OUR COMMUNITY DOESN’T MISS A BEAT AS IT EXCEEDS UNITED WAY’S 2012 FUNDRAISING GOAL

Alberta Capital Region honours supporters and reveals record setting achievement of $23.1 million

EDMONTON, AB – Thursday evening, amidst a flurry of confetti cannons and great musical entertainment, a sold out crowd of over 650 community leaders and supporters gathered to honour individuals, business, government and labour unions at the 2012 United Way Red Tie Gala, Awards of Distinction, brought to us by Northlands.

On stage at the Edmonton Expo Centre, president and CEO of ATB Financial and 2012 United Way Campaign Cabinet Chair, Dave Mowat announced that the community once again exceeded its fundraising goal by raising $23.1 million and acknowledged the amazing achievements of community and individuals throughout the campaign.

“I do know one thing for certain, no one person can do this alone – it takes an entire community. There’s a certain bond that people establish when they focus their efforts on a common goal,” said Dave Mowat. “Together, with the community, we set our sights high and rallied to raise an incredible $23.1 million dollars. This is the largest achievement ever in the history of United Way in our region and I am humbled by the dedication and commitment it took to reach this milestone. Considering this significant achievement, simply
saying thank you doesn’t really seem like enough – but I think it’s the best place to start.”

Along with the presentation of the annual award categories and the fundraising achievement announcement, attendees were treated to an awe-inspiring performance of United We’re Strong, United Way of the Alberta Capital Region’s 2012 Campaign Song. Performed by Tupelo Honey’s Dan Davidson, rapper Maigan van der Giessen and vocalist Yasmeen Najmeddine, accompanied by group of talented local artists, they had the room rocking and crowd on their feet.

The evening of celebration came to a close with Dave Mowat passing the torch to the incoming 2013 United Way Campaign Chair, Gary Bosgoed, Senior Vice President, WorleyParsons Canada Services Ltd.

A full list of award winners is included below.

2012 United Way Awards of Distinction Recipients

Workplace Ambassador of the Year, Public Sector
Luwam Kiflemariam, Canada Revenue Agency

Workplace Ambassador of the Year, Private Sector
Cam Fraser, The CAT Rental Store

Employee Campaign Chair of the Year, Public Sector
Corinna Mulyk, Alberta Transportation
Traci Toshack & Anthony Norrad, MacEwan University

Employee Campaign Chair of the Year, Private Sector
Heidi Griesbauer, CenturyVallen
Craig Curran-Morton, Finning (Canada)

Campaign Special Event of the Year
Everyday Hero Event, Alberta Enterprise & Advanced Education

Kathleen Huber Outstanding Discovery Speaker Award
Brian McPherson, Canadian Paraplegic Association (Alberta)

Outstanding Campaign Committee
WorleyParsons Canada Services Ltd.

George Letki Outstanding Volunteer Award
Reg Basken

Outstanding Employee Support
Provincial Employees' United Way Campaign

Outstanding InKind Support
Page The Cleaner

Outstanding Corporate & Employee Support
$2,000,000+ PCL family of companies
$1,000,000+ Enbridge Pipelines Inc.

Best New Campaign Award
City of Edmonton
Medical Imaging Consultants

Best Leaders of the Way Campaign
PCL family of companies

Rising Star Award
Reliance – The Furnace Company

Largest Employee Fund Gift
Edmonton Civic Employees’ Charitable Assistance Fund

Quantum Leap Award
Goodwill Industries of Alberta
National Oilwell Varco

Largest Campaign – Under 50 Employees
David Aplin Group

Education and Engagement Award
Fountain Tire

Labour Awards of Distinction
1. CAW Canada
2. Communications, Energy & Paperworkers Union of Canada
3. Edmonton & District Labour Council

PCL CONSTRUCTION SUPPORTS UNITED WAY AGENCIES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

EDMONTON, Alberta (Feb. 28, 2013) – The PCL family of companies has raised more than $7.1 million for United Way agencies in communities across North America. The 2012 fundraising total is the largest amount raised by employees and the company.

“Working with the United Way helps us build caring and giving communities that that we all feel very proud to live and work in,” said Paul Douglas, PCL president and CEO. “It’s amazing to see how committed our teams are to leading and participating in their districts’ campaigns.” 

Twenty-nine regions in Canada and the US participated in fundraising campaigns. The team in Regina, Saskatchewan, received special acknowledgment: the United Way in that community recognized PCL for Outstanding Campaign Performance among companies with 99 or fewer employees. In Edmonton, Alberta, PCL set a new record by donating $2.3 million to the local campaign, the largest donation ever received by the agency.

