Author: heughansheughligans

Dram 4 Sam: 2018 Edition 🥃

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Announcing the details of this year’s “Dram 4 Sam” charity drive…

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Each year, fans of Sam Heughan always ask how they can wish him a happy birthday on April 30th. Five years ago, we asked Sam how he’d best like his fans to honor him on his special day and he suggested a donation to charity would be the most appreciated. It has since become an annual event for fans to come together the last two weeks of April to support two of the UK-based charities that Sam himself has supported: Youth Theatre Arts Scotland (YTAS) and Bloodwise UK (supporting the fight against blood cancers).

From April 15-30th we will have our annual “Dram 4 Sam” charity drive. We raised over $19k last year (we’ve raised over $100k combined since we began in 2013) and we are hoping to surpass that amount this year.

Anytime between April 15-30th, fans are encouraged to donate to one or both of Sam’s chosen charities. You can donate an amount as small as $2 (the price of a soft drink) or any other amount you wish (maybe the price of a “dram” of whisky). Donations are accepted year round to both these charities via the links below, but our D4S event raises the single largest amount of money.

The links to donate can be found at the end of this post. You will need a credit card, as JustGiving is not set up for PayPal just yet.

****PLEASE BE AWARE, JustGiving is a UK-based site for donating directly to charities and when you donate via the website, it will process as a foreign transaction. IF you are based outside the UK, your bank or credit card company MAY flag the transaction thinking it is being made without your knowledge. Please contact your bank or credit card company directly PRIOR to making a donation, if you think this may be a problem. Thank you in advance for your generosity.****

To donate to Youth Theatre Arts Scotland:
www.justgiving.com/HeughligansYouthTheatre

To donate to Bloodwise:

www.justgiving.com/Heughligans

 

The Importance of Supporting Youth Theatre

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Today let’s talk about Youth Theatre Arts Scotland. YTAS isn’t just about “putting on a play”. Read below to find out WHY Sam chose this amazing charity and how YOU can help.

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“Youth Theatre is for everyone; it’s about a community, it’s about being supported by your peer group. You learn skills, not just acting but all the other sides needed for working in TV, film and the theatre industry.

I’d like to instill the belief that if you join a youth theatre, it’s a gateway to greater career prospects. I know if we get young people involved in the sector, it’s going to pay dividends in the future”

Sam Heughan
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YTAS D4S Sam

Youth Theatre Arts Scotland supports organisations and practitioners who engage over 28,500 young people each year in youth theatre. We promote youth theatre arts and their role in the personal, social, educational and creative development of Scotland’s young people.

The majority of our member youth theatres provide weekly activities for £0-£5/week and also offer financial support. 30% of their participants come from areas of multiple deprivation and 15% are either deaf, hard of hearing, visually or physically impaired or have additional learning requirements.

Sam chose to support YTAS, not only because of the role youth theatre played in his own career, but because he recognises its importance in local communities. He appreciates that it provides an amazing opportunity, not just for budding actors, and future stars, but for any young person looking to further their creativity, ideas, and to develop new skills.

I challenge the Heughligans to double yesterday’s Dram 4 Sam donations and to raise $1,000 for YTAS. Can we do it!?!?

www.justgiving.com/HeughligansYouthTheatre

**photos provided to HH exclusively through YTAS

YTAS D4S Kids

 

A little Droughtlander ease…

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Droughtlander is still in full swing, but thankfully, our symptoms are eased with the arrival of Season Two now currently available on DVD and Blu-ray. We’ve seen our members post pictures of their new treasure and express their giddiness.

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I don’t have my copy yet…but sooooooon. There have been so many gifs and pictures released to help me want it all the more.

We get to relive Frank’s meltdown after finding out the woman he loves is carrying another man’s child. For him to realize someone else gave her what he could not.

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One of my favorite moments with Roger and Claire is this:

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That one brief moment where you can see the anguish on Roger’s face. You know that he truly loved and appreciated the Reverend for taking him in as a 5-year old boy and loving him as much as any biological father would. Not many people would take in a child they barely knew and love them unconditionally.

But, at the heart of this story is the love that Claire and Jamie still have for each other. There are good times and there were so many bad times in France and Scotland, and even though they may have been at odds with each other they still loved each other with every fiber of their being.

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Season Two was a tough season for Claire and Jamie, but it will shape them into the people they become later in life. Soon, I will have my excited little hands on Season Two to watch and watch and watch some more.

Dinna fash, Heughligans, Season Three will be here before we know it!

(Pictures and gifs courtesy of @SonyPicsAtHome)

The Search for Fraser’s Ridge

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Saturday was my Mother’s 70th birthday. That morning after breakfast, while still in our pajamas, we decided to put some boots on and traipse around in the woods. I have only visited during Christmas and therefore had never had a chance to see the woods in their summertime glory in the eight years since my sister moved there. Four of us grabbed our boots and water bottles and meandered our way down the path to the woods. My SIL, Tracy, led the way to beat down the path, while my sister helped Mother and I took up the rear.
We quickly found the creek and the cabin in which the kids often have sleepovers. I told my sister I was going to move in there and become the Crazy Lady who lives in the woods. #lifegoals

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As we followed the overgrown path, I could not help but think about Claire and Jamie when they were scouting out a location for Fraser’s Ridge. Thankfully, everyone in our “expedition” party is a fan of Outlander so any talk about C and J is easily received. The conversation turned to what kind of location to pick, what should be its proximity to the creek and how long it would take to clear the timber with “primitive” tools. “Can you imagine how long it would take to do all of this with just an axe and a hand saw? They didn’t have chain saws back in that time!”
We walked down the path until we found the little waterfall and a site they had used for camping. It was wonderful to sit and look up at the sun shining through the canopy, making the leaves glow a magnificent green, and listen to the birds go about their day. The babbling water added the perfect accompaniment to this forest symphony.

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We gingerly walked back through the creek while the dogs crashed back and forth from the woods to the creek, having a blast.

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I stopped a few times on the way back to watch my family and BE in the moment. It was a perfect morning for this walk and I was glad to experience it with my family. These are the moments that I will treasure and I know it strengthened us just a wee bit more and gave my Mother a memorable birthday.

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