About this Event
A Community Connection Challenge inspired by the idea that sometimes all it takes - to make a city friendlier - is a simple hello.
Welcome to Gather - Grow - Play, Heart x SPINE's biweekly community events.
Every two weeks, we get together to connect, empower ourselves and try something fun - often something we might not normally think to go out and do.
Previous activities have included bird watching or birding, cold plunging, kick boxing, basketball, ...
This time, we're taking connection out into the community.
Inspired by initiatives like Vancouver's Hello Yello and the simple idea of creating more spontaneous human connection, we're going to challenge ourselves to step outside our comfort zones, meet some new people, brighten some peoples day and make our community feel a little more connected and friendly.
Because Vancouver has a reputation of being a... well, kind of cold place socially and we want to rock that boat a little bit.
You might be surprised how much fun this is and how much joy you'll bring to other people and to yourself.
GATHER
We'll meet at 12:45 pm on Saturday, September 26th.
We'll start by giving everyone a chance to arrive, meet each other and connect before getting into the practices that begin every Gather - Grow - Play experience.
If you're coming by yourself, perfect.
If you're bringing a friend, perfect.
And if the idea of talking to strangers makes you a little uncomfortable... this might be an especially good one for you!
You won't be doing it alone.
GROW
Every Gather - Grow - Play event includes three simple personal-growth practices:
Gratitude practice.
Goals practice.
Breathwork practice.
A chance to slow down for a moment, appreciate what's good, reconnect with what you're creating in your life and get ourselves energized before we head out into the community.
PLAY
This is the part that changes every time.
For this experience, we're doing a Community Connection Challenge and then we're bowling!
We can't even remember the last time we went bowling at Commodore bowling lanes (with the option of going to Rec Room for arcade games or mini golf if the bowling lanes are all taken).
We'll head out together with some simple challenges designed to get us interacting with the people around us.
We'll be in groups of three or more.
Say hello to someone you don't know and be open to a light conversation with them.
Give someone a genuine compliment... their clothing, their confidence, their smile, whatever's genuine for you.
Ask someone a light hearted question, like "What's your favorite thing about Vancouver?"
Learn something interesting about a stranger.
Make somebody smile.
Have a conversation you wouldn't have had otherwise.
Make someone feel a little less disconnected and lonely in this city.
Nothing forced. Nothing complicated.
Just an opportunity to practice being a little more open, a little more courageous and a little more connected to the people around us.
We'll support and encourage each other along the way - and probably have a lot of fun doing it!
The goal is to make Vancouver friendlier one conversation at a time, directly inspired by Hello Yello.
And then we're going bowling!
After our Community Connection Challenge, we'll come back together and head to the bowling alley to finish off the afternoon.
A little bowling, a little friendly competition, probably a few gutter balls (okay, a lot of gutter balls) - and a chance to hang out, laugh, connect and share some of the experiences we had out on the streets.
And yeah if the bowling lanes are taken, the Rec Room is across the street :D
Because after spending part of the afternoon creating connection with strangers, it feels fitting to finish by creating a little more connection with each other.
Gather - Grow - Play is about getting together, working on ourselves a little, meeting people and experiencing things we might otherwise never think to try (or haven't gotten around to in a while!).
And this time, the experience is about connecting with each other, connecting with our community and having some fun while we're at it.
What to Bring
- Comfortable shoes and clothing
- Water
- An open mind
- A willingness to step slightly outside your comfort zone
- Your sense of openness and adventure
- Your best bowling game (entirely optional)
When: Saturday, September 26th, 2026 at 12:45pm
Where: Meet outside the Apple Store at Pacific Center, Georgia Street, Vancouver
Length: Approximately 2.5 hours
[email protected] — Email us your phone number to get added to our Gather Grow Play community WhatsApp group. This makes finding each other at the meet-up locations easy! And it's where we'll post future events too!
You can also follow us on Instagram @hrtxspn.
Gather - Grow - Play happens every two weeks, with new activities and experiences each time (we reserve the right to repeat activities).
We can't wait to see you there - and maybe meet a few people we wouldn't have met otherwise.
Event venue & nearby stays
Apple Pacific Centre, 701 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, Canada
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.