“Each and every contribution to the United Way becomes part of a major community building effort that delivers a wide range of community impact programs and initiatives, targeting some of the most difficult and complex issues,” said Anne Smith, United Way Alberta Capital Region president and CEO. “PCL can be proud that their donations are making a difference in their communities.”

PCL began partnering with the United Way in 1969. Annual campaigns help raise money for local United Way agencies. The campaigns are led by employees and give them the opportunity to contribute by donating money and participating in special events. PCL achieved a total employee participation rate of 78% among the districts that ran United Way campaigns in 2012.

Please click on the following link to view some highlights from the fundraising campaign http://youtu.be/w8C0PJJJRhw.

About the PCL family of companies

PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in 31 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of more than $6 billion, making PCL one of the largest contracting organizations in North America. Watch us build at PCL.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Mike Long                                                                                                                                                          
PCL family of companies                                                             
(780) 733-5107                                                                                                  
mwlong@pcl.com                                                                          

United Way More than 60% to 2012 Goal

Chair Dave Mowat encourages the region to keep the momentum going

EDMONTON, AB – The annual 2012 United Way Breakfast of Champions took place this morning at the Westin Hotel, marking the mid-point of the community-wide campaign. It was revealed that, to date, $14.3 million has been raised - 62% of the 2012 campaign target. The energy in the room was through the roof as local companies and organizations celebrated the achievements so far.  

“It was just six weeks ago that we kicked off the 2012 United Way Campaign and announced our goal of $23 million,” said Dave Mowat, 2012 Campaign Chair.  “In that six weeks you’ve all been putting your shoulder to the wheel and getting a lot accomplished.  But we’re not done yet, we have to keep the momentum going!”
United Way is optimistic that they will reach the goal of $23 million in their 2012 fundraising campaign.  Funds are reinvested in the community to create positive and meaningful change the most pressing social issues and challenges being faced in the Alberta Capital Region.

“Your generous and collective actions are helping people move from poverty to possibility,” said Dave Mowat. “Families, who may be experiencing homelessness or on the verge of having nowhere to call home are getting back on their feet, gaining financial stability and independence.  Kids are being offered the chance to reach their full potential – to be all that they can be.  And, you are contributing to the overall well-being of our community by building positive environments that help foster and maintain healthy and safe neighbourhoods.”

This year’s breakfast event featured live performances from local artists Yasmeen Najmeddine and Maigan van der Giessen who, along with Tupelo Honey’s Dan Davidson, participated in 2012 Campaign music video United We’re Strong.                  

To learn more about United Way and its work with more than 50 community partners, please visit myunitedway.ca.

About United Way
United Way brings community members together to help lift people out of poverty and make the greatest impact possible on the most pressing social challenges in our community.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Nancy Critchley
Director, Communications
United Way of the Alberta Capital Region
Office: 780-443-8381
Mobile: 780-909-1794
ncritchley@myunitedway.ca

Coats for Kids and Families

Keeping our community warm for 21 years.

EDMONTON, AB – Today, United Way and Page The Cleaner kicked off the 21st annual Coats for Kids & Families campaign – a program that makes the winter season a little warmer for many people in the Alberta Capital Region.

The program is coordinated and promoted through United Way of the Alberta Capital Region, with partner Page The Cleaner providing all the locations for collecting coats, as well as conducting the valuable cleaning services.

“It’s incredible to think that, over the 20-year duration of the program, Page The Cleaner has cleaned over 210,000 coats for people who otherwise may not have had anything appropriate to wear for the cold season,” said Jim Maurais, Corporate Sales Manager, Page The Cleaner. “Knowing how many people were helped right across our community – children, youth and adults – gives supporters of the program a reason to pause and be very thankful and proud of the help we were able to provide together.”

All coats collected through the program are cleaned, sent to United Way’s In-Kind Exchange for sorting by numerous volunteers and then distributed throughout the community by United Way and partner organizations.

“Today as we kick off our 21st annual Coats for Kids & Families campaign, we also celebrate the strength and generosity of this community, that together, continues to provide warm winter coats and outerwear to the men, women and children who need them most,” said Lynne Duncan, 2012 United Way of the Alberta Capital Region Board Chair. “I am so proud to be part of this community and an organization like United Way that believes Change Starts Here, with each one of us – that through our collective action, lives can truly be changed.”

