Average Player Charity Hockey Tournament

Last weekend was the second annual CSN Collison Average Players Who Give a Puck Charity Hockey Tournament.  It was a pleasure to be apart of both the organization committee and the weekend tournament.  From the the players draft and live auction on Thursday evening to the hockey tournament on Saturday, we were able to raise over $ 24,000 for the Central Okanagan Food Bank and for Cancer Research.

What an amazing weekend and I look forward to making this event even bigger and better next year. 

Another Season Coming To A Close

If there is one place you are most likely to run into me outside of work, it would be at one of the local arenas. Over the last two years I have spent countless hours each week coaching my two children in minor hockey. This is something that has brought me great joy and I hope I get the opportunity to continue to do it for years to come. As our hockey season comes to a close in March, I think back to all the awesome kids and parents I have gotten to meet. It is amazing to watch all the kids develop and grow as both hockey players and individuals. I am grateful for all the friends and relationships I have made through the hockey community. After a great season, I would like to thank all the parents and players on the;

U7 Kelowna Yeti

U7 Kelowna Panthers

U9 Kelowna Ice Wolves

I look forward to seeing everyone back at the rink this fall.

Coach Curtis

 2022 Ronald McDonald House Charity Hockey Tournament

Over the weekend Curtis, along with some of his friends from around Kelowna, took part in the Annual Charity Hockey Tournament for Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon.  It was a great weekend full of fun events and many laughs.  During the weekend tournament the event was able to raise over $35,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charity. 

 

 

 

 

BC Flood Support

It has been devastating to witness the recent flooding and landslides in B.C., and our team's thoughts are with all of the communities and families that have been impacted by these tragic events. To help support those who have been affected, the RBC Foundation will be providing $75,000 to Food Banks British Columbia and B.C.'s United Way community chapters to address immediate food security and shelter needs.
 
To learn more about how you can help with relief and recovery efforts, I encourage you to visit Food Banks B.C. and United Way B.C.'s websites:

https://www.foodbanksbc.com/
https://uwbc.ca/

 A.S. Matheson Elementary Donation

We always look forward to giving back to the community, especially during the holidays.  While we were not able to do the same style family sponsoring as last year with our entire branch, we were able to run an incredible team donation drive.  Our branch was able to fill multiple bags and boxes with winter clothing as well as $1650 in gift cards that the school staff can use to purchase items that the families need to have a special Christmas. 

Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Bells

While this year has been different for our volunteer efforts, it felt great to get out and do our annual kettle bell fundraising for the Kelowna Salvation Army this year.  This year is like every year where help from the Salvation Army is paramount for many families. The money raised in our kettle will go directly back into our community to help families in need this holiday season. An interesting addition, one we loved to see, was the introduction of the tap feature this year!  It allowed the many who don't carry cash to be able to donate via their debit or credit cards! Just look on the little sign attached to the kettle bells for the area to tap your card!  

Movember Week 4 - Final Update

November has flown by however; I feel like my moustache has come in fairly nicely.  I want to thank each and every one who donated to my Movember page one last time.  Over the course of November I have raised $2,540 which will go toward funding 20 different projects across Canada in the areas of Men's Mental Health, Prostate and Testicular Cancer Research. 

Movember Week 3 Update

Day 20 and my moustache is coming in nicely, I am definitely not winning any awards for it but it has been a good conversation starter with both friends and strangers.  I am still blown away by the generosity of everyone, I have now raised almost $2,000.  This money will go towards funding 20 different projects currently in Canada for Men's Mental Health, Prostate Cancer Research & Testicular Cancer Research.

 Movember Week 2 Recap

Week 2 is coming to a close and my moustache is looking a little bit nicer than last week.  2020 has been a difficult year; however through this year there have been moments when I have just been blown away with how fortunate I am.  Today is one of those days because as of this morning I have raised $1,920 from the generosity of the amazing people I am able to call my family, my friends, my colleagues and my clients.  I am so lucky to be surrounded by such a wonderful community.  The funds being raised are going toward supporting projects in Canada for Men’s Mental Health, Prostate Cancer, and Testicular Cancer. 

