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A magic moment at the library

[ Peachland View August 2008 - Library Magic Show Article #2 ]

Ali K. Zam Performs magic at the Peachland branch of the Okanagan Regional Library for members of the library’s Summer Reading Club.

[ Chase, BC - 'Reliving the Dream' 1908-2008 Newspaper Clipping ]

Sorry I haven’t been posting much for the past few weeks. Boy have I been busy! Just in the past few weeks I performed at BC150 event in Trail, I finished the last of my library shows for the season, performed at the Rutland Centennial, and yesterday I was up in Chase for their Centennial as well. Its been great to get out there and share my magic with audiences!

[ SNAP Magazine August 2008 - Library Magic Show Article ]

Okay this is my last post about Westside Daze, I promise! I just wanted to post two newspaper article’s from Kelowna Cap News that talked about all the years of me performing at Westside Daze, and a photo that was printed in the newspaper of me performing at the festival.

Click the images to make them larger.

“Young entrepreneur and magician Leif Thordarson of Westbank, aka Ali K. Zam, recently spoke- and did magic- at the B.C. Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting in Whistler.

Thordarson won the young entrepreneur of the year at the Westbank chamber’s most recently Key Business Awards.

He was invited to the B.C. chamber event to give his entrepreneurial success story.

[ Click for large version ]

Thordarson, now in his 20s, relayed how he started when he was height doing magic at birthday parties and corporate events.

His goal is to make magic his full-time job.

The illusion that impressed the B.C. chamber crowd the most was his bending and twisting of forks using only the power of his mind.”

*Article from the Saturday, June 14, 2008 The Daily Courier

For For Immediate Release

May 27, 2008

Local Magician Inspires with Entrepreneurial Message

Kelowna, BC - Leif Thordarson, better known as Ali K. Zam the magician, spoke at the BC Chamber of Commerce AGM during the “Best and the Brightest Entrepreneurial Success Stories” panel this past weekend in Whistler, BC.

The speakers for the panel were nominated by their local Chamber of Commerce’s after winning a Young Entrepreneurial award in their local communities. Thordarson was nominated after winning the 2007 KEY Business Young Entrepreneur award.

Thordarson who started his career at the young age of eight, highlighted the importance of loving what you do, recognizing that challenges are an opportunity for further growth, and that motivation is paramount to being successful. According to Thordarson, “I absolutely love magic. It’s Amazing. It’s easy to stay motivated when you love what you do.” His future goals include continuing to perform at birthday parties, family events, and corporate dinner parties. His ultimate goal is to continue to perform magic professionally for the rest of his life.

Thordarson mesmerized the audience when he performed his popular “Metal Bending” illusion, where he bends and twists a fork using only the power of his mind – this routine won him second place at the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians Convention in Calgary. “The convention hall later asked me not to bend their cutlery” says Thordarson jokingly “Everyone got a real thrill out of it.”

-30-

For more information:
Leif Thordarson
Ali K Zam Productions
Tel: (250) 575-7469
www.alikzam.com
High res pictures available at: http://www.alikzam.com/presskit.html

[Performance at the BC Chamber AGM during the Inaugural Chair's Dinner]

This week I was fortunate to perform on Kelowna’s Executive Houseboat The Boardroom once again. I was hired to perform some mingling close-up magic during the cruise on Okanagan Lake for a group of Lawyers and Accountants from all over Canada who were in town for a conference.

As soon as I started performing I knew it was going to be a great group. Everyone was in such a great mood since it was absolutely gorgeous out. A perfect day to be out on the lake for sure. Right at the start of the cruise we went up along the new bridge construction and I took a few photo’s for my dad to see. He loves that kind of stuff. These photo’s don’t really do it justice. It was a perfect day to be out on the lake.

Here’s a testimonial from the event coordinator, the event manager, and some of the guests.

What a great show. I’m looking forward to working on Kelowna’s Boardroom again!!

Last weekend I performed at a very special event called the Sunshine Dreams for Kids and performed some close-up mingling magic. More than 80 “special kids” - all “Sunshine Dreams for Kids” - from Penticton to Kamloops came to play Sunday at Scandia Golf & Games. This is the 11th Annual and for all these kids, it’s a real treat. Scandia has given a Sunday morning each year when these kids can come and play games to their hearts content, all with Scandia’s compliments.

I’d like to personally thank all the other people who got on board to support this event. Bunsmaster in Pentiction supplied free pizza and Coca Cola for supplying free drinks. Ace Plumbing and Airtec Heating provided oodles of toys which were given away as prizes. U.P.S. Westbank produced the invitations that originally were sent to all Sunshine Dreams for Kids who had received the Dreams in past years. And of course, all the volunteers who made the event possible (Thanks Karen!)

The Daily Courier wrote up a nice little article about the event. You can click on the image below to read the whole article.

In the weekend edition of The Daily Courier known as “The Okanagan Sunday” Dorothy Brotherton included me in an article about young entrepreneurs! I’ve scanned the article, just click here to read the whole thing.