July 28, 2016
By Annie Vanexem
It’s summer and across Canada, Society volunteers are getting some rest after a busy event season!
The Chapter Development team, L to R: Annie, Adriana, Taylor
This season was special, as it was the first for our new Chapter Development team! Adriana and I were wowed by the dedication and determination of the community and so enjoyed supporting everyone in their work. This year, over 100 events took place, with the season cresting to its peak in May and June.
Now in July, the results are in. Our caring community, over this past fiscal year* has raised $1.1 million, through our volunteer chapter events, for research and support services!! Our community should be so proud of all that went into raising this absolutely unbelievable amount!
Looking back over the last 3 months in particular, Adriana and I reminisced about a handful of the season’s many highlights.
The 2-4-1 team: Marty Denonville & Jim Stewart
The 2-4-1 Ride across Canada continues to inspire us, and our community from Coast to Coast. The guys pedaled for 2 months, crossing the finish line on July 25.
The Southern Alberta Chapter joined Saskatoon’s 2nd CFL Raffle and “battled” over who could sell more tickets. Results are now out and you can see if you won here.
Participants at the Ottawa Marathon
TeamHD participants at the Ottawa Tamarack Race Weekend raised a record $32,000 between 30 people!
Victoria Chapter held Tats 2.0 with some getting inked with a ‘Jitterbug’ tattoo in honour of community member and organizer Hedley Cullen (read about it here!).
Rich & Ruby Wheeler
Rich Wheeler pushed his wife, Ruby, 16 kilometres in her wheelchair at the “Barker’s Battle” Walk in Coachman’s Cove Newfoundland, which raised over $14,000. Rich also lit his home in blue during #LightItUp4HD, and then convinced others to follow suit!
In May, the YPAHD ‘Champions Challenge’ was launched, with youth setting up fundraising pages, yoga events, bottle drives, auctions and more. The challenge is ongoing until Conference in November.
But, for us, what stands above it all is knowing our community is not done. After the initial fatigue wears off, we hear the rumble of event season building with the volunteers once more.
A new season has begun – and we can’t wait to see what’s possible this year!
*Fiscal Year: July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016.