NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Third annual Red Shirt Day celebrates Canadians with disabilities
May 31, 2021
Easter Seals Canada, along with Canadians from coast to coast, will mark the third annual Red Shirt Day in a show of solidarity for people and families living with disabilities on Wednesday, June 2, 2021.
First observed in 2019, Red Shirt Day is held on the Wednesday of National AccessAbility Week every year. The event helps to raise awareness about disability, accessibility and inclusion by creating a visible display of support for Canadians living with disabilities, celebrating their achievements and contributions to society, and inviting Canadians to engage with disability and accessibility issues.
Empowering more young adults with disabilities for success in the workplace and in life
April 26, 2021
Easter Seals Canada is pleased to announce that RBC Foundation is renewing its support for the program with a $450,000 contribution over the next 3 years (2021-2023). This will enable Easter Seals Canada and Easter Seals provincial members organizations to offer the program to more young adults in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.
CIBC Children’s Foundation helps create brighter futures for kids with disabilities
April 1, 2021
Between 2018 and 2020, CIBC Children’s Foundation contributed $150,000 to Easter Seals’ AccessAbility Program, which enabled Easter Seals to provide assistance to families in multiple provinces in acquiring vital and essential accessibility equipment and devices that their children require for daily life. For these children, accessibility and adaptive equipment, devices and technology can truly be a life-changer, and enables them to live, learn, and play safely, confidently and with dignity, and empowers them to pursue their dreams and aspirations.
CENTURY 21 Canada raises over $452,000 for Easter Seals in 2020 in spite of COVID19 pandemic
February 23, 2021
Easter Seals is pleased to announce that CENTURY 21 Companies and Network members in Canada raised over $452,000 for Easter Seals via its C21 Kids to Camp Program – aimed at enabling children with disabilities across Canada to attend one of Easter Seals inclusive and accessible camp programs. This is a remarkable achievements in light of the challenges and upheavals caused by the COVID19 pandemic in 2020, and is a testament to the commitment and generosity of the realtors, real estate agents, brokers and staff at CENTURY 21 Canada.
Author Candice O’Sullivan donates proceeds from sale of her new book, A New Way to Play, to Easter Seals
February 9, 2021
Author Candice O’Sullivan is donating the proceeds from the sale of 500 copies of her brand new children’s picture book, A New Way to Play, to Easter Seals to celebrate its publication and to give back to community. The book follows the story of 3 young friends who find different and more inclusive ways to play. When asked why she chose to donate to Easter Seals, she said,” Easter Seals spreads awareness and focuses on enriching people’s lives, particularly for people and families living with disabilities.”
Easter Seals Canada partners with Amway on Year-End Matching Gift Campaign
January 4, 2021
In December 2021, Easter Seals once again partnered with Amway Canada on its Year-End Matching Gift Campaign. Amway – a long-time corporate partner of Easter Seals – generously agreed to sponsor the campaign, for the second year in a row, by matching all donations made to Easter Seals in the month of December, dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $20,000. Thanks to the support from Amway and generosity of Canadians, Easter Seals quickly surpassed that goal: raising critical funds for Easter Seals programs and services in support of children, youth, adults and families living with disabilities across the country.
Booster Juice donates $10,000 to Easter Seals
December 3, 2020
Easter Seals Canada is pleased to announce that it has has received a $10,000 donation from Booster Juice. Earlier in November, Booster Juice had pledged to donated $1 to Easter Seals for every download of its brand new Booster Juice app that month, up to a maximum of $10,000. The app allows people to order Booster Juice smoothies and other menu items and either pick it up or have it delivered from the nearest Booster Juice outlet. The donation will be directed toward Easter Seals programs and services which enables Canadians living with disabilities to lead more independent and healthy lives, and participate fully in society.
Easter Seals teams up with UGO Wallet app
August 6, 2020
Easter Seals Canada is pleased to announce that it has teamed up with UGO Wallet to provide Canadians with a simple and easy way to support and fundraise for Easter Seals. Simply download the UGO Wallet app, set up an account to fundraise for Easter Seals, and start buying e-gift cards from a growing list of 30+ major Canadian merchants to pay for regular everyday purchases like groceries, online shopping, gas and restaurants. You get the full value of the gift card, while Easter Seals receives a donation!
