buyoancy & bliss

Eoin Finn is the co-founder of Vancouver’s annual Camp Moomba Yogathon and Blissfest – the biggest yoga-based fundraising event in Canada, which he puts on with his partner Insiya Rasiwala. Each summer for the last five years, he has taken the lead in bringing Vancouver’s yoga community together for a non-dogmatic, outdoor event that’s focused on unity and generosity. In 2007, 1400 participants gathered at the event, which raises money for Camp Moomba – a summer camp for kids aged six to seventeen whose lives are affected by HIV and AIDS.

“It allows the kids just to be kids in a community of like-minded people,” says Finn. “The sad thing about HIV and AIDS is that there’s so much stigma. It’s not like the kids can really talk about it – it’s a very secretive disease.”

When the Yogathon was rained out this year, it gave Finn an opportunity to ask himself how we deal with adversity as a community. When it becomes harder to give, do we still show up? He was encouraged that over two-thirds of the participants who had committed to being there braved the rain. As an avid surfer, Finn learned how to go with the flow long ago, but this year the lesson went deeper: “Water is a metaphor for love,” says Finn. “Where there’s no rain, everything becomes thorny and protective, but where there’s water, everything is lush and open and giving.”

In that same generous spirit, Camp Moomba offers full scholarships to each child, including travel costs. Parents have no out-of-pocket expenses, which explains the need for such a large-scale event to support the camp’s programs. This year alone, the Yogathon raised $110,000 for Camp Moomba with the help of its 80 volunteers and 1400 participants. To learn more about Camp Moomba or the annual Yogathon, please go to www.campmoombayogathon.com.