Greetings Good People,
Spring is beginning to spring here in what used to be called "Toronto the Good' and 'Toronto the Clean'. With a high of ten or eleven degrees Celsius yesterday and today, much of the snow and ice is beginning to melt, leaving behind an awful lot of... dirt. This isn't just normal dirt like the kind you used to dig up in your backyard as a kid. This isn't just bits of gravel or sand used by the snow clearing trucks when they're salting the roads. This is dirt of all kinds.
This is dog dirt that people thought they would just leave because it was cold and no one would notice anyway in the snow. It is actual garbage that people didn't bother to throw in a bin . It is cigarette butts, pop cans, fast food packaging, lost gloves, windshield fluid bottles, and probably anything else that you can think of. This is the kind of garbage that makes cities in developing nations smell (I know; I've been there). However, they are developing nations, we live in what is supposed to be one of the richest nations in the world. We have one of the highest standards of living in the world and we're throwing garbage around as if we live in a sty. Clearly I am not impressed with my fellow citizens lately.
This brings me to my point today: with spring springing and garbage polluting our rivers and lakes (and just about everything else in the GTA), it is time once again to start thinking about Earth Week, which happens once a year, and during that week, the World Wildlife Fund in Canada holds their major fundraiser for the year. They challenge people to raise money and climb the stairs in the CN Tower. There are 1776 stairs. This is (strangely enough) not quite as hard as it may sound. It's not easy, but it's doable. Even for me. I've done it probably ten times now. This year the team challenge is on Thursday, April 26th. Here is a link to the website if you'd like more info.
Some of you will be getting personal invitations to sponsor me (because you know me personally and I have your email addresses), however, if any of you who may not know me very well would like to sponsor me, I've included a link below.
It seems that everyone is talking about the environment these days. It has become a very popular topic, especially since Al Gore did his little presentation about it. The WWF has been working to protect wildlife and wild spaces for years. They have been fighting the reduction of wilderness; they have been fighting to protect the coral reefs; they have been working hard to protect spaces in which indigenous plants and animals may continue to exist without fear of extinction. This is not new to them. They've been working on this for years. They are not extremists, like some people believe Greenpeace and PETA are. If you'd like to review their record for yourselves, please visit their website www.wwf.ca.
This is a link to my page if you'd like to sponsor me: Please Sponsor Lesley. I would greatly appreciate any support (including emotional!) you may be able to give.
Drive safe peeps,
Showing posts with label Charity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charity. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Complaints
Hi,
I have received a complaint or two recently that I have not been posting of late. For this, I must apologize (the lack of the posting, not the complaints obviously). I have no exciting excuses; I've just been busy being me. Sometimes that's more difficult than others. Recently, it's been difficult. I won't go into details; some of you will understand, others won't. Those of you who don't: trust me, you don't want to.
So, one of the complaints I received was regarding the lack of a post about the Easter Seals 24 Hour Relay. So here are my thoughts: it wasn't a bad time. The event took place at a new venue this year and it was downtown (as opposed to Etobicoke) so that was cool. I did not get a sunburn (for like the first time ever!), so that was also cool. The course was a fair amount shorter so I was walking about for less time, and others were running in shorter times. I actually enjoyed my dinner this year (it was penne pasta with a lovely red sauce). There were other differences as well, but the biggest difference was in the number of participants.
The first time I participated in this event was in either '99 or '00 (sorry, I can't remember exactly) and there were so many people at the park that we could barely all fit in the stands at Centennial Park in Etobicoke. There were at least a thousand people there at 9am on Saturday morning for the opening ceremonies. I don't know the exact numbers, but there had to be close to fifty teams of twenty people each. Over the years, that number has gotten smaller and smaller. This year, I would be surprised if there were thirty teams there. I doubt that there were three hundred people at the opening ceremonies and there were even fewer at the closing ceremonies.
So, why do we suppose that is? Well, for one thing, the date of the event was two weeks later this year. There were several different events happening downtown that weekend. Okay, there were three, but still. They were still happening downtown. There were dragon boat races at harbour front on the same day as the relay. The sort of people who are young and energetic and 'joiners' might have already committed to the dragon boat races. The last weekend in June is a prime wedding date. There was more than one person not on our team just for that reason alone. I'm not sure why they changed the date, but they did. However, the date is probably not the only reason people have stopped coming to the 24 hour relay.
I think it's gotten old. It's 14 or 15 years old and the market is now saturated with 'fun' fundraising events. This one may have been new and exciting when it started, but it's not anymore. The people who were around 'partying with a purpose' when it began are all growing up and they have kids who have things to do now. They probably can't commit a whole weekend to this kind of event anymore. For the past few years, the people on our team have been coming and going over the course of the event because they can't commit to the entire 24 hours, and many of them don't even have kids yet. Unfortunately, I think this event may have run its course and the Easter Seals people might have to come up with a different event soon to replace it. There are too many fundraisers and this one requires too much of a commitment from people. Unless they (the Easter Seals people) can tap into a whole new generation of partyers, this one is going to continue to decrease in size and scope and will soon not be worth the effort to stage.
