Q2 2024 - Apr 16
Presented by:
Our April 2024 (Q2) meeting took place at a new venue for us - ¡Glitch! Gaming Lounge - and it turned out to be a fantastic location. There were cold drinks, games to keep us entertained, and great food (including some bold claims such as best fries and best burger in Airdrie!). Coupled with it bing National Volunteer Week, it definitely set the tone for another great evening of giving and camaraderie.
We would like to also give a big shout out to our Platinum Sponsor for the evening - Davis Chevrolet Buick GMC Airdrie. Glenn Smaha from Davis has been a familiar face in the community for years but it is clear that his successor - Dru Phomtavong is more than capable to carry on the torch and we were happy to have him welcome the group.
In addition, a huge thanks to our Gold sponsors for this meeting:
Check out our Sponsor page, to learn more about this program.
Wilkie Award - Ron Chapman
After a word from our sponsor, we announced this meetings Wilkie Award winner. The Wilkie Award recognizes someone from the group that embodies the spirit of our late co-founder Keith Wilkinson. We consider The Wilkie to be a noble and prestigious honour!
This quarter, Ron Chapman was the deserving recipient. Ron is a familiar face in Airdrie, being a long-standing Airdrie City Council member as well as the go-to resource for propane tanks in Airdrie (which are always a hot commodity as a door prize at our meetings). Ron is an Airdronian through and through and it is clear that he has the best interests of the citizens of Airdrie at heart. He is a mainstay at our meetings, a generous supporter, and a man worthy of the Wilkie Award!
Guest Speaker: Tim Lowing
Tim is well known to the group as well, wearing many previous hats including photographer, videographer, promo producer, official 100 Men Ambassador, and all-around positive affirmationist. Many of us have seen his commercials and videos through his production company Lowing Media or read his quarterly digital magazine Poplar Magazine.
If you've ever spent any time with Tim, you'll know the man is not short on project ideas or enthusiasm!
Tim wanted to talk to the group about another one of his passion projects - Finding Laughter. This one is a deeply personal project with a premise that alternates between heart-breaking and hopeful. It documents Tim's story of dealing with the crippling aftermath of his brothers suicide, navigating that suffering through the lens of a young stand-up comedian, and finding a life that is fulfilling and hopeful and an example for others who have experienced trauma. As Tim puts it - healing through solidarity.
Tim's current focus is on the written portion of the project - a book that many of us are eager to see come to life. He also has developed the following trailer that explains the premise in his own words.
Thanks for sharing a difficult story, Tim - you're a real one!
Previous recipient: Legacy Place Society
The 2024 Q1 recipient - Legacy Place - returned to update us on their plans to use the $10,000 donation which includes expanding services, supporting training classes, and the creation of a memorial garden. Rather than try to recap their talk, please read the thoughtful letter they provided us that outlines their appreciation and their upcoming plans. The letter is included at the bottom of this post. Please give it a read - while it is addressed to us, it really is a reflection on all of you.
Q2 2024 Presentations:
Finally, we came to the main event - the presentation from our 3 selected groups.
Girls Guides of Airdrie
A local Girl Guides unit (that had a combined 90 years of experience between them) began the night! Though they came in uniform prepared to sell cookies, they wanted to share that there was much more to their program than cookies and badges.
They shared stories from local girls who had benefited tremendously from Girl Guides. From making friends and developing confidence, to finding a safe and belonging space, to learning outdoor skills and volunteering. The experiences on backcountry camping trips have been literally life-changing - because of skills learned, memories made, friendships developed - and shaped their vow of the world.
With the donation, the Guides would support two transformative initiatives: a trip to the World Guide Centres in Europe and a district camp for the 200+ members of Girl Guides in Airdrie.
Good Food Box - Airdrie
Next we heard a lively presentation from the Good Food Box program. The GFB is a part of the Community Kitchen program in Calgary, with Airdrie's Daybreak Church acting as a local pickup depot. The simple mantra of the program is to provide access to nutritious boxes of fruits and vegetables at a very low price.
Dubbed more of a 'hand-up' than a 'handout', each Good Food Box (you can choose from 20lbs, 30lbs, and 40lbs boxes)contains a combination of fruits and vegetable based on seasonal availability and containing the maximum produce to ensure clients are getting the most value for the price.
Vecova - Airdrie
Vecova is an accredited charitable organization dedicated to meeting the needs of persons with disabilities. Ranging from employment services to recreation to housing to wayfinding - Vecova is committed to "building a future for people of all abilities where everyone is valued, belongs and thrives".
There is currently a waitlist of 4,000 people interested in accessing their services - demonstrating a clear and immediate need!
Historically, the program has been run out of a main site in Calgary with satellite facilities in Canmore, Banff and other surrounding areas. In 2023, Vecova started offering individualized services in Airdrie and are looking to establish a permanent physical space where they can offer services and programming. The $10,000 donation would go to supporting our rapidly growing community by securing a physical space and completing necessary renovations.
——
Following a short break for voting there were a few auctions of our prizes to help boost our meeting total. Thanks to a few generous folks, the meeting total came out to $13,000 meaning $10,000 to one of the groups and $1500 to each of the other two!
After the vote was tallied, it was revealed that the Girl Guides would receive $10,000!
It was a very rewarding night. We'd like to express our gratitude to ¡Glitch! Gaming Lounge for being fantastic hosts and for the generous door prize donors below. We really value your support and the door prizes are always big hits among our members!
