Tag: United Way

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Alberta Economic Entertainment Ft Mac

Fire Aid Event Wood Buffalo Rocks Raises Around $2 Million, Proceeds Go To United Way

The Fire Aid event Wood Buffalo Rocks was a smashing success, and the United Way can definitely use the proceeds to help out members of the community in need and those who have lost most if not all of their property and belongings because of the wildfire that swept through Wood Buffalo. Many who were evacuated came home to nothing, with everything destroyed or turned into ash. Fire Aid for Fort McMurray was a benefit concert held on June 30, 2106 in Edmonton at the Commonwealth Stadium. Wood Buffalo residents could watch the entire event for free though, right at MacDonald Island Park. The event sold over 30,000 tickets and the United Way is expected to receive around $2 million as a result.

After the Wood Buffalo Rocks Fire Aid event the local director for the United Way, Diane Shannon, expressed her patriotism and pride in her country, saying “The spirit of Canada has never been stronger and deeper. On Canada Day, I hope you sing O Canada as you’ve never sung it before.” Mayor Melissa Blake addressed the Edmonton crowd at the stadium and told them “I love the crowd. I love the energy. I love what’s happening. Absolutely outstanding. We love you right back.” There si no denying that the residents of Wood Buffalo could use a little entertainment after their forced evacuation and everything else that they have gone through recently. The event was a welcome break from the process of recovering and rebuilding, and the residents needed a little time off with some great distractions.

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Economic Ft Mac

Fort McMurray United Way is Seeing Record Funding Requests Due to Poor Economy

United Way, funding requests

The United Way in Fort McMurray is seeing record funding requests because of the poor economy in the region. Last month the United Way in Wood Buffalo launched a fund raising campaign with the goal of raising $8 million, and so far the agency has received financial requests for 2016 that total around $7.5 million, an increase that the agency believes is tied to the poor economy in the area. Executive Director for the local United Way, Diane Shannon, explained . “This is excessive. It absolutely is a large leap. We’re hearing from the folks that are providing services about the need for family counselling and children’s counselling… as (families) are dealing with the stresses that the changes in job situations and our economy is (creating).”

In 2015 the United Way has helped fund 26 community groups, and 32 groups have asked for funding in 2016 so far. Shannon told the media that “There are important programs that we’re considering that are reaching out to us for the first time ever, or the first time in a number of years.” Shannon also said “We have such positive energy from the folks that are leading the campaigns in the various workplaces around the community. We are getting really great, positive engagement. The folks that are hearing the message understand the need, they see the value in the community, and we just need to keep working away.” Right now the unemployment rate for the Wood Buffalo region is around 6%, and that has led to many requests for help from various agencies.

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Ft Mac

United Way of Fort MacMurray Invites Local Songwriters for Theme Song Competition

United Way, Fort MacMurray
United Way, Fort MacMurray

The United Way of Fort MacMurray is inviting local songwriters for the theme song competition that the organization is holding. The theme for the song competition is Change Starts Here, and the United Way is looking for a unique and catchy theme song that people will remember and that will catch on quickly. According to Communications and Community Impact.Director Russel Thomas “We’ve launched this idea of getting local songwriters to play around with that phrase, (Change Starts Here), and turning it into a song in hopes we can use it as the theme song for our 2015 Community Campaign. We found this year, that using video to tell the story of a couple of our agencies — we have three different Seeing Is Believing videos and an overall campaign video — the investment of time and effort into making those videos has been unbelievably successful. It cuts through in a way that is really, really powerful, and we’re hoping the music component does that as well.”

Fort MacMurray residents and local songwriters have until November 7 to submit their creations, and 3 finalists will be chosen by the United Way of Fort MacMurray to perform. Guests at the event will decide which of the 3 finalists win the top spot. Thomas went on to say that “These (VIPs) are the folks that are so passionate about the United Way. So getting them involved in the selection process just makes a whole lot of sense because they’re the most invested in what this is all about. And that includes the (member) agencies as well, because they’ll be at that event. It’s an opportunity for local songwriters and musicians to find a way of tapping into what the United Way campaign is all about and using their talents to do that. I suspect we’ll have a variety of different genres at the end of the day. I’m sure we’ll have a few rap selections, certainly some more folksy-type performers, and possibly some country as well.”