COVID, Schmovid: Algonquin PR Students Raise $21,000 for DSYTC

For almost 40 years, Algonquin College Public Relations (ACPR) students have planned and executed fundraising campaigns that have collectively raised over $400,000 for charities in Ottawa. This year, ACPR students proved that – even in the face of an ongoing pandemic, a reimposed lockdown, remote learning, and inclement weather – when they get behind a cause they care about, they are unstoppable.

The Brighter Days campaign, organized by the ACPR class of 2022, raised $21,000 for the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre (DSYTC), a live-in treatment facility for youth struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. The campaign kicked off in March 2021 with great fanfare. Even though most of the early fundraising events were held virtually, as the first-ever ACPR class to complete their inaugural year of the program fully online, the students were looking forward to gathering outdoors and in-person near the end of the campaign for the “Community Sweat” fitness event and “Birdies and Beers” golf tournament in April.

Then, on April 8, 2021, the Ontario government issued a new, province-wide Stay-At-Home order as COVID cases surged. And just like any other PR professional dealing with an evolving situation, the students had to adapt.

The two outdoor events were postponed until the fall. Ticket buyers and guests were informed. The students then refocused on what they could do from a distance to maintain interest in the Brighter Days campaign and reassure young people with mental health issues they aren’t alone: They produced a series of short videos featuring ACPR students reading aloud the anonymous stories of people who were struggling. These were shared through social media under the banner “Brighter You.” These videos received among the highest engagement of all the students’ social media efforts during the campaign.

The rescheduled Community Sweat event was held on a beautiful, sunny Saturday in September at Algonquin’s Horticulture Garden. And after an additional delay due to extremely wet weather, Birdies & Beers finally teed off on Oct. 8.

“We have been fortunate enough to be a part of something greater than ourselves, and we are thankful for every push, pull, and challenge along the way,” Brighter Days campaign coordinator Elaine Gillis told her classmates as they gathered to celebrate the closing of the campaign on Nov. 1 at Chances R. “Now, we are – finally – able to look back and see how the skills we’ve learned have allowed us to help others. In short, we did a real, good, thing.”

“Because of our work,” Gillis added, “youth in our community can get the support they deserve. This could mean a family member, a friend, a loved one, or a stranger you pass on the street on any given day. That’s a big deal.”