As icing on the cake of the weekend, the team from Schulich/Osgoode cheated on their numbers of laps and got away with it. That of course takes all the fun out of the competition for those of us who do not cheat. Seriously folks, who cheats at a charity event?
All in all, it was fun, but I think its days are numbered.
Peace out peeps,
Lesle
I have received a complaint or two recently that I have not been posting of late. For this, I must apologize (the lack of the posting, not the complaints obviously). I have no exciting excuses; I've just been busy being me. Sometimes that's more difficult than others. Recently, it's been difficult. I won't go into details; some of you will understand, others won't. Those of you who don't: trust me, you don't want to.
So, one of the complaints I received was regarding the lack of a post about the Easter Seals 24 Hour Relay. So here are my thoughts: it wasn't a bad time. The event took place at a new venue this year and it was downtown (as opposed to Etobicoke) so that was cool. I did not get a sunburn (for like the first time ever!), so that was also cool. The course was a fair amount shorter so I was walking about for less time, and others were running in shorter times. I actually enjoyed my dinner this year (it was penne pasta with a lovely red sauce). There were other differences as well, but the biggest difference was in the number of participants.
The first time I participated in this event was in either '99 or '00 (sorry, I can't remember exactly) and there were so many people at the park that we could barely all fit in the stands at Centennial Park in Etobicoke. There were at least a thousand people there at 9am on Saturday morning for the opening ceremonies. I don't know the exact numbers, but there had to be close to fifty teams of twenty people each. Over the years, that number has gotten smaller and smaller. This year, I would be surprised if there were thirty teams there. I doubt that there were three hundred people at the opening ceremonies and there were even fewer at the closing ceremonies.
So, why do we suppose that is? Well, for one thing, the date of the event was two weeks later this year. There were several different events happening downtown that weekend. Okay, there were three, but still. They were still happening downtown. There were dragon boat races at harbour front on the same day as the relay. The sort of people who are young and energetic and 'joiners' might have already committed to the dragon boat races. The last weekend in June is a prime wedding date. There was more than one person not on our team just for that reason alone. I'm not sure why they changed the date, but they did. However, the date is probably not the only reason people have stopped coming to the 24 hour relay.
I think it's gotten old. It's 14 or 15 years old and the market is now saturated with 'fun' fundraising events. This one may have been new and exciting when it started, but it's not anymore. The people who were around 'partying with a purpose' when it began are all growing up and they have kids who have things to do now. They probably can't commit a whole weekend to this kind of event anymore. For the past few years, the people on our team have been coming and going over the course of the event because they can't commit to the entire 24 hours, and many of them don't even have kids yet. Unfortunately, I think this event may have run its course and the Easter Seals people might have to come up with a different event soon to replace it. There are too many fundraisers and this one requires too much of a commitment from people. Unless they (the Easter Seals people) can tap into a whole new generation of partyers, this one is going to continue to decrease in size and scope and will soon not be worth the effort to stage.
As icing on the cake of the weekend, the team from Schulich/Osgoode cheated on their numbers of laps and got away with it. That of course takes all the fun out of the competition for those of us who do not cheat. Seriously folks, who cheats at a charity event?
All in all, it was fun, but I think its days are numbered.
Peace out peeps,
Lesle
Friday, May 05, 2006
I Climbed the Tower in 47:51.5!!!
Hi everyone,
I survived my annual trek up the 1,776 stairs in the CN Tower (yes, you read that right, 1,776). This was my first climb as a non-smoker, but that did not improve my time in any way. In fact, I was about 5 minutes slower this year than last. However, I do not race up the tower to prove anything; I climb the tower to raise money and awareness for the World Wildlife Fund of Canada and in this, I believe I succeed.
So, since it takes me a while to get to the top of the tower, I had a little time to think as people were rushing past me; striving to attain personal bests (I'm actually beginning to recognize some of them since we see each other every year at the corporate challenge [and I have a freakishly good memory for that sort of thing]). So, back to my thinking...
At the corporate challenge, there were 350 teams of 4 people each. That's 1400 people (give or take) climbing the tower in a few hours. The stairway is like a normal fire exit stairwell. It's metal and concrete. Not very well ventilated. I think there are about 143 flights (give or take). There are St. John's Ambulance people stationed every 10 flights (or so) in case of medical emergencies. The WWF people tape children's artwork to the walls at almost every landing on the way up in an effort to liven the atmosphere and encourage us, which is kind of nice.
Anyway, back to my thoughts: It struck me that there were more than 1500 relative strangers gathered together for a common purpose. Yes, it's a little bit different when you're doing the corporate climb than when you're doing the public climb, but there are still a whole whack of strangers clambering around you, getting in your way, breathing heavily and generally crowding your space.
If you take the subway (or any other form of public transit) you probably come into contact with a number of strangers every day who are rushing to get somewhere and are sharing the space you're using. I've been there; I'm sure almost all of us have. I live in Toronto, which is not a bad place for manners... but it's not the best anymore either. When you're on the subway (or streetcar or whatever) you're mostly in your own space (this has only been exaggerated in recent years by the proliference of Ipods and their ilk) and while you're not necessarily going to be rude, you're not going to strike up a conversation with anyone either. If (God forbid) you make eye contact with someone, it's hasty and almost embarassing and you quickly turn away after the briefest of barely noticeable nods.
