s Aid Society and Young Musicians just to name a few……

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

The long-awaited reopening of the Overbrook Bingo Palace at 1150 Lola Street in Ottawa will take place on Thursday 18 February. The hall has just been renovated, has a new name, and is under the new ownership of the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre (CGEC).

Many more details can be found on the Palace’s website.

The Friends of Austria Ottawa Inc. are excited to take part in the reopening of the new Lola Charity Bingo Hall at 1150 Lola Street in Ottawa. The hall has just been renovated, has a new name, and is under the new ownership of the Capital Gaming and Entertainment Centre (CGEC).

We soon will be able to support many of our senior events and other good endeavours with the financial support of the OLG Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa

The Friends of Austria Ottawa:

• had a 4” Friends of Austria Ottawa cloth logo designed and produced in the USA, for our volunteers to wear when the Bingo Hall reopens;
• delivered Christmas flowers to some of the ladies in our organization;
• continued to visit elderly members in their retirement homes, provided that the retirement home allowed us access to the member somewhere on the home’s property either inside the building or in the home’s garden and/or walkways; a Covid test is a requirement for entry to the home;
• took members to their doctors’ offices in October and November.

Financially we supported the May Court Hospice, the German Language School Ottawa, the St. Albertus Church, Shepherds of Good Hope, etc.

Roland Pirker
President
Friends of Austria Ottawa