 Movember Week 1 Recap

First of all I want to thank everyone who has made a donation.  Through others donations and my match donations ( I will make a $2 matching donation for every $1 in donations I receive) I have raised $450 in the first week!  These funds will be going towards 20 projects within Canada to help support Men’s Mental Health, Prostate Cancer & Testicular Cancer Research, click here to find out more.  The beard and moustache is coming in slowly and is probably not the nicest looking right now, but it has been a great conversation starter with people about why I give back.  Check back again next week to see more progress pictures. 

Team Donation

During these uncertain times our opportunity to volunteer as frequently as we'd like to has been interrupted.  While we cant wait to get back out to support our local community RBC recognized how much we missed our community involvement and gave us the opportunity to make a donation to our charity of choice.  Our team pooled our donations together and chose to support The Central Okanagan Food Bank.  We know how hard this company works to help provide our community with the food it needs and we couldn't be more excited to make this donation. 

RBC Blood Drive

Last week, Curtis along with a number of other employees from our RBC Dominion Securities office took part in their second blood drive of the year.  It was a lot of fun and our team will continue to look for opportunities to give back to the community through this difficult year.

RBC Commits $1.5 Million of Support

To help fight systemic anti-Black racism and to provide support directly to Black communities, RBC has committed CAD $1.5 million to a number of organizations in North America.

“RBC colleagues around the world will not stand by silently as we witness the ongoing racial discrimination and injustice in our communities,” said Dave McKay, President and Chief Executive Officer, RBC. “We must work harder to stop continued and systemic anti-Black racism, and the hate and discrimination that persists. And we must continue to speak up for inclusion. The Black community needs our collective voice and action now more than ever.” click here to read more on this!

Happy Mother's Day

For many, Mother’s day this year will be celebrated a little bit different, with many people having to stay home and celebrate with only the members of their household. Our team is excited to share that for Mother’s Day we have made a donation on behalf of all you. Mamas For Mamas is a local organization who supports mothers and caregivers in crisis by providing ongoing support to individuals and families facing various poverty-related struggles. We hope that your weekend is filled with sun, fun and family and that you all have a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend.

E for a Tree

In celebration of Earth Day 2020, together with the RBC Foundation, we are pleased to announce our partnership with Tree Canada.

We will plant a tree in your honour through Tree Canada’s National Greening Program when you do any of the following:

Enrol in DS Online to quickly and easily access your important account information, send and receive secure messages from us, and much more – all through your computer, tablet or mobile device.

Switch to paperless eDocuments to safely view your account statements, tax documents, trade confirmations and more through DS Online, instead of receiving printed copies in the mail.

Set up online banking so you can transfer the funds you need between DS Online and RBC Online Banking, without ever having to leave your home.

By switching to eDocuments, you can help achieve our goal of reducing our paper production by 1,547.75 metric tonnes. Plus we will plant a tree in your honour when you switch before August 30, 2020.

It’s easy to get set up for our online services. Simply contact us and we will walk you through the process.

 They Still Need Donations

As we continue to go through unprecedented times both economically and socially our team is still working hard find ways to give back and support the community. This week Curtis continued his commitment to supporting our health care system by doing his second donation of the year. Even during times like these the need for blood donations continues. If you are interest at all about learning how to donate please go to https://blood.ca/en

 129th Salvation Army Kettle Campaign

On December 18th our team alongside Premier Banker, Jessica Dhami and Dominion Securities Assistant Branch Manager, Rebecca Ashley, rang bells and greeted customers at the Mission Park Save On Foods for the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign. The annual fundraiser seeks donations from the public to help The Salvation Army assist millions of people living in poverty.  With one in seven Canadians struggling to make ends meet, The salvation Army relies on this fundraising campaign to feed, clothe, shelter and empower those in need. We were so excited to take park in this years campaign and had so much fun we hope to be able to volunteer again next year!  Its been a wonderful holiday season volunteering our time in ways that directly give back to our community.

 A.S. Matheson Hot Dog Lunch

On December 12th our team along with Premier Banker Jessica Dhami sponsored a Hot Dog Lunch at A.S. Matheson Elementary so that every student and faculty member could enjoy a hot lunch. While there are programs in place all year round to ensure every student has food while at school, not every student has the opportunity to participate in the hot lunch program.  We were excited to be able to bring a BBQ, 350 hot dogs and juice boxes so that everyone could enjoy lunch, it was great to meet so many faculty and students.  A big thank you to the school for the lovely poster which is proudly hung in our staff lunch room  Other exciting news about our wonderful involvement with A.S. Matheson Elementary is that ourselves and the entire Kelowna RBC Dominion Securities has sponsored 4 families from the school to help provide a wonderful Christmas! 

 Central Okanagan Food Bank Christmas Hampers

Over 2 weeks in November, we held a fundraiser at our RBC Dominion Securities office and are excited to share that we collected $1935.00 as well as 198 lbs of non-perishable food items for the Central Okanagan Food Bank.  Our team as well as some colleagues got to volunteer at the Central Okanagan Food Bank to sort food, prepare hampers as well as help members of our community pick up their hampers for the holidays.  It's amazing to be able to give back to an amazing organization that does so much for our local community!

 WE Day 2019 – Vancouver

WE Charity is an international charity and educational partner. The WE organization is unique in that it operates collaborative programs both domestically and internationally. Curtis was selected to attend We Day Vancouver last week that saw 20,000 students from across the province come together for the day at Rogers Arena to celebrate their accomplishments and impact in their communities. Tickets to this event can not be bought but must be earned by each student. The day involved musical performances and inspirational speeches to inspire the youth to dream big.

 Mamas for Mamas 5th Annual Gala

Our team was excited to be one of the sponsors for the 5th annual gala to raise money for Mamas for Mamas. Mamas for Mamas is a charitable organization that supports mothers in crisis and provides ongoing support to low income mamas and their kids. The event over the weekend raised over $300,000 dollars for their Mamas At Risk Poverty Relief Programs. It was amazing to be able to attend the event and see this amount of generosity on display.

 A.S Matheson Scholastics Book Fair

Marisa was excited to join fellow RBC colleagues at A.S Matheson Elementary School for their semi-annual Scholastics Book Fair this week. RBC and PH&N Had 4 employees volunteer to assist the school with their book fair by helping set up books, taking payments for sales, and helping provide recommendations to students about fun books and accessories to pick up! It was incredible to see all the excitement of the students about the new books, bookmarks, posters and accessories they were picking up to take home. We look forward to assisting with more book fairs and other areas of the school in the near future.

 Time for Another Donation

I did my seventh donation at the Canadian Blood Bank. This was a routine that I started last year and since starting I have realized how many people within my life have had to rely on some form of a blood transfusion. Cancer patients, transplant recipients, accident victims, for these people and so many more, a timely transfusion of blood can be the lifesaving difference. Half of all Canadians will either need blood or know someone who needs it and the need for blood donations is constant.

 Kelowna BMX

As another season draws to an end we reflect back on the fun times had by all the 150+ riders at the track over the course of 2019. We are proud to have once again sponsor Kelowna BMX this year which is run 100% by volunteers. Jason's son Kai, as well as all the other riders, is looking forward to another exciting season in 2020.

 Learning The Fastest Growing Sport

With Pickleball being the fastest growing sport we thought it would be fun for the team to learn a little something about it.  A huge thank you to a couple awesome clients who took time out of their day to show us the ropes of this new sport.  As a team we went over and checked out the Kelowna Parkinson Rec Centre's courts where multiple matches were underway, we took to our own court to begin practicing our serve and returns with hopes to have a few small rallys.  By the end of our lesson we were able to play 3 games as a team, even rallying for a few seconds each game.  We look forward to playing again in the future and we can't thank our clients enough for a super fun afternoon!

 Second annual HOMEBASE Charity Slo-Pitch

The Gorges Comeau HOMEBASE Charity Slo-Pitch Tournament was back on the 2019 Canada Day long weekend. We were happy to participate in such a great event hosted by hometown heroes, hockey stars Josh Gorges and Blake Comeau. The events over the week were able to raise over $212,000 for JoeAnna’s House. To find out more details about the event and JoeAnne’s House please check out this press release from the KGH Foundation.

 Average Players Who Give A Puck

Over the weekend I took part in a local hockey tournament with 20 other professionals around Kelowna. Through sponsorships and live auction this group was able to raise $13,000 to United Way Community Fund. Take a look at the article for full details.

 Bleed Time

Do you like to give back to your community while receiving free cookies and juice? I do and that is why in April I was able to make my second donation of the year to the Canadian Blood Services bringing my total number of donations to 6 since I started last year. I recently was made aware that a few of my clients have over 100 donations to their name and they continue to inspire me to keep going. If you every want to find out more about how important these donations are please go to https://www.blood.ca/en

    Wear Pink and Speak Up for Inclusion

 

On April 10, Our team is all wearing pink in support of International Pink Day. We do this to raise awareness and take a stand against all forms of bullying. Pink Day has been formally recognized at RBC for almost 10 years and this year’s theme, Forever Pink, highlights our longstanding commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace.

 40 for 40 Challenge

To celebrate their 40th anniversary the Kelowna Gospel Mission put a challenge out to get 40 Kelowna businesses to serve dinner to those in need. On Monday March 18, 2019 a group from RBC took part in the “40 for 40” challenge. Businesses that took up the challenge would pay $500 to cover the cost of a meal at the emergency shelter and their employees would serve the food. Our team prepared and served 200 meals.

Heather Vanderhyde and Brittany Golsof raised money at the branch level through donations and Brittany’s mom handmade toques for “hats for the homeless” that were for sale by donation. People could purchase a hat for $5 for themselves or they could purchase the hat and donate it back. They raised $220 just from the sale of these hats alone and more than $500 in total. RBC not only took part in the 40 for 40 challenge but they also purchased men’s socks, boxers and sweatpants, and donated 2 bags of hats.

In addition RBC donated $1000 and provided a large group of volunteers. Marisa participated in preparing 200 meals served at the Kelowna Gospel Mission on Monday evening. It was a great success and incredibly eye opening to see what goes into preparing those meals served by the Gospel Mission each and every day.

 

 RBC Employee Food Drive 

For the last two weeks of February we organized a RBC employee food drive across all branch and office in Kelowna for the Central Okanagan Food Bank.  Once all the food was collected the two of us along with eight of our colleagues from the different business units went to the Central Okanagan Food Bank after hours to weight and sort the food that they had collect.  In total over the two week period RBC was able to raise $6,047.25 to go along with 440 lbs of food.

A little about the Central Okanagan Food Bank

The Central Okanagan Food Bank (COFB), comprised of the Kelowna and West Kelowna locations distribute over $4,500,000 in food per year. We do not receive support from the Government, therefore we rely on the generosity of the community to support the work we do throughout the year.

  • We serve approx. 4,000 individuals every month, and in upwards of 100 households per day
  • 33% of those we serve are under the age of 15, 12% are seniors on a fixed income, and 22% are on disability.
  • 70% of our client base work however, they struggle to make ends meet due to the high cost of living, and low wages.
  • The average family receives enough food to last about 7-9 days. If you think about how much food your family requires in one week, you'll get a small glimpse into how much food is required to assist 4,000 people every month. For example, every 30 days the Central Okanagan Food Bank will supply a family in need with approx. 25-30 non-perishable food items (soups, cereal, canned meats, peanut butter, crackers, etc), fresh produce (yes fresh - potatoes, carrots, onions and any other in-season vegetables we can get our hands on), as well as frozen meat, eggs, and fresh dairy.
  • On top of our daily walk-in clients, the Central Okanagan Food Bank also provides food to 40 other local non for profits including: CMHA, the Foundry, Karis Society, the Gospel Mission, the Boys & Girls Club, UBCO's Food Cupboard, Kelowna Community Resources, the John Howard Society, United Way, the Salvation Army, the Kelowna Women's Shelter, and Mamas for Mamas (among many many others), we also support the Breakfast Program in over 30 schools.
  • COFB has amazing partnerships with a few of our local grocery stores, and in doing so have a buying power of 3 to 1 - meaning for every $1.00 donated we can purchase $3.00 worth of food.

Blood Donation 

In 2018 I started to donate blood as one of the ways we were going to support and give back to the community.  I have decided to keep this going in 2019 and made my first donation of 2019 today.  Canadian Blood Services is consistently looking for more donors and this is an easy way to help out people in your community.  I have received numerous messages from friends, family and clients telling me their stories about how Canadian Blood Services have helped them during difficult health situations.  The process is quick and easy, the staff at the clinic is extremely friendly, and the snacks after are delicious.  If you are ever interested in donating blood, I recommend you check out their website https://blood.ca/en

Making The Holidays A Little More Special

This year our family decided to try and make the holidays a little more special for another family in the Okanagan.  We decided to sponsor a family through the wonderful organization MAMAS for MAMAS.  As parents we want to show our children that some of the most enjoyable moments in life are not when you receive a gift but instead when you are able to give one.  It was great to see how excited our 3 year old daughter was to help pick out gifts and help wrap them up to give away.  Getting everything together over the last few weeks (gifts & groceries) has really brought the holiday spirit out in our family and it was a joy to see that we were able to make this time of year a little more special for another family in our community. 

