Interested in Volunteering Down in the Beach?
On Sunday, May 29, the Down Syndrome Association of Toronto (“DSAT”) is hosting its 19th annual “Down In The Beach” Walk for Down Syndrome and they need volunteers! The event includes both 1k and 5k fun walks for people of all ages and abilities, and a Children’s Festival. The proceeds from the event go to support DSAT in its mission to provide support and information to parents, students and teachers of children with Down syndrome. For information on this terrific organization, please visit www.dsat.ca.
Volunteers are needed to make the event happen – from registration to route marshalling to helping out with the Festival. We’re hoping to get lots of TVB volunteers to come out for a beautiful Sunday morning (cross your fingers for the weather!) to help out with this terrific cause, have a chance to socialize down by the beach, and we can go out together for lunch afterwards.
If you’re interested in signing up with TVB to help out with the Down In The Beach Walk for Down Syndrome, please e-mail Mary Simms at msimms@swadron.com.
Also, we are always on the lookout for great volunteering events that need volunteers! If you know of an event that might be a good fit, please contact Mark Grimwood at mark@volunteerbridge.ca.
TVB helps Nazareth House raise $87,000
On Friday, April 22nd, Nazareth House hosted its 2nd annual “Fight for Freedom”, a charity boxing tournament to raise funds for the house it operates for women between 18 and 50 years of age with a variety of health and lifestyle challenges. The amount raised this year was 60% more than last year, and will enable Nazareth House to replace the home’s roof and front verandah.
A special thanks goes out to Sandra Elia for coordinating TVB’s efforts at the event, and to TVB volunteers Tammy Oram, Daniela Mastrolcola, and Ali Solomon for their extraordinary efforts at the event!
You can learn more about the important work that Nazareth House does by clicking here.
Looking for more volunteering opportunities?
TVB is, as you know, focused on finding volunteering opportunities for the busy young professional – hands on, in-the-community type opportunities that give us an opportunity to get involved, meet like-minded people, and forge a better community, as well as give us a little better balance.
TVB has chosen not to focus on making matches with charitable boards because there is a terrific organization that already does that – BoardMatch® Fundamentals! Since 2000, BoardMatch® Fundamentals has placed over 1000 candidates onto boards from 500 participating charities in the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding regions.
BoardMatch® Fundamentals is an innovative internet program which introduces registered charities to enthusiastic and informed candidates willing to share their expertise by serving as members of the boards of charitable organizations. The program includes online e-learning modules focused on best practices in Board Governance, Human Resources Planning for Boards and Fundraising Basics.
To tap into BoardMatch’s reservoir of charities that range in size (with the majority being small and medium-sized local charities) and in scope (from arts & culture to social & health issues) check out www.boardmatch.org.
An example of one of the “matches” probably best illustrates what BoardMatch® can do. Garrett Martin, a grad of the McMaster Management of Innovation & New Technology MBA program, when he wanted to explore opportunities beyond his role as Marketing/Operations Manager at Dupont Canada, found a place on the board of Our Place (Peel) with the help of BoardMatch. Since 1985, Our Place operates residential and support services for youth between the ages of 16-21 in the Region of Peel, and also conducts educational and training programs for the youth.
Garrett comments that, “the BoardMatch process went very smoothly although it took two interviews (with two different charities) before I found the right one for me. The position has allowed me to get involved right from day one, and I've become the chair of the Our Place (Peel) Fundraising Committee. I've met a number of interesting people from all walks of life.”
For more information about BoardMatch please contact Norm King, the Director of BoardMatch Fundamentals at 905-696-5149, or e-mail Norm at nking@altruvest.org.
News from Around Town – Other ways to get involved
There is a lot of great charitable work happening in our city! Even if you can’t come out to TVB events, you might consider taking part in the upcoming event described below.
Prostate Cancer Research Foundation “Father’s Day Run”
 The PCRF is looking for runners and volunteers to help out with its Father’s Day Run on Sunday, June 19 – Father’s Day. The run starts at 10 a.m., departing from Sir Casimir Gzowski Park (Sunnyside Beach), and runs along the Lakeshore. Last year’s event raised more than $100,000 for prostate cancer research.
For more information, please go to www.fathersdayrun.ca. There you can register as a runner, a volunteer, or simply find more information. Volunteers are needed for route marshalling, and help with registration, entertainment, or refreshments.
If you’re interested in volunteering, please email events@prostatecancer.ca or call 416-441-2131 ext.229. Not only do they supply their volunteers with food, but you’ll be a part of an experience that’s not only rewarding but fun too!
What are we doing right?
What could TVB do better?
What are you looking for in a volunteering opportunity?
Want to get involved with TVB?
For any of these issues, or any others that come to mind, please let us know by e-mail at info@volunteerbridge.ca or by phone at 416-957-8029.
Toronto Volunteer Bridge is an entirely volunteer-run organization. All of us are 25-35 years old and live and work across the GTA. TVB is a registered charity.
If you or your company are interested in sponsoring TVB, please e-mail us at sponsor@volunteerbridge.ca.
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Toronto Volunteer Bridge is having another social event:
June 2, 2005
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Location TBD
Stay tuned for more information!
We’re looking for volunteers and players to help in the Hope Volleyball Tournament on June 18, on the Toronto Island. Please save the date! More info to come next issue…
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