Marni is very proud to serve the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose in Edmonton, Alberta as the 33rd Empress of Edmonton.
Marni was born in the little city just outside of Edmonton in August, 1971. She spent much of her younger years searching for a place to belong, to be herself. She found that place when she joined the ISCWR in 2005 and has never looked back. Soon after joining the ISCWR, she was elected as Imperial Crown Princess 30 in 2005 and has served the ISCWR in many Board capacities since then.
On November 29, 2006, Marni and her wife, Laurina, gave birth to two boys, Alexander and Andrew. Born 16 weeks early, at only 1lb, 13oz each, they were extremely ill and fragile for many weeks. This family of four spent many days and nights together in the NICU of the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. They had come close to losing one or the other of their boys numerous times during their ordeal. On April 1, 2007, at the age of 123 days, Andrew fell asleep forever in his mum's arms. 15 days later, Alexander went home and now enjoys a healthy and happy life as a toddler.
It was during these most trying of moments that the true heart of the GLBT community was displayed. The boys were adopted and loved by the community, benefits were held to help this family during a most challenging time. Marni proudly accepted the position of Empress to give back to a community that cared so much for her and her family. Marni dedicates her service to this community in celebration of the lives of her two little boys.
Just prior to stepping up as Empress, she lost a friend and former Empress of Edmonton, Sticky Vicky, to AIDS related complications. The charities she chose to support during her reign, The University of Alberta AIDS Research Centre and the Royal Alexander Hospital NICU are reminders that the love for a child is not exclusive to the straight community and the effects of AIDS is not exclusive to the gay community.
Inspired by her charities, the "Cheerleader" Empress and the entire Court of Edmonton, the second oldest Court in Canada and the longest running GLBT organization in the Province of Alberta, have worked tirelessly to raise funds for these charities while increasing the positive image of the ISCWR within the City of Edmonton and the entire ICS. As a result, the ISCWR is experiencing a renaissance of its own which has attracted sponsorship by major national companies. The "Cheer Up!" project, which saw the court selling Marni's pom poms all over Edmonton and the ICS circuit, became one of the most popular and successful fundraising projects which resulted in over $13,000 raised for its charities. This project attracted much media attention and inspired Marni to run the Edmonton Marathon in her cheerleader uniform to draw attention to these efforts. Part of the money raised went to purchase special chairs for the NICU which allow parents to hold the sickest and tiniest babies sooner, for longer and more often. Four of these ISCWR chairs were delivered to the hospital on April 1, 2009 . . . and dedicated in memory of her son Andrew on his "Angel" day. A few months later, five more chairs were delivered.
One of the most significant achievements during Marni's reign was, along with her Emperor XXXIII, Sundance Lonestar and other members of the ISCWR, to be the first Monarchs to ever be formerly introduced to the Legislative Assembly of a Canadian Province. After getting special permission from the Speaker of the House, Marni has the distinction of being the first person, since Queen Elizabeth II, to have the proud honour of wearing her crown inside the assembly of the Alberta Legislature. Edmonton’s Reigning Monarchs being introduced to the Alberta Legislature in full regalia is now an expected and annual event. Marni's goal as Empress has been towards removing barriers between communities . . . one brick at a time.
Even though Marni has stepped down as the reigning Empress in August, 2009, Marni continues to provide her talents and skills to the ISCWR wherever they are needed. As a result of her personal and philanthropic relationships with the Children’s hospital in Edmonton, Marni is now the Co-Chair of the Family Centered Care Council of the Stollery Children’s Hospital and a founding member the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit Family Advisory Care Team. In these positions she represents families at the management, operations and patient care level of this major Children’s hospital in hopes of improving the quality of care for all children and their families that use these services.
Marni is honoured to serve the ICS community as Heir Apparent to Nicole the Great and looks forward to representing the Court of Edmonton, the Courts of Canada and the entire ICS with the same dedication, commitment and loyalty as in her role as Empress . . . and father.