Rogers Family Foundation supports individuals and families impacted by COVID19
June 15, 2020
Easter Seals Canada is pleased to receive a major gift from The Rogers Family Foundation, announced earlier today. The gift from the Rogers family will enable Easter Seals and its provincial organizations to provide support and assistance to more persons and families who are living with disability/with diverse abilities, particularly those who have been impacted by the ongoing pandemic.
Celebrating National AccessAbility Week 2020 with Red Shirt Day and Children’s Art Contest
May 27, 2020
Easter Seals Canada will once again be celebrating National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) by encouraging Canadians to wear red on the Wednesday of NAAW – June 3rd this year – to create a visible display of solidarity with people and families living with disabilities, and to affirm our individual and collective commitment to accessibility and inclusion. As part of Easter Seals’ NAAW celebrations, children are also being invited to submit their artistic vision of “An Inclusive and Accessible Canada for Everybody.”
Celebrating and acknowledging our volunteers across Canada during National Volunteer Week 2020, including special Volunteer Awards
April 20, 2020
Volunteers are the lifeblood of any organization and at Easter Seals, we are particularly grateful for the dedication and contribution of our many volunteers across Canada. The support and assistance of volunteers in various capacities are critical in helping Easter Seals achieve its mission and mandate. In tandem with National Volunteer Week 2020, it gives us great pleasure to recognize a number of special outstanding volunteers who have gone above and beyond in their contributions to Easter Seals.
Easter Seals Canada is part of coalition of Canadian charities appealing for support from Federal Government
March 27, 2020
Easter Seals Canada, along with Imagine Canada and over 150 other Canadian charities have formed a coalition to appeal for financial support from the Federal Government in order to assist Canada’s charitable sector in weathering the effects of COVID-19, and to ensure that charities continue to be able to provide vital programs and services for vulnerable peoples and communities across the country.
Announcements regarding COVID-19 coronavirus
March 16, 2020
As of March 16, 2020, the Easter Seals Canada office will be temporarily closed as a precautionary measure to protect the safety and well-being of our clients, volunteers, staff, partners and supporters – which remains our highest priority at all times. As the situation related to the COVID-19 coronavirus evolves, we will continue to monitor and assess the situation as it pertains to our operations, in tandem with recommended guidelines from governments and health authorities.
Easter Seals Canada’s AccessAbility Innovations Student Competition brings together young visionaries and inventors to showcase ideas and concepts with the potential to enhance the lives of people living with disabilities
March 12, 2020
Easter Seals Canada is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural Easter Seals AccessAbility Innovations Student Fair and Competition. Held in conjunction with the Community Conference, the Student Competition challenges students in grade 10 – 12 to propose a novel idea/concept for a product or application with the potential to enhance the lives of people living with disabilities.
Easter Seals Canada hosting community conference on March 11, 2020 to highlight issues and priorities for the disability community
February 11, 2020
Easter Seals Canada is inviting community members, families, government officials and representatives from the corporate, public and civic sectors to come together for a conference to discuss issues and identify actions to address pressing issues for the disability community. The day-long conference will be held at the MaRS Discovery District and feature a panel discussion that will be broadcast LIVE over the internet for participants that are unable to attend in person. Register today to reserve your spot at the conference!
CENTURY 21 Canada sets new all-time fundraising record in 2019 for its annual fundraising campaign for Easter Seals
February 5, 2020
CENTURY 21 Canada has been supporting Easter Seals since 1979, when it selected Easter Seals as its charity of choice. Each year, CENTURY 21 Network members donate and raise funds to help kids and youth across the country, who are living with disabilities, to Easter Seals summer camps. In 2019, CENTURY 21 Canada and its Network members (REALTORS®) broke all its previous records by raising over $946,044 for Easter Seals: enough to send 450 children and youth to Easter Seals camp in 2020.
