Q2 2023 - Apr 18
Presented by:
The organizing committee had some extra pep in our step leading up to this one.
Not only were we being welcomed into the brand new digs of 525 Restaurant and Patio at Woodside Golf Course; we were also celebrating that, for the first time any of us could remember, we had already hit 100 paid members before the day of the meeting!
That foretold what would be a record total for a single meeting. Exciting stuff!
Guest Speaker - Peter Brown
The Mayor kicked off our meeting by highlighting that it was National Volunteer Week and the tremendous impact volunteers have in our community. He particularly noted (previous 100 Men presenter) Volunteer Airdrie as a group that has demonstrated how to become self-sustaining through smart planning, smart budgeting, and tireless volunteer support. Mayor Brown reiterated the importance of groups like 100 Airdrie Men and how $10,000 can truly make a difference and go a very long way for charities.
While not able to attend, MP Blake Richards sent along a message of gratitude as well. His note is included below:
Speaking of gratitude, our sponsors play a huge role in ensuring that we're able to support all our presenters at each meeting. Our Platinum sponsor - Propak - was not able to attend the meeting but also sent along a message of support that was as loud and clear as it was short and sweet.
In addition, a huge thanks to our Gold sponsors for this meeting:
If you have an interest in being a sponsor, visit our sponsor page and connect with Darcy Forbes.
Past winner update:
Matt Carre from Airdrie Angel returned and highlighted the work of their group. Matt reiterated a couple of things that they're particularly proud of - that they've helped 117 families since 2013 (to the tune of over $225,000 in cash, donations and in-kind services) and that every donated dollar goes directly to participants.
Airdrie Angel are still looking for nominations and encouraged members to nominate people in need, though it does not always need to be financial in nature - it could just be someone going through a rough patch that needs a pick-me-up. Visit airdrieangel.ca for more info.
Presentations:
We had three great presentations for this meeting.
First up was Meals on Wheels.
A lot has been covered about the rising cost of food and this has really hit home with the Meals On Wheels program. However, the group has stayed the course and proudly boasts that they are 100% volunteer run, and have never missed a delivery in 40 years of service.
Lois themed her talk around the power of a knock and how a simple food delivery run can mean so much more than that. Sometimes the person delivering the meal might be the only one that senior sees in a day and its impact can be profound. The video below helps demonstrate this. Terrific work by Meals on Wheels.
Next was Airdrie Power.
Airdrie P.O.W.E.R. is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide women in Airdrie and District with the means to leave an abusive environment through emergency resources, education and empowerment, thus creating a safe and sustainable community. P.O.W.E.R (Protecting Our Women with Emergency Resources) has been busy realizing the daunting task of building and maintaining their day shelter as a safe haven for women.
As is the case with many charities, the group has had a rough time as of late and are grappling with the reality of reduced service or staffing if they are unable to secure more funding. They are, however, hopeful and know the need is there in Airdrie for their valuable services and any funds received would be put to good use.
Finally, we had Variety Alberta.
Variety Alberta - the Children's Charity is a group that, among other things, helps fundraise to build inclusive and accessible playgrounds for children with disabilities or specialized needs. Most of us can understand the critical role that playgrounds play in the development of children. Unfortunately, the design and materials used (usually to keep costs down) present significant barriers to children with specialized needs.
Variety was presenting on behalf of a project in Bayside that is underway and noted that 100% of any funds awarded would stay in Airdrie and go directly to that project.
Another incredibly touching video was shared with this presentation as well and left very few dry eyes in the audience.
Voting Results:
When it comes to politics, many can feel like their vote does not matter. At 100 Men, your vote can truly make the difference! With one of our closest ever votes, Airdrie Meals on Wheels was awarded $10,000!
As mentioned earlier, we set a record at this meeting. Including our sponsor totals, we were able to give away $15,000!! This means that the other two presenters will receive $2,500.
We all have talked about how cool it would be if, one day, we had 300 paid members and were able to give away $10,000 to each group!
Our request to you is to share our group and bring a friend to the next meeting.
Thank you to the swanky new 525 Restaurant and Patio for the sneak peek at what is sure to be a hopping' summer hangout!
We had more incredible door prizes and want to thank our super generous members:
Upcoming Event Highlight:
While votes were being tallied, we had a quick presentation from John Langenau. John runs the Kalix Legacy Foundation which was set up as a way to help financially strapped kids access sport and recreation. It was created in the honour of his son Kalix who died tragically and who had a passion for coaching and helping out other kids, especially the ones that needed an extra hand.
John wanted to let the group know about a fundraising weekend coming up that includes a celebrity hockey game, a golf tournament, and an evening gala. The hockey game will have local celebrities as well as former NHL'ers and is $10/ticket. John was able to give away tickets to the game, the gala, as well as a spot in the golf tournament.
The event is on June 9 and 10 and are info can be found at kalixlegacyfoundation.com
Not only were we being welcomed into the brand new digs of 525 Restaurant and Patio at Woodside Golf Course; we were also celebrating that, for the first time any of us could remember, we had already hit 100 paid members before the day of the meeting!
That foretold what would be a record total for a single meeting. Exciting stuff!