However, this strange detachment does not exist when one is climbing the CN Tower. It's almost as if we're all one big team that has gathered together to do some good and have some fun while we're doing it. Wait! Wasn't that the purpose... strange though, that these could be the very same people that we studiously ignore on the subway on the way down to the Tower, and the next day on the way to work, but for those few hours, we are comrades and the camraderie is nice. People encourage each other. People are polite to each other and let others pass without nasty looks. People talk and share groans as they pass each other and then pass again. It's nice. Afterwards, there's a party where we're served dinner and people compare times and awards are handed out and a good time is had by all.
The reason I'm writing about this is that as I was gasping my way to the top this year (and taking much needed breaks every ten flights), I was thinking about the camraderie. It really doesn't take much for us to let our 'stranger' guards down and be nice to people we don't really know. I think it has something to do with the idea that we're 'in this together'; and there's something to be said for the safety of sharing with someone 'like us'. Someone who is willing to raise money for the WWF and climb the stinky stairs inside the CN Tower. Someone we may or may not see again next year. It often amazes me what we can do when we just try. This is going to sound really corny, but when we start to work together, and forget about the competition in life for a little while, we can accomplish so much in a fairly short period of time.
I'm sure I'll get back to this idea again. I'll be participating in the Labatt 24 Hour Relay for Easter Seals Kids again this year (that event usually raises around $425K) so I'll probably be thinking along these lines again.
Make sure you wish the O-Dawg a happy birthday this Saturday if you see him!
TTFN,
I survived my annual trek up the 1,776 stairs in the CN Tower (yes, you read that right, 1,776). This was my first climb as a non-smoker, but that did not improve my time in any way. In fact, I was about 5 minutes slower this year than last. However, I do not race up the tower to prove anything; I climb the tower to raise money and awareness for the World Wildlife Fund of Canada and in this, I believe I succeed.
So, since it takes me a while to get to the top of the tower, I had a little time to think as people were rushing past me; striving to attain personal bests (I'm actually beginning to recognize some of them since we see each other every year at the corporate challenge [and I have a freakishly good memory for that sort of thing]). So, back to my thinking...
At the corporate challenge, there were 350 teams of 4 people each. That's 1400 people (give or take) climbing the tower in a few hours. The stairway is like a normal fire exit stairwell. It's metal and concrete. Not very well ventilated. I think there are about 143 flights (give or take). There are St. John's Ambulance people stationed every 10 flights (or so) in case of medical emergencies. The WWF people tape children's artwork to the walls at almost every landing on the way up in an effort to liven the atmosphere and encourage us, which is kind of nice.
Anyway, back to my thoughts: It struck me that there were more than 1500 relative strangers gathered together for a common purpose. Yes, it's a little bit different when you're doing the corporate climb than when you're doing the public climb, but there are still a whole whack of strangers clambering around you, getting in your way, breathing heavily and generally crowding your space.
If you take the subway (or any other form of public transit) you probably come into contact with a number of strangers every day who are rushing to get somewhere and are sharing the space you're using. I've been there; I'm sure almost all of us have. I live in Toronto, which is not a bad place for manners... but it's not the best anymore either. When you're on the subway (or streetcar or whatever) you're mostly in your own space (this has only been exaggerated in recent years by the proliference of Ipods and their ilk) and while you're not necessarily going to be rude, you're not going to strike up a conversation with anyone either. If (God forbid) you make eye contact with someone, it's hasty and almost embarassing and you quickly turn away after the briefest of barely noticeable nods.
However, this strange detachment does not exist when one is climbing the CN Tower. It's almost as if we're all one big team that has gathered together to do some good and have some fun while we're doing it. Wait! Wasn't that the purpose... strange though, that these could be the very same people that we studiously ignore on the subway on the way down to the Tower, and the next day on the way to work, but for those few hours, we are comrades and the camraderie is nice. People encourage each other. People are polite to each other and let others pass without nasty looks. People talk and share groans as they pass each other and then pass again. It's nice. Afterwards, there's a party where we're served dinner and people compare times and awards are handed out and a good time is had by all.
The reason I'm writing about this is that as I was gasping my way to the top this year (and taking much needed breaks every ten flights), I was thinking about the camraderie. It really doesn't take much for us to let our 'stranger' guards down and be nice to people we don't really know. I think it has something to do with the idea that we're 'in this together'; and there's something to be said for the safety of sharing with someone 'like us'. Someone who is willing to raise money for the WWF and climb the stinky stairs inside the CN Tower. Someone we may or may not see again next year. It often amazes me what we can do when we just try. This is going to sound really corny, but when we start to work together, and forget about the competition in life for a little while, we can accomplish so much in a fairly short period of time.
I'm sure I'll get back to this idea again. I'll be participating in the Labatt 24 Hour Relay for Easter Seals Kids again this year (that event usually raises around $425K) so I'll probably be thinking along these lines again.
Make sure you wish the O-Dawg a happy birthday this Saturday if you see him!
TTFN,
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