Manitoba Blue Cross' 2011 United Way Campaign
November 4, 2011
The employees at Manitoba Blue Cross care about our community and this compassion was once again highlighted in our 2011 United Way Campaign. This year we had 95% employee participation and raised an outstanding $57,236, which was matched by Manitoba Blue Cross with a total of $114,472 donated to the United Way of Winnipeg.
Manitoba Blue Cross Participates in Plane Pull
The United Way's official city-wide campaign kick-off was held on September 16 with the 8th Annual Plane Pull. Manitoba Blue Cross was happy to once again take part in the event.
For the first year ever, we participated in the competitive plane pull. The plan was to compete against other organizations by tugging a 191,000 lb Boeing 727, but when the Boeing 727 was suddenly out of commission an industrial-sized tarmac snow blower became the replacement. Our team of 20 brave employees pulled this monster machine across almost 20 feet of tarmac in just 7.72 seconds! Way to go Team Blue!
Campaign Events
On the week of September 26, Manitoba Blue Cross held its 2011 United Way workplace campaign. The week was filled with fun activities to get our staff into a spirit of giving as our campaign committee organized a number of exciting events. Activities included casual dress week, prizes, cupcakes for a cause and even a scavenger hunt. Sports Day saw everyone at Manitoba Blue Cross wearing his or her favourite team's jersey and departments decorated in different sport themes. The day was highlighted by a tailgate party with hotdogs, popcorn and root beer. On Wild West Day we all dressed up as cowboys and cowgirls, and at lunch we moseyed on down to our staff lounge turned saloon for a cowboy barbeque.
The week's events certainly put everyone at Manitoba Blue Cross in the right spirit with our staff donations exceeding the success of last year.
A Day of Caring
This year Manitoba Blue Cross was delighted to participate in United Way's Day of Caring. The program matches organizations looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities with United Way agency partners needing help with specific projects, events or needs.
We chose do a collection drive on behalf of the West Central Women's Resource Centre, an organization that empowers women to help themselves, their families and their community to safer, healthier lifestyles. Over the course of two weeks, we collected personal care items like shampoo, soap and lotion to give to the centre.
On October 14, six employees from Manitoba Blue Cross delivered 10 boxes full of these items to the centre. The team that made the delivery also donated their time washing the walls of the facility, and had the opportunity to learn about the centre and the services it provides to women in need. The group was heart-stricken to hear that the facility's only computer, used by the women at the centre for everything from searching for jobs to learning basic skills necessary for a job, was stolen in a recent break-in. When the team returned to Manitoba Blue Cross to investigate what they could do to right this wrong, the company generously donated not one but two used computers to the West Central Women's Resource Centre.
Participating in A Day of Caring made quite an impact on the employees at Manitoba Blue Cross. We hope to turn our Day of Caring collection drive into an on-going effort and continue to collect items for the West Central Women's Resource Centre throughout the year.