We will back at ¡Glitch! Gaming Lounge for the next meeting - July 16th. See you then!
We would like to also give a big shout out to our Platinum Sponsor for the evening - Davis Chevrolet Buick GMC Airdrie. Glenn Smaha from Davis has been a familiar face in the community for years but it is clear that his successor - Dru Phomtavong is more than capable to carry on the torch and we were happy to have him welcome the group.
In addition, a huge thanks to our Gold sponsors for this meeting:
Check out our Sponsor page, to learn more about this program.
Wilkie Award - Ron Chapman
After a word from our sponsor, we announced this meetings Wilkie Award winner. The Wilkie Award recognizes someone from the group that embodies the spirit of our late co-founder Keith Wilkinson. We consider The Wilkie to be a noble and prestigious honour!
This quarter, Ron Chapman was the deserving recipient. Ron is a familiar face in Airdrie, being a long-standing Airdrie City Council member as well as the go-to resource for propane tanks in Airdrie (which are always a hot commodity as a door prize at our meetings). Ron is an Airdronian through and through and it is clear that he has the best interests of the citizens of Airdrie at heart. He is a mainstay at our meetings, a generous supporter, and a man worthy of the Wilkie Award!
Guest Speaker: Tim Lowing
Tim is well known to the group as well, wearing many previous hats including photographer, videographer, promo producer, official 100 Men Ambassador, and all-around positive affirmationist. Many of us have seen his commercials and videos through his production company Lowing Media or read his quarterly digital magazine Poplar Magazine.
If you've ever spent any time with Tim, you'll know the man is not short on project ideas or enthusiasm!
Tim wanted to talk to the group about another one of his passion projects - Finding Laughter. This one is a deeply personal project with a premise that alternates between heart-breaking and hopeful. It documents Tim's story of dealing with the crippling aftermath of his brothers suicide, navigating that suffering through the lens of a young stand-up comedian, and finding a life that is fulfilling and hopeful and an example for others who have experienced trauma. As Tim puts it - healing through solidarity.
Tim's current focus is on the written portion of the project - a book that many of us are eager to see come to life. He also has developed the following trailer that explains the premise in his own words.
Thanks for sharing a difficult story, Tim - you're a real one!
Previous recipient: Legacy Place Society
The 2024 Q1 recipient - Legacy Place - returned to update us on their plans to use the $10,000 donation which includes expanding services, supporting training classes, and the creation of a memorial garden. Rather than try to recap their talk, please read the thoughtful letter they provided us that outlines their appreciation and their upcoming plans. The letter is included at the bottom of this post. Please give it a read - while it is addressed to us, it really is a reflection on all of you.
Q2 2024 Presentations:
Finally, we came to the main event - the presentation from our 3 selected groups.
Girls Guides of Airdrie
A local Girl Guides unit (that had a combined 90 years of experience between them) began the night! Though they came in uniform prepared to sell cookies, they wanted to share that there was much more to their program than cookies and badges.
They shared stories from local girls who had benefited tremendously from Girl Guides. From making friends and developing confidence, to finding a safe and belonging space, to learning outdoor skills and volunteering. The experiences on backcountry camping trips have been literally life-changing - because of skills learned, memories made, friendships developed - and shaped their vow of the world.
With the donation, the Guides would support two transformative initiatives: a trip to the World Guide Centres in Europe and a district camp for the 200+ members of Girl Guides in Airdrie.
Good Food Box - Airdrie
Next we heard a lively presentation from the Good Food Box program. The GFB is a part of the Community Kitchen program in Calgary, with Airdrie's Daybreak Church acting as a local pickup depot. The simple mantra of the program is to provide access to nutritious boxes of fruits and vegetables at a very low price.
Dubbed more of a 'hand-up' than a 'handout', each Good Food Box (you can choose from 20lbs, 30lbs, and 40lbs boxes)contains a combination of fruits and vegetable based on seasonal availability and containing the maximum produce to ensure clients are getting the most value for the price.
Vecova - Airdrie
Vecova is an accredited charitable organization dedicated to meeting the needs of persons with disabilities. Ranging from employment services to recreation to housing to wayfinding - Vecova is committed to "building a future for people of all abilities where everyone is valued, belongs and thrives".
There is currently a waitlist of 4,000 people interested in accessing their services - demonstrating a clear and immediate need!
Historically, the program has been run out of a main site in Calgary with satellite facilities in Canmore, Banff and other surrounding areas. In 2023, Vecova started offering individualized services in Airdrie and are looking to establish a permanent physical space where they can offer services and programming. The $10,000 donation would go to supporting our rapidly growing community by securing a physical space and completing necessary renovations.
——
Following a short break for voting there were a few auctions of our prizes to help boost our meeting total. Thanks to a few generous folks, the meeting total came out to $13,000 meaning $10,000 to one of the groups and $1500 to each of the other two!
After the vote was tallied, it was revealed that the Girl Guides would receive $10,000!
It was a very rewarding night. We'd like to express our gratitude to ¡Glitch! Gaming Lounge for being fantastic hosts and for the generous door prize donors below. We really value your support and the door prizes are always big hits among our members!
- Peter Flannigan / Maaco
- Alejandro Gomez / Cobbs Bakery
- Ron Chapman / Tiger Propane
- Keith Yeoman / Yeoman Woodworks
- Hussain Mumtaz / Simmply MD
We will back at ¡Glitch! Gaming Lounge for the next meeting - July 16th. See you then!