Celebrating the 2019 International Day of Persons with Disabilities and Giving Tuesday with Amway Canada Matching Gift Campaign
December 3, 2019
This year, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) and Giving Tuesday falls on Dec 3rd. In honour of this double celebration and as a demonstration of its support for persons with disabilities and accessibility, Amway will match every dollar donated to Easter Seals starting December 3 to December 31, 2019, up to a maximum of $10,000.
Easter Seals honours Danny and Martie Murphy of DP Murphy Inc for 40 years of unwavering support in 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 – which recognizes outstanding community organizations or individuals who have demonstrated excellence in partnering with Easter Seals to promote access and inclusion – was presented to Danny and Martie at an event, hosted by The Hon. Antoinette Perry, Lieutenant Governor of PEI, at Government House.
Easter Seals celebrates National AccessAbility Week 2019 with Red T-Shirt Day of Action for Accessibilty and Inclusion on Wednesday, May 29
May 29, 2019
Easter Seals Canada joins Canadians across the country in observing National AccessAbility Week (May 26 to June 1, 2019), celebrating the contributions of Canadians who are living with disability, and the progress that have been made towards creating a truly accessible and inclusive society in Canada. Easter Seals is also inviting all Canadians to wear red on Wednesday, May 29, as a visible show of support for persons living with disabilities, and to raise awareness of the physical and attitudinal obstacles and barriers that still remain.
RBC Foundation supporting skills training and employment preparation program for youth in five provinces with $300,000 Future Launch grant
April 23, 2019
Easter Seals Canada is pleased to announce that RBC Foundation is supporting a 21st century skills training and employment preparation program for youth between the ages of 15 and 29 in five provinces over the next two years with a $300,000 Future Launch grant. The support from RBC Foundation builds and expands upon a pilot project – also funded by RBC – which was implemented in Ontario in 2018. In addition to Ontario, the program will take place in BC, Alberta, Newfoundland & Nova Scotia.
Support from CIBC Children’s Foundation enables families to acquire assistive devices and equipment for kids living with disabilities.
April 17, 2019
Easter Seals Canada is pleased to announce a generous $75,000 donation in 2018 from CIBC and CIBC Children’s Foundation for Easter Seals’ AccessAbility program. The funding enabled families to acquire various essential assistive devices and equipment, and communications and learning technologies that will dramatically improve the quality of life of their child who is living with disability, and equip them for future success. The donation was distributed across five provinces and benefited approx. 100 children….
Easter Seals honours contributions of six volunteers with National Volunteer Awards, in observation of National Volunteer Week 2019.
April 8, 2019
In observance of National Volunteer Week (April 7 – 13, 2019), Easter Seals Canada – in conjunction with Easter Seals provincial member organizations – is honouring the contributions of six outstanding volunteers from across the country with the National Volunteer Awards. The award recognizes the time, and outstanding dedication and commitment that these volunteers have demonstrated in helping Easter Seals advance its mission of enhancing the quality of life, well-being and independence of Canadians living with….
Easter Seals honours Amway Canada with the 2019 Patron Award for its longstanding support for Canadians living with disabilities.
March 27, 2019
Easter Seals Canada is proud to announce that the 2019 Patron Award – Easter Seals’ highest honour – will be presented to AMWAY Canada for its decades of unwavering support and commitment to Easter Seals’ mission and work in support of Canadians who are living with disabilities across Canada. Amway is a family-owned, global direct-selling company dedicated to helping people live healthier and more empowered lives.
The Easter Seals Paper Egg Campaign is back in participating stores nation-wide starting March 25, 2019 – with a fresh new look!
March 21, 2019
With Spring finally here and warm weather on its way, Easter Seals is pleased to announce that it’s popular annual grassroots fundraising initiative – the Paper Egg Campaign – will be back in participating stores Canada-wide starting March 25, 2019. The Paper Egg is also getting a fresh new look that is more reflective of Easter Seals’ mission and vision. Canadians can make a donation by requesting Paper Eggs at the cashier at Booster Juice, Peavey Mart, and Lawtons Drugs stores, and at other participating stores.
CENTURY 21 Canada companies and network members raise over $704,000 in 2018 to send kids living with disabilities to Easter Seals summer camps
February 12, 2019
CENTURY 21 Canada – one of the world’s largest residential real estate sales organizations – has raised over $704,000 in 2018 for Easter Seals through its C21 Kids to Camp Program. This brings its historical fundraising total for Easter Seals Canada to over $11.1 million since 1979. Funds raised will help send more than 330 kidsliving with disabilities to an Easter Seals summer camp in 2019, where they can enjoy and benefit from a transformative experience of a lifetime.
EASTER SEALS WEB ANNOUNCEMENT: STATEMENT ON RESULTS OF THE 2017 CANADIAN SURVEY ON DISABILITY
Dec 3, 2018
Toronto, ON – Last week, Statistics Canada released the results of the latest 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD). The new data points to significant labour and income disparities faced by people living with disabilities. It also serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges that Canadians living with disabilities face 365 days of the year.
GIVING TUESDAY 2018: 365 #UNSTOPPABLETM STORIES CAMPAIGN
Nov 14, 2018
Toronto, ON – To mark Giving Tuesday 2018, Easter Seals is inviting Canadians to take part in the 365 #UNSTOPPABLETM Stories campaign by sharing their personal story or a story of someone in their life who have smashed stereotypes and misconceptions of persons living with disabilities and transformed the world around them. Easter Seals will begin sharing the stories – one a day for the next 365 days – starting Dec 3, 2018, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
EASTER SEALS WRAPS UP THE RBC 21st CENTURY LEADERSHIP PILOT PROGRAM
Oct 15, 2018
Toronto, ON – This summer, Easter Seals Canada and Easter Seals Ontario piloted an exciting new program, the RBC 21st Century Leadership Pilot Program, to provide the opportunity and support for young Canadians, aged between 15 and 29 years old, to develop and hone their skills and competencies in a number of 21st century skills areas such as critical thinking, communications, teamwork, financial literacy and more. Generously funded by RBC Bank, the program took place in two locations in Ontario.
CALLING ALL SUPERHEROES: THE RETURN OF DROP ZONE
August 13, 2018
Toronto, ON – Easter Seals’ annual signature fundraising event, The Drop Zone (www.thedropzone.ca), is back again this August and September, with events taking place in 7 cities across Canada: Victoria, Vancouver, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, and Halifax. The annual event sees ordinary Canadians shedding their everyday clothes for their superhero outfits and taking a leap off a high-rise tower in support of people living with disabilities.
EASTER SEALS’ PAPER EGG CAMPAIGN RETURNS TO STORES THIS SPRING
March 5, 2018
Toronto, ON – The beginning of March usually signals that spring is almost here. It also marks the start of the annual Easter Seals Paper Egg Campaign. From March 5 – April 1, communities big and small all across Canada will come together to raise funds for Canadians living with disabilities through the annual Easter Seals Paper Egg Campaign. The Paper Egg Campaign is one of Easter Seals’ signature national fundraising and awareness programs, and a key initiative of our Easter Seals Month celebrations.
KIDS ARE UNSTOPPABLETM CAMPAIGN
January 4, 2017
Toronto, ON – Dave Starrett, President and CEO of Easter Seals Canada, today announced the launch of a new multimedia fundraising and awareness campaign airing on Corus specialty channels and appearing on transit shelters, column ads and interior transit cards across Canada. The national campaign, titled ‘UnstoppableTM’, is the first large-scale effort Canadians will have seen from Easter Seals in quite some time.
EASTER SEALS CANADA RECEIVES ACCREDITATION UNDER IMAGINE CANADA’S STANDARDS PROGRAM
November 1, 2016
Toronto, ON – Easter Seals Canada is pleased to announce that it has been accredited under Imagine Canada’s national Standards Program. With this achievement, Easter Seals Canada joins a growing community of more than 200 organizations dedicated to operational excellence.
The Standards Program is a Canada-wide set of shared standards for charities and non-profits designed to recognize and strengthen practices in five fundamental areas: board governance; financial accountability and transparency; fundraising; staff management; and volunteer involvement.
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