Browsing “Charity”

Something really, really, quite exceptionally awesome happened today thanks to Virgin Mobile Canada and Virgin Unite: on their behalf, Sir Richard Branson and Cory Monteith met with the press to announce two $25,000 grants being given to the Broadway Youth Resource Centre and Project Limelight Society. These are two fantastic organizations doing work to give at-risk youth in Vancouver a leg up.

The grants were generated by funds raised from the sales of Virgin Mobile’s limited edition Samsung Gravity 3 RE*Generation phone in 2011. Fifteen dollars from the sale of each phone, which was introduced by Branson and Monteith in Montréal last year, was donated back to the RE*Generation Movement by Virgin Mobile and Samsung.

Mayor Gregor was on hand, as were a bunch of the children from Project Limelight who sung us some sweet songs from their upcoming show Wonderland, which you can learn more about and get tickets for HERE!

The $50,000 was raised by the sales of a phone, and Virgin’s non-profit arm (Virgin Unite) continues to raise funds that go towards affecting positive change in different ways:

1. Change For A Dollar: Virgin Mobile Members can add $1 to their mobile phone bill each month. The monthly dollar will then be directly donated to Virgin Unite and the RE*Generation movement
2. Text To Donate: Canadians (members of Virgin and non-members alike) can donate $5 to Virgin Unite and RE*Generation by texting REGEN to 30333
3. Sign The Petition: They’re asking Parliament to recognize November 17th as National Youth Homelessness Awareness Day (NYHAD). Head to virginmobile.ca/regen to add your name to our online petition and help make NYHAD a reality!

Stay tuned for more Random Acts!

WARNING: If you’re not prepared to feel incredibly proud and inspired then please don’t watch this video that shares the highlights of Rick Hansen’s 25th Anniversary Relay.

“What are your memories of Rick Hansen’s original Man In Motion Tour 25 years ago?”. This was the question that was presented to a group of medal bearers in the green room this morning before setting out on their respected legs of Rick’s 25th Anniversary Relay that we’ve been TELLING YOU about for a few months now. The room was filled with 15-or-so excited folks geared up in yellow Nike windbreakers and blue track pants and included Canadian Olympic rowing champion Silken Laumann, music journo Terry David Mulligan, and a host of others who have made a difference in their community in one way or another – myself being one of them. Some, like TDM, remember getting phone calls from Rick and helping raise awareness of the tour while also opening doors for him with connections at Expo 86. Others, like the 17 year-old swimming champion (whose name eludes me) weren’t even born yet.

My memory of the original tour is one of my most fond – and crystal clear – from my childhood. I was ten years old and the entire elementary school that I attended in my hometown of Vernon BC was bussed out to the Rec Centre so that we could cheer Rick on as he wheeled through our tiny little community. As he rolled past me he looked me square in the eyes and, with that road-weathered and gloved hand of his, delivered the most awesome high five I’ve ever received.

I try not to flaunt my personal achievements here on the blog but today I’m going to risk walking the line of bragging because I’ve been given license to and because, hell, it’s time to admit to you and to myself that I’m damned proud of what I’ve done with V.I.A.. I ran in the relay as a representative of the army of folks who have helped bring this positivity machine to where it is today: it’s an award-winning, impactful and well-respected resource for people looking for all of the things that make them proud of their city and its residents. In that green room this morning the group of us were told that we’re difference makers, that we’ve contributed positively to our community, and that Rick launched this anniversary relay with 7,000 people like us running across Canada in order to showcase the power of many to bring about positive change. As we huddled before our run, Silken said that the best thing that Rick has taught her as a personal friend is that everybody is making a difference in one way or another, and that if we take the time to listen, that everybody has an awesome story with which to inspire us by.

