From more than 2,000 ideas submitted across the nation, Aviva Canada Inc today announced the eight winning entries for the first ever Aviva Community Fund – a unique competition designed to lead, empower and support positive change in communities across the country.
Launched in October 2009, the heart of the Aviva Community Fund was centred around an online portal – www.avivacommunityfund.org – where Canadians were asked to submit ideas and vote for things that they would like to change at a local or national level. After several rounds of voting to identify Canada’s most popular causes, the Top 25 ideas were presented to an impartial panel of judges who evaluated the entries and inevitably made the tough decision of recommending which ideas would receive funding.
Mirroring Canada’s cultural diversity and celebrating that no two communities are exactly the same, the Aviva Community Fund’s winning ideas come from as far East as Malpeque, Prince Edward Island, and as far West as Burnaby, British Columbia – making a total six stops in between.
“The team at Aviva has been truly inspired by Canada’s passion for positive change, with communities proposing over 2,000 ideas and casting more than two million votes over the course of the competition,” said Maurice Tulloch, president and CEO, Aviva Canada. “The success of this program reinforces our commitment to leading positive change in both the insurance industry and in the communities where our customers, employees, brokers and partners live, work and play.”
Aviva Canada congratulates the winners of the Aviva Community Fund:
- Big Iieas (C$50,000 – C$250,000)
- Building a lodge for Camp Triumph: Malpeque, PEI – Camp Triumph is an adventure camp for kids from families living with chronic illness. The Aviva Community Fund will enable this camp to build a lodge for indoor activities and therapy programs.
- Make Our Dream A Reality: Burnaby, BC – A communal playground shared by several schools, including the BC School for the Deaf, is in dire need of a makeover. Funding from the Aviva Community Fund will enable this community to rebuild the playground with equipment suitable for children with special needs.
- “Prison Yard” Playground: Brantford, ON – The Aviva Community Fund will enable the King George School to finish rebuilding playground structures, including an outdoor learning centre.
- Scouting’s No One Left Behind: National – the No One Left Behind program was established in 2007 to ensure that financial barriers were not an issue for Canadian children interested in scouting. The funding from Aviva Canada will help the Scouts Canada Foundation provide girls and boys from low-income families the opportunity to belong to a group that teaches important life skills, self esteem and community service.
- Medium ideas (C$10,000 – C$50,000)
- Joe’s Place – Hungry for Hope: Moose Jaw, SK – Joe’s Place Youth centre provides guidance, support, and work skills training for at-risk youth. The funding from Aviva Canada will be used to build a kitchen for Joe’s Place as well as install equipment and update the youth centre’s social areas.
- Noël vert pour tous: Montreal, PQ – the Consortium Evolution is a not-for-profit organization that develops innovative and environmentally friendly solutions. With the funding from Aviva Canada, Consortium Evolution plans to collect unused holiday toys from Quebec-based schools in an effort to conserve the valuable energy and resources that were consumed in their production.
- Small ideas (up to C$10,000)
- Charity Champs: Toronto, ON –Charity CHAMPS will build a new online community for Canadians aged 13-25 that nurtures and develops socially responsible attitudes in youth through microphilanthropy.
- Théâtre Multimédia: Montreal, PQ – this unique arts program will provide 50 low-income schools within the Point-de-l’Ile School board, the opportunity to attend and participate in local theatrical arts initiatives.
