Fundraiser stands 'TALL'

By Kat Guerin

Guer0092@algonquincollege.com

Kat Guerin photo

After much anticipation, the Touch a Little Life fundraiser had kicked off and ended with a bang.

This year’s public relations students successfully organized and executed the program’s 21st annual spring fundraising campaign.

Due to press time, the total amount of money raised has not yet been released. However, the students are hopeful to reach their goal of $35,000.

The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario will be benefiting from this year’s project, but the charity was not picked at random.

Former CHEO patient and first-year student, Ryan Williams, wanted to use the project as an opportunity to give back to the hospital that helped him and his family.

Born with Klippel-Trénaunay Weber Syndrome, a rare blood vessel disorder, Williams and his parents know first-hand what CHEO has to offer. Having undergone 39 surgeries and received excellent care from doctors and nurses, he created the Ryan Williams Fund in 2002 to raise money to buy operating room equipment for the hospital.

Today, he is working with a team of 41 other public relations students, this time with a different goal.

“I had asked CHEO what we could do to help,” said Williams. “We wanted to purchase something instead of donating money.”

The Touch a Little Life fundraiser’s goal was to raise the $35,000 needed to purchase a giraffe warmer, a state-of-the-art infant care centre.

According to Pat O’Flaherty, clinical manager of the neonatal intensive-care unit of CHEO, “Giraffe warmers will replace the current 25-year-old, technologically ancient equipment.”

GE Healthcare’s giraffe warmer, consisting of an overhead heater and a bed with a memory foam mattress that molds to the baby, is meant to mimic a womb while making it easy for doctors and nurses to perform procedures.  Due to the design of the piece of equipment, doctors, nurses and parents can easily access the baby. “Parents can be close to their baby, which enhances parent-infant bonding,” said O’Flaherty.

Danielle Vicha, a first-year public relations student and a mother, knows this first hand. “Not being able to touch my child is something I could not imagine,” she said. “This piece of equipment allows mothers to touch their child.”

Using press releases, announcements and Facebook to their advantage, the students were able to hype up Touch a Little Life. After several pre-campaign events including a bake sale, a breakdancing workshop, a barbeque in the residence courtyard and a hockey tournament, the campaign’s kickoff took place in the Marketplace Food Court at the college on March 26.

The kickoff included activities where students voted for their favourite famous baby and bid in a silent auction, the CHEO mascot, a performance by Ty Hall and the EZ3, and guest speakers such as Algonquin’s president Bob Gillett and The New Hot 89.9’s Kenny B and Jeff Mauler.

Post-kickoff events included A Night in White Pub at Tila Tequila nightclub, Donation Divas, where teams of students roamed the ByWard Market accepting donations and the College Square March Drive, where Chances R restaurant, Timothy’s World Coffee and Extreme Pita all donated a part of their proceeds to the fundraiser. The final event, An Intimate Night with Steve Marriner and Emily Fennell was on the last day of the fundraiser, April 1.

"The fundraiser was a fun and enthusiastic way to raise money for a local charity. We worked hard and are happy with our results so far," said Christina Hunter, first-year public relations student and charity liaison.

Gillett saw Touch a Little Life as a “great experience” for the students, as well as a good way to help others. “We are a community college and the students were presented with an opportunity to give back to the community,” said Bob Gillett. “They have shown a caring attitude.”