Weeks 19 & 20 - All About Frisbee

During week 19, a friend of mine proposed that I donate some frisbees to Camp IAWAH. Since I have a couple extra discs lying around, and knowing that the kids at IAWAH have a big open grass field to play on during their time at the camp, I was easily sold on that plan.

Last week, the Ottawa Carleton Ultimate Association masters competitive teams put on a beginners and intermediate players clinic. Given my passion for the sport of ultimate frisbee, and the fact the clinic was 5 minutes from my house, it was an easy and fun way to give back to the ultimate community.

Weeks 15 - 18: Various

April was ridiculously busy at work, and I didn't have time to update this blog. The good news is that I kept 'giving'.



Week 15:


I gave a big garbage bag of clothes to Value Village. Spring cleaning, and helping out a good cause at the same time. Good stuff.

Week 16:

While attending 'American Idiot' on Broadway, I gave my pocket change to Broadway Cares. This organization funds AIDs service organizations in the States.

Week 17:

Can't exactly remember what I gave to this week, so I thought I'd donate to 'The Underwear Affair', a race a friend is running in.

Week 18:

Given April was cancer awareness month, I thought it was fitting to make my last, and biggest donation to the Canadian Cancer Society. Cancer scares me on so many levels, and this will likely be a cause that comes up multiple times in this blog.

Week 14 - The Snowflake Ball (Crohn's, Colitis, and Colorectal Cancer)

A friend of mine is one of the organizer's of the annual Snowflake Ball, which is a big fundraiser for Crohn's, Colitis, and Colorectal Cancer. I had planned to volunteer at this amazing event on Saturday April 2nd, but then made the mistake of eating fish at a bar in the early hours of Saturday morning after frisbee. I ended up getting pretty sick, and couldn't make the event. In lieu of volunteering, I cut a cheque to support the Snowflake Ball foundation. Hopefully next year, my stomach will allow me to volunteer.

Week 13 - Ottawa Public Library Foundation

I'm a huge fan of the Ottawa Public Library. At any given time, I usually have a couple books, CDs, and DVDs out on loan. Working a block away from the main branch is fortunate, as I get to access the services they offer three days a week when I'm in the office. For the reasons above, I donated to the Ottawa Public Library Foundation. Yes, municipal tax dollars help cover the library expenses, but with a planned move to a new facility in the near future, and costs rising for materials, donations help maintain their vast array of services.

Week 12 - Japan Earthquake Relief (Red Cross Canada)

Unless you've been living under a rock, you're aware of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan on March 11th. The quake caused thousands of deaths, millions of dollars of damages, and its impact will be felt for years to come. The Canadian Red Cross responded quickly, and has of now sent $5 million to help Japan rebuild. It is a shame that the Canadian government has been too busy playing political games and has neglected to match the public's contributions. All the more reason to give to a worthy cause.

Week 11 - The War Amps

As I wait for the Canadian government (and possibly my employer) to announce a matching program for donations made to Japan's rebuilding efforts, I received the War Amps key tags in the mail this past week. I'm a big fan of the War Amps' philosophy of 'amputees helping amputees" and their CHAMP program for child amputees (who end up working to promote the program in the future). Another impressive fact about the War Amps' is that they spend less than 10% on administration. Being an accountant, I respect charities and organizations that do their best to keep administration costs down.

While I continue to wait for a matching program to help rebuild Japan after the earthquake, my heart goes out to their citizens and ex-patriates.

Week 10 - University of Ottawa Heart Institute

While channel surfing this weekend, I stopped on the University of Ottawa Heart Institute telethon. The UOHI funds research into cures and treatments for heart disease, and supports education and prevention programs. In 2006, 30% of ALL Canadian deaths were due to cardiovascular disease. That single, mind-blowing statistic explains why funding education and prevention is esstential to our aging population.

Locally, the UOHI is a source of pride, jobs, knowledge and innovation in our community. I'm proud to have contributed to such a worthy institution.