I then went out and I ran my stretch down Broadway, with the medallion around my neck and Rick at my side, and I smiled from ear to ear the entire way. I thought back to that time when I was ten years old, and how incredible it was that I was actually “in motion” now. To say that it was a proud moment would be an incredible understatement. And when I got to the finale at BC Place where these kids (pictured below) were waiting there for all of the medal bearers, wanting to give us all a high five, just like I did to Rick so many years ago, I practically fell down and wept. But instead of weeping, of course I walked through this group of kids lined up and gave each and every one of them a very Awesome high five!

And as Rick so eloquently put it in his speech that followed his arrival, after he was introduced by Mayor Gregor and Premiere Christy Clark: the relay may be over, but the journey has only just begun. We here at V.I.A. are going to help keep the momentum going in order to realize the goal of a more accessible and inclusive world for everyone. Are you?

Over the past 9 months, 7,000 participants have been bringing Rick Hansen’s 25th Anniversary Relay medallion (which we told you about HERE) across the country celebrating the silver anniversary of Rick’s Man In Motion Tour which raised awareness and funds for spinal cord research. The relay has been all about the power of many, and it concludes tomorrow here in Vancouver.

Not unlike when the Olympic torch made its way to town, streets will be shut down as 65 of folks will pass the medallion on the very final stretch of its journey. The relay finale will be at the newly-updated Terry Fox Plaza at noon, followed by a large-scale celebration at the PNE Amphitheatre starting at 5PM.

Have a read through our interview with Rick HERE and be sure to show up tomorrow along the route to high five the relay participants! I’ll be running a leg of the relay at 10:15AM starting at the Boston Pizza on West Broadway.

Deja vu with Rick and VANOC’s John Furlong!

I caught wind of this super touching story about a Vancouver business owner/father today that I couldn’t help but share.

Tony Lourenco, a Vancouver Dairy Queen franchise operator, started Lindsey’s Cakes for Miracles three years ago after his daughers (Lindsey & Sadie) came up with the idea to give back to the charity that has helped his family through tough times. The campaign is named after his daughter Lindsey’s ongoing and courageous battle with cancer and it has sparked two one-week fundraisers taking place from May 6-13, 2012 and June 10-17, 2012. During these two weeks, one dollar from every DQ Cake sold at participating Dairy Queens across Canada will be donated to Children’s Miracle Network to help raise funds for local children’s hospitals across Canada. They’re hoping to raise $250,000.

“My family was on the receiving end of the great work done by Children’s Miracle Network, so I know how important these fundraisers can be for families with sick children”, said Tony Lourenco. “We will forever be indebted to Children’s Miracle Network and I am so happy that Dairy Queen is such a huge supporter of this non-profit organization.”

Learn more in this video below and buy a cake in support of this super awesome campaign!

Today is Jeans Day in BC! What this means is that people all across the province show their support for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation by wearing their jeans as well as a pin or a button that they bought, with proceeds going back to the Foundation.

Pictured below is Arlo, the youngest member of the V.I.A. team, wearing his favourite jeans (his “fast jeans” as he calls them), eating a Jeans Day cookie and sporting multiple Jeans Day buttons. As the father of this kid who has actually spent time in Children’s Hospital I know how important it is that they are able to continue their work, investing in the latest tools and technologies that not only help sick kids now but allow them to research specific diseases in children so that they can better address them in the future.

Buy a button for $5 or a lapel pin for $20 from one of THESE RETAILERS then wear your jeans and show your support for BC Children’s Hospital and, specifically, kids like Arlo here.

Stay tuned for more Random Acts!

Remember the Penny Smash machine that we unveiled with some partners a few months back? The one we TALKED ABOUT on CBC and which one of the designs from TOOK HONOURS as one of the top 10 designs in Canada in 2011? Well it’s on the move! It just found a home right inside Salt Tasting Room in Gastown.

The way it works is that you put a toonie and a penny into the slot, choose one of the four designs by Vancouver artists, then crank the wheel and you get your penny back, squished, and with artwork on it! All of the proceeds go to charity as well as towards arts and culture grants.

Pop in to Salt Tasting Room at 45 Blood Alley in Gastown and smash some pennies!
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