Celebrating a Better Tomorrow: The 2022 Community Impact Awards

Spotlighting the people and workplaces who stand with us to create a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive Calgary.

 
Thank you, Calgary!

We are honoured to acknowledge the incredible support of over 600 organizations and thousands of Calgarians who uplifted our community and partner agencies last year.

Nearly 13,000 volunteers generously contributed over 726,000 hours to create stronger, more resilient communities in and around Calgary. That’s almost 82 years of selfless service dedicated to supporting individuals with the supports they need to reach their full potential.

We are so thankful to all the workplaces whose employees came together to stand united for our community.

Announcing our 2022 Community Impact Awards Recipients:

The Culbert Family Award for Philanthropy:
The Culbert Family Award for Philanthropy recognizes Calgarians shaping the future through their work in the community and charitable giving. Two deserving young community leaders are awarded $2,000 to invest in furthering their education and philanthropic endeavours.

Recipients: Gabriella Wong Ken and Alyssa Dewar

Gabriella Wong Ken co-founded The Hatch, a community group that provides barrier-free access to food and essentials while promoting community collaboration to address social issues. They operate a community fridge at the Rosscarrock Community Hall and a community pantry outside the Women’s Centre of Calgary. The refrigerator provides a dignified space to access food, and the pantry provides 24/7 access to non-perishable food and hygiene items. Gabriella and the team at The Hatch also wrote and published a handbook, “How to Maintain and Build a Community Fridge,” distributed as a free resource to encourage others to start their community fridges.

Alyssa Dewar has led a successful community fundraising project, Raising Spirits, under the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, which raises funds for children’s mental health. The event takes place annually in September and includes sponsorship dollars, silent auctions, individual donations, and ticket sales. Since 2019 the event has raised over $200,000. Alyssa has been active with Deloitte’s United Way campaign for three years and has taken part in Gen Next and Social Impact Lab opportunities. She also takes time outside work to lead and volunteer for Closer to Home and the Drop-In Centre.

President’s Award:
Honouring an organization for its exceptional contribution to United Way and our community, the President’s award recognizes the recipient for their inspiring efforts in supporting our city.

Recipient: Pembina Pipeline Corporation
In 2022, Pembina demonstrated a remarkable commitment to community engagement. They launched their annual campaign with a massive, super-sized game of Monopoly, dubbed PembinOpoly, which brought together more than 250 employees. The campaign followed the Educate > Pledge > Play model, with fun and interactive ways for employees to get involved and learn about the community’s needs including executive challenges and virtual reality experiences. Pembina also held Days of Caring at several United Way partner agencies, including WINS, Children’s Cottage, and The Greater Forest Lawn Community Hub with The Alex Community Food Centre, to reinforce the importance of giving and volunteering. Overall, Pembina’s dedication to community engagement in 2022 was truly inspiring and deserving of the President’s Award.

The Award of Excellence:
This award recognizes candidates that have demonstrated outstanding and innovative campaigns with active leadership giving programs and a commitment to making Calgary a resilient and caring community where everyone thrives. There are two sub-categories: candidates over 250 employees and candidates under 250 employees.

Recipient (Over 250): Imperial
Imperial took the saying “A better tomorrow starts with you” to heart in 2022. They even put it on their t-shirts! Their campaign featured a range of special events, notable speakers, volunteer opportunities, and opportunities for staff engagement. In addition, the company hosted its inaugural golf tournament in June 2022, adding another exciting event to its roster. The event was a tremendous success, generating an impressive $200,000 in proceeds, all donated to United Way.

Recipient (Under 250): McDaniel & Associates Consultants Ltd.
In 2022, McDaniel & Associates made a solid commitment to supporting youth in our community. Their emphasis on engagement and education highlights a deep understanding of the needs of our community and the importance of United Way’s work in addressing those needs. In addition, the McDaniel & Associates team created engaging fundraising initiatives, including a 50/50 raffle, a wine survivor, and early bird raffles.

Power of One:
Power of One recognizes volunteers who have exceeded expectations in creating greater awareness of United Way through their involvement and initiative in their workplace campaign.

Recipient: Nathalie MacInnis – The City of Calgary
Nathalie’s exceptional leadership and dedication to The City of Calgary’s campaign have truly set the bar high. With the introduction of the “United We Care” initiative, Nathalie ensured that the campaign was engaging and fun while providing diverse opportunities for employees to make a difference in their community. Under her guidance, the campaign included five collection drives that supported high-need agencies across Calgary. Her commitment to education was also paramount, as she ensured that employees were aware of the needs in the community and how their donations were making a difference. Nathalie’s positivity and can-do spirit inspired campaign volunteers. Her passion for United Way has already resulted in ideas for the 2023 campaign.

Recipient: Vanessa Bryant – AltaLink
Vanessa’s dedication and leadership in supporting United Way have been truly remarkable. From serving as a Campaign Associate in 2019 to taking on the role of Employee Campaign Chair in 2020 and 2021, Vanessa has consistently demonstrated her commitment to our mission. When faced with unexpected challenges during this year’s campaign, Vanessa went above and beyond to ensure its success, running it with grace and patience. Vanessa remained upbeat through all the ups and downs of the AltaLink campaign, handling all concerns and issues with the utmost professionalism.

Quantum Leap:
This award recognizes organizations and their employees who have achieved significant growth in the current year over the previous year, including an increase in both funds raised and the number of donors. Candidates also demonstrated outstanding management support. We have selected two exceptional companies for the Quantum Leap Award – one in the over 250 employees category and a second in the under 250 employees category.

Recipient (Over 250): ARC Resources Ltd.
ARC Resources’ strong commitment to growth and engagement has resulted in impressive financial gains and impactful initiatives. We applaud their dedication to making a difference in the community, as evidenced by their significant increase in employee giving, which grew by an impressive 22%, from $190,000 to $231,000. Their corporate giving also doubled, rising from $300,000 to $600,000 thanks to their generous multi-year investment commitment in Planet Youth Calgary. A special thank you to Lara Conrad, Chief Development Officer at ARC Resources (and 2022 United Way of Calgary and Area Campaign Co-chair), for her unwavering passion and enthusiasm in going above and beyond to garner support for the overall fundraising campaign.

Recipient (Under 250): NuVista Energy Ltd.
NuVista’s 2022 campaign saw them hosting various engaging and creative events to raise funds and awareness, including a chilli cookoff, a coffee and treats sale, a Ninja Warrior challenge, and a week-long game challenge. Thanks to their commitment to matching employee donations, combined with a 1:1 corporate match, NuVista president and CEO Jonathan Wright (and 2022 United Way of Calgary and Area Campaign Co-chair) tripled the impact of their fundraising efforts, resulting in a $438,144 donation, a remarkable increase of over $180,000. A special thank you to Jonathan for his unwavering passion and enthusiasm for going above and beyond to garner support for the fundraising campaign.

Spirit of Volunteerism, Education, and Engagement:
The Spirit of Volunteerism award recognizes organizations with remarkable creativity and passion in engaging employees during their United Way campaign.

Recipient: BMO Financial Group
BMO’s commitment to community engagement is impressive, with 506 employees engaged throughout their campaign and 438 donors making contributions. This year, they raised an incredible $612,368, thanks in part to Alison Hakomaki’s (also 2022 Major Donor Cabinet Co-Chair) coordination of five separate events with guest speakers, community games, and a virtual Natural Supports Simulation.

If you or your organization shares our passion for creating positive change, we encourage you to join our mission. Together, we can create a better tomorrow for everyone in 2023.