2019 EASTER SEALS COMMUNITY PARTNER AWARD

Charlottetown, PEI, September 8, 2019 – Easter Seals Canada is pleased to honour Danny and Martie Murphy of D.P. Murphy Inc., based in Charlottetown, PEI, with a 2019 Easter Seals Canada Community Partner Award. The award was presented to Danny at an event, hosted by The Hon. Antoinette Perry, Lieutenant Governor of PEI, at Government House.

The Community Partner Award is presented to outstanding community organizations or individuals who have demonstrated excellence in partnering with Easter Seals to promote access and inclusion, as well as enhance the independence, well-being and quality of life of Canadians living with disabilities.

Danny and Martie Murphy are owners and operators of over 30 award-winning Tim Horton’s locations, 28 Wendy’s Restaurants, as well as 13 hotels including Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Suites, and Four Points hotels across Eastern Canada. They are big believers in giving back to the communities where they do business, and over the past 40 years, have raised close to
$1M dollars for Easter Seals recipients and their families in PEI through corporate sponsorship, as well as participation and fundraising at various events on the island.

Most notably, Danny has been the “driving force” behind the Tim Horton’s Easter Seals Ambassador Tour program. Each year, an Easter Seals delegation – consisting of the Easter Seals PEI Ambassador and their family, members of the Easter Seals PEI Committee, various local sponsors, Rotarians and local media – all board a bus for a six-day tour of all schools in PEI. In preparation for the visit from the Easter Seals delegation, students from each local school participate in a variety of fundraising activities to raise donations for Easter Seals PEI. Not only is the six-day school tour a remarkable event and a life-changing experience for the Easter Seals ambassador, it is also a highlight in the calendar for many schools and an important opportunity for students to build awareness and understanding of disability and accessibility issues, and to take action and show their support through the fundraising activities. With support from Janice Blacquiere of D.P. Murphy Inc., this program has grown exponentially in the last 25 years. In 2018 alone, the tour raised over $40,000.