Some Deep Cove parents just don鈥檛 know how to quit each other.
Mary-Jo Dionne and Aimee Webbe鈥檚 thank-you war has gained steam over the last seven months, with each mom going to great lengths to surprise the other.
It all started at Christmas, when Dionne and her five-year-old daughter handed out purses with supplies to women on the Downtown Eastside.
When Webbe caught wind of this charitable act, she added handmade knit hats and scarves to each purse.
So Dionne wrote her a thank-you card.
鈥淣o 鈥� those were thank-you hats,鈥� responded Webbe.
Then she gave Dionne a thank-you card for the thank-you card for the thank-you hats.
The next day, well, there was another card.
And back and forth the moms went 鈥� 鈥渦ntil things went bonkers.鈥�
鈥淚 will never forget driving down Dollarton Highway and passing a series of large, pink neon signs that, when read in sequence, said: 鈥楾hank. You. Mary-Jo.鈥� I knew in that moment that Aimee had taken things up a notch and it was time for me to bring my A-game,鈥� says Dionne.
Dionne then did what she says anyone in her position would. She hired UBC鈥檚 glee club to surprise Webbe during pickup time at Sherwood Park.
Wearing 鈥淭hank-You, Aimee鈥� shirts, the choral flash mob belted the 1980s power ballad 鈥淲hat a Feeling,鈥� altering some of the lyrics to say: 鈥淲hat a feeling ... thank you, Aimee, now.鈥�
In response, Webbe blanketed Dionne鈥檚 car 鈥� and the cars of more than 100 others across Canada and as far away as the U.K. who all took to social media 鈥� in 鈥淭hank You, Mary-Jo鈥� magnetic bumper stickers.
One of the coolest things about the thank-you war, says Dionne, is how the parents of the kindergarten class at Sherwood Park haven鈥檛 taken sides.
鈥淭here isn鈥檛 a Team Aimee and a Team Jo. Rather, whoever鈥檚 turn it is to thank the other, the parents all work behind the scenes with that person, in secret, to retaliate,鈥� explains Dionne.
Following the bumper sticker caper, a filmmaker and dad at the school, Jeff Macpherson, approached Dionne and quietly said the words: 鈥淟et鈥檚 make a movie trailer.鈥�
Webbe was on to her thank-you saboteurs when she saw the movie posters plastered on the windows of the Deep Cove General Store.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I truly believed or understood that they had made this super professional, bonkers trailer until it started playing at the party,鈥� says Webbe. 鈥淚 started to sweat, I cried, I laughed. I think I said, 鈥榃hat is this鈥� 100 times.鈥�
In addition to Macpherson and local actress , who starred in the film, three other Cove parents helped put together the elaborate Thank You, Aimee movie trailer, which can be seen on YouTube.
Rod McLean is an award-winning commercial photographer who shot the faux-movie poster, while brand advertising maven Melanie Macpherson did the design. And it was Cat Reid who helped lasso 75 kids and parents to a screening of a kids鈥� movie, which featured the Thank You, Aimee trailer as the surprise.
Underneath all the fun a spirit of philanthropy has been fostered 鈥� along with a special bond among the Sherwood Park parents.
Both Webbe and Dionne were new moms at the school in September and now act like old friends.
鈥淚 am a Maritimer and we don鈥檛 have my family close by,鈥� says Dionne. 鈥淪o my goal for the year was that, by June, my daughter would feel like she had a family of friends and their parents. We checked that box months before June.鈥�
Dionne is a communications crackerjack and philanthropist who was recently honoured at the YWCA鈥檚 annual Women of Distinction Awards. As part of Mary-Jo Dionne Productions Fund, she recently launched The Millipede Project, which aims to provide 500 local kids in need with a pair of back-to-school shoes.
and the Thank You, Aimee trailer are platforms Dionne is using to promote the cause.聽
Meanwhile, the war is still simmering this summer. The moms have two rules: No one gets a pie in the face, and the war ends when one of them finally says: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e welcome.鈥�
鈥淲e were sure Aimee would get up after the movie trailer aired and say: 鈥榊ou鈥檙e welcome.鈥� But she didn鈥檛,鈥� says Dionne. 鈥淚nstead she said: 鈥極K, I have the entire summer to retaliate.鈥櫬�
