2011 Donor Impact Report - Charity Focus

Working withCalgary Health TrustThe Hearts vs. Mindstournament is a communityevent that partners withCalgary Health Trust.Community events relyon the creativity andenthusiasm from peoplewho wish to raise moneyfor different areas of healthcare in our city.As community partners,Paul and Jason wereable to leverage CalgaryHealth Trust’s expertisein fundraising and receivesome helpful resourcesto run a successful golftournament fundraiser.They were also able touse the Team Fundraisingpages to engage ina friendly fundraisingcompetition and providetheir donors with charitabletax receipts, making it awin-win for employees andtheir units.When the therapists andnurses from the Tertiary NeuroRehabilitation program cameto support the Firefighters asthey took on the WheelchairSports Association’s (WSA)Inferno rugby team, they didn’tknow what to expect. Soon,they found themselves in a fullcontact game of rugby againstsome of their past patients.“It was really inspiring to seesome of our former patientswho battled through intenseHearts vs. MindsThe Hearts of Cardiac Sciences go heart to head againstthe Minds of Clinical Neurosciences in the first annualHearts vs. Minds tournament.When the Neurology andCardiac clinical teams startedthe Hearts vs. Minds golftournament, they thought itwas a good opportunity toengage staff from differentportfolios in an effort to bringrehabilitation to now truly excelin this competitive sport – andthere is no question that theyare exceptional athletes,”said Jason Knox. “Playing ina wheelchair was incrediblychallenging and by the end ofthe game my body felt it.”The challenge raised moneyfor Neuro Rehabilitation’s (Unit58) greatest needs. “For us,the donations to the unit arethe icing on the cake. We havemany patients who strugglethem together. Quickly theyhad 72 participants competingto raise money to see whichunit would claim the cup.“Rarely do our staff have theopportunity to participatein events that are acrossThough there is only one trophy, the staff from both CardiacSciences and Neurosciences win with the availability of neweducation opportunities.with devastating losses afterspinal cord injury and perhapslife in a wheelchair. Our team isthere to support them throughthis journey,” explainedJason. “It is so humbling andrewarding to see how talentedthese athletes are. We got toshare that with our currentpatients and see our formerpatients helping fundraise,not only for their association,but also for the programthat helped them in the veryunits,” said Paul Wright,Unit 58 Manager at FoothillsMedical Centre. “This friendlycompetition was a great wayto forge relationships and raisemoney.” According to Pauland Manager Jason Knox,one of the biggest advantagesthey’ve seen is team workand collaboration of clinicalstaff members betweendepartments and units acrossthe hospital.The money raised from theevent went towards creatingstaff education opportunities.“A lot of our staff educationand program developmenthas to come from privatefunding,” said Jason. “This isan opportunity for staff to usetheir charitable giving in a waythat will impact them directly.”Inspiring athletes spin circlesaround Firefightersbeginning. It has created someamazing role models for whatis possible, and continuesto help spinal cord injurysurvivors in the future.”The staff in NeuroRehabilitation assists newspinal cord injury patients tolive with their injuries. Partof their goal is to help thesepatients remain active in thecommunity, so reconnectingwith members of WSA is agreat partner in doing that.Athletes of WSA are not onlyadvocates raising moneyfor Neuro Rehabilitation, butthey are role models for whatis possible.22 Calgary Health Trust