Guest Speaker - Peter Brown
The Mayor kicked off our meeting by highlighting that it was National Volunteer Week and the tremendous impact volunteers have in our community. He particularly noted (previous 100 Men presenter) Volunteer Airdrie as a group that has demonstrated how to become self-sustaining through smart planning, smart budgeting, and tireless volunteer support. Mayor Brown reiterated the importance of groups like 100 Airdrie Men and how $10,000 can truly make a difference and go a very long way for charities.
While not able to attend, MP Blake Richards sent along a message of gratitude as well. His note is included below:
I wish I could be with you tonight, however my daytime job has me in Ottawa this week. It is fitting that 100 Men Who Give a Damn would meet on the Tuesday of National Volunteer Week where we as a country celebrate the efforts of millions of people across Canada who offer selflessly of their energy, skills and time to make a difference in our communities.
100 Men Who Give a Damn and 100 Women Who Care support the 10’s of thousands of Airdrie Citizens serviced by many of these volunteer run organizations. It is the generosity of volunteers that is woven throughout the efforts of organizations that help people, strengthening the ties that bind communities such as Airdrie together. My friends on the organizing committee tell me that you have three such community builders presenting tonight and I wish them all the best of luck. Volunteers never let us down so today thank you for coming and committing to support all of those who serve on behalf of others and who help our community to thrive.
Have fun tonight and thank you all.
Speaking of gratitude, our sponsors play a huge role in ensuring that we're able to support all our presenters at each meeting. Our Platinum sponsor - Propak - was not able to attend the meeting but also sent along a message of support that was as loud and clear as it was short and sweet.
In addition, a huge thanks to our Gold sponsors for this meeting:
If you have an interest in being a sponsor, visit our sponsor page and connect with Darcy Forbes.
Past winner update:
Matt Carre from Airdrie Angel returned and highlighted the work of their group. Matt reiterated a couple of things that they're particularly proud of - that they've helped 117 families since 2013 (to the tune of over $225,000 in cash, donations and in-kind services) and that every donated dollar goes directly to participants.
Airdrie Angel are still looking for nominations and encouraged members to nominate people in need, though it does not always need to be financial in nature - it could just be someone going through a rough patch that needs a pick-me-up. Visit airdrieangel.ca for more info.
Presentations:
We had three great presentations for this meeting.
First up was Meals on Wheels.
A lot has been covered about the rising cost of food and this has really hit home with the Meals On Wheels program. However, the group has stayed the course and proudly boasts that they are 100% volunteer run, and have never missed a delivery in 40 years of service.
Lois themed her talk around the power of a knock and how a simple food delivery run can mean so much more than that. Sometimes the person delivering the meal might be the only one that senior sees in a day and its impact can be profound. The video below helps demonstrate this. Terrific work by Meals on Wheels.
Next was Airdrie Power.
Airdrie P.O.W.E.R. is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide women in Airdrie and District with the means to leave an abusive environment through emergency resources, education and empowerment, thus creating a safe and sustainable community. P.O.W.E.R (Protecting Our Women with Emergency Resources) has been busy realizing the daunting task of building and maintaining their day shelter as a safe haven for women.
As is the case with many charities, the group has had a rough time as of late and are grappling with the reality of reduced service or staffing if they are unable to secure more funding. They are, however, hopeful and know the need is there in Airdrie for their valuable services and any funds received would be put to good use.
Finally, we had Variety Alberta.
Variety Alberta - the Children's Charity is a group that, among other things, helps fundraise to build inclusive and accessible playgrounds for children with disabilities or specialized needs. Most of us can understand the critical role that playgrounds play in the development of children. Unfortunately, the design and materials used (usually to keep costs down) present significant barriers to children with specialized needs.
Variety was presenting on behalf of a project in Bayside that is underway and noted that 100% of any funds awarded would stay in Airdrie and go directly to that project.
Another incredibly touching video was shared with this presentation as well and left very few dry eyes in the audience.
Voting Results:
When it comes to politics, many can feel like their vote does not matter. At 100 Men, your vote can truly make the difference! With one of our closest ever votes, Airdrie Meals on Wheels was awarded $10,000!
As mentioned earlier, we set a record at this meeting. Including our sponsor totals, we were able to give away $15,000!! This means that the other two presenters will receive $2,500.
We all have talked about how cool it would be if, one day, we had 300 paid members and were able to give away $10,000 to each group!
Our request to you is to share our group and bring a friend to the next meeting.
Thank you to the swanky new 525 Restaurant and Patio for the sneak peek at what is sure to be a hopping' summer hangout!
We had more incredible door prizes and want to thank our super generous members:
- Tiger Propane
- Jams
- David Bowman Painting
- Yeoman Woodworks
- Your Local Ranch
- Maaco
- Airdrie Windshield
- Evolutionary Wellness
- Kalix Legacy Foundation
Upcoming Event Highlight:
While votes were being tallied, we had a quick presentation from John Langenau. John runs the Kalix Legacy Foundation which was set up as a way to help financially strapped kids access sport and recreation. It was created in the honour of his son Kalix who died tragically and who had a passion for coaching and helping out other kids, especially the ones that needed an extra hand.
John wanted to let the group know about a fundraising weekend coming up that includes a celebrity hockey game, a golf tournament, and an evening gala. The hockey game will have local celebrities as well as former NHL'ers and is $10/ticket. John was able to give away tickets to the game, the gala, as well as a spot in the golf tournament.
The event is on June 9 and 10 and are info can be found at kalixlegacyfoundation.com