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

The Grainger Family

Local RBC Dominion Securities teams makes substantial commitment to JoeAnna's House

It is truly amazing to work in such a great office filled with amazing people wanting to make our community a better place each day.

Please click here to read the article posted in KelownaNow

 

 

 

Blood Donation

Today, I made my 4th blood donation of 2018. As I walked in there was a sign that shows how powerful a simple donation can be.

Gorges Comeau HOMEBASE Charity Slo-Pitch Tournament

 We were excited to participate on Team RBC Dominion Securities this year at the inaugural Gorges Comeau HOMEBASE Charity Slo-Pitch Tournament that kicked off the Canada Day long weekend. This annual tournament supports JoeAnna’s House, a home away from home at Kelowna General Hospital for families travelling for care. We had a lot of fun and look forward to participating in this event next year.

Ronald McDonald House Interior Charity Tournament

2018 was the first year that Curtis took part in the Ronald McDonald House Interior Charity Tournament. This event was the 11th annual and the entire event raised over $50,000 to go toward Ronald McDonald House Charity. Curtis had a lot of fun and hopes to be able to do it again next year.

JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes

For the second straight year we were proud to participate in the JDRF walk to cure diabetes at Mission Creek Park in Kelowna.  The walk is to raise money for the fight against Type 1 Diabetes.

Blood Donation

 One of our ongoing goals is to continue to find ways to give back to our community. We do not want to only give back financially but look for other ways we can donate. We are proud to say in January 2018, I made our first donation to the Kelowna Blood Bank. We plan to keep this as a regular routine moving forward and making donations on a quarterly basis. If you are also interested in becoming a blood donor please look at the link below to Canadian Blood Service and find out how you can donate.

“it’s in you to give”

https://blood.ca/en

Pickleball

We are a proud sponsor of Pickleball Canada Nationals 2018 which will be hosted in Kelowna July 6-8th. Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in North America and one that many of our clients enjoy playing. Good luck to all participants at the 2018 Canadian Nationals.

 

Cycle for Strong Kids

 On Sunday May 27th, Curtis and along with the rest of team RBC joined 27 teams from local businesses, individual riders, and YMCA Members & Staff came together to Cycle for Strong Kids. This event raises money to help low-income kids and families access the YMCA and get healthy in mind, body and spirit. The day included an Olympic kick off with Kelsey Serwa and Julia Ransom, an amazing silent auction, a huge raffle and all the teams putting their pedal power to the max in an outdoor spin class. This event in one day RAISED OVER $85,000.

RBC Training Ground

What an amazing day we got to spend with young athletes measuring their Power, Endurance, Strength and Speed. Any Youth from the age of 14-25 were eligible to participate in qualifying rounds in 10 provinces across Canada. Top talent from each event will be invited to regionals for next stages of qualifying rounds.

RBC Training Group: RBC, in partnership with CBC, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Olympic Foundation (COF), is leading the search for Canada's next great Olympian through a new program --RBC Training Ground. Through RBC Training Ground and the next generation athlete program, RBC and the COF will invest more resources to help identify, develop and support Team Canada's next generation of athletes.

RBC Training Ground will help find undiscovered athletes with podium potential. We will provide them with funding and support to help fuel their Olympic dreams.

Juvenile Diabetes

In June of 2017, Jason and Curtis along with employees from the RBC retail branches and RBC commercial banking came together to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at the JDRF Walk for a Cure.  Together we raised a whopping $5,430.

BMX

Jason and Curtis are proud sponsors of The Kelowna BMX Club. They take great pride in helping a sport that is completely run by volunteers, shares their same values and has been impactful in their children’s lives. The Kelowna BMX club supports 150+ riders ranging from 2 to as old as 50.

Heart and Stroke

In May of 2017 we were a part of Team RBC in the Big Bike Ride in Kelowna. The Big Bike Ride raises money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.