“Community support is integral to the success of the Coats for Kids and Families program. The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation has provided support for many years and in 2012, has introduced a new opportunity to encourage community wide involvement in the program,” said Executive Director of Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, Natalie Minckler. “The Oil Kings October 28 home game will host a collection drive, and season ticket holders and game patrons are being encouraged to bring a gently used coat or winter wear item to donate at the game.”

Special Challenge Issued

As part of today’s event, PCL family of companies issued a challenge to the community to collect winter items for those in need. They unloaded a truckload of over 4,000 winter items including coats, toques, mitts and other winter gear - all collected from the employees based here in YEG and area for this year’s campaign. Mayor Stephen Mandel was on hand to accept PCL’s challenge on behalf of the City of Edmonton and its employees.

“The City of Edmonton and its employees accept PCL’s challenge and I encourage others to do the same,” said Mayor Stephen Mandel. “I applaud PCL for stepping up to the plate and supporting this important initiative. PCL has a long and respected giving history with United Way of the Alberta Capital Region. This Coats challenge is just one more way that PCLer’s give back to their community.”

In 2011, almost 11,000 were collected, cleaned, sorted and distributed. This year’s Coats for Kids and Families campaign runs from October 23 to December 6, 2012.

The 2012 Coats for Kids and Families Campaign is presented by United Way of the Alberta Capital Region, Page The Cleaner, the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation and Global Edmonton. Community Sponsors include ABC Press, Alberta Container Services Inc., Corus Entertainment, the Edmonton Sun, the Examiner and the Running Room.

For a complete list of drop off locations or to access a coat, community members can visit www.coatsforkids.ca

Media Contact: Christa Broadfoot, United Way of the Alberta Capital Region
780-990-1000 or cbroadfoot@myunitedway.ca

MUSIC AND INSPIRATION AT UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN LAUNCH

2012 fundraising goal announced to the tune of $23 million

EDMONTON, AB – On Tuesday, September 18th, more than 800 community supporters packed The Edmonton Expo Centre for United Way’s annual fundraising kick off lunch.  

Along with announcing the 2012 fundraising goal of $23 million to help with the continuation of numerous critical programs in the social services sector, United Way revealed their 2012 campaign video.  For the second year in a row, the video tells stories of people in our community through music.

At the event, attendees enjoyed a live musical performance from Dan Davidson, lead vocalist for the local rock band Tupelo Honey.  As one of three contributing musicians to the video, Davidson performed a solo song he wrote and recorded for United Way’s 2012 campaign, titled Just Believe.

Dave Mowat, President and CEO, ATB Financial is this year’s United Way Campaign Chair.  In his remarks to guests, Mowat stressed that there are many factors that contribute and can lead people to fall into poverty.  

“Even though we live in one of the most prosperous regions in Canada, more than 123,000 people live in poverty and 41,000 of these people are children,” explained Mowat. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t need any more reasons than that to be here today.”  He went on to state: “Poverty and the issues that cause it affect all of us and are closer than we may realize.  We only need to look at family, neighbours, colleagues and friends; chances are someone close to you is facing a challenge or an issue that puts them at risk.”

The annual fundraising campaign includes participation by over 400 organizations in the public and private sectors, as well as by generous individuals throughout the community.  The campaign runs through the fall season, with the final results announced at a celebration Red Tie Gala in February.

Residents who aren’t part of workplace campaigns, but who wish to show their support in addressing the social issues in our community, can make their donations online at myunitedway.ca or by calling the local United Way office at 780-990-1000.

The video, titled United We’re Strong, is a mash-up of three different solo songs, performed by three different artists.  Tupelo Honey’s Davidson, who performs a rock solo, is joined by13-year-old Edmonton singing sensation Yasmeen Najmeddine and rapper Maigan van der Giessen.  The original songs, video, artists and actors are 100% local with the production being developed through PLANit Sound, a local company that brings together musicians and filmmakers to develop highly-creative multimedia solutions for companies and organizations.  

This is the second year for United Way of the Alberta Capital Region to work with PLANit Sound to create an original score of music and accompanying music video.  

The full video can be viewed by visiting myunitedway.ca

About United Way
United Way brings community members together to help lift people out of poverty and make the greatest impact possible on the most pressing social challenges in our community.    


CONTACT INFORMATION:
For more information or to coordinate interviews, please contact:

Nancy Critchley
Director, Communications
United Way of the Alberta Capital Region
780-443-8381  780-909-1794
ncritchley@myunitedway.ca