Dallas Smith

Alumnus Jason Blaine Receives Key to the city of Pembroke

Jason Blaine could never have imagined how much success his charity would have when he established it a decade ago to support causes that were important to him in his hometown. On the same day that his annual charity golf tournament and concert raised $200,000, allowing it to top the $1 million mark since it began, Blaine also received a key to the city of Pembroke.

The key to the city is rarely awarded and the last person to receive it in Pembroke was New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe after he led the Pembroke Lumber Kings to a national junior A championship in 2011. Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus was awarded a key to the city in 2017 when the college celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Jason Blaine raises his arms as he holds key to the city of Pembroke.

Alumnus Jason Blaine celebrates after receiving key to the city of Pembroke from Mayor Ron Gervais.

Blaine graduated from the Business program at the Pembroke Campus and has gone on to record several hit songs as a country music recording artist. He and his wife, Amy, live in Nashville and are raising four children, but every year they return to Pembroke for what has become a signature community event that draws many Canadian celebrities and has raised thousands of dollars for organizations like the Pembroke Boys and Girls Club, the Pembroke Regional Hospital and Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus.

The campus has received $200,000 from Blaine’s charity, including $100,000 that was placed in an endowment to support bursaries for students in financial need. Blaine plans to continue to give back for many years to come, always finding time to come back home to the Ottawa Valley where he turned his love for music into a career that has placed him on stages around the world as one of Canada’s top musicians.

Among his many hits are “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like That Anymore,” and “The Road That Raised You Up.” Each year, Blaine attracts many celebrities to his event. Among the group this year was former Ottawa Senator Chris Neil and musicians Dallas Smith and Aaron Pritchett, two Canadian artists who have become good friends with Blaine as his music career has evolved.

The event sells out every year and in the weeks in between Blaine will hand out thousands of dollars in cheques to causes that support youth, people struggling with their mental health and community building.

(Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Interim Dean of Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus)

Jason Blaine Tops Half-a-Million Dollars Raised for Local Organizations

Jason Blaine is creating a legacy for himself that may very well be more meaningful than his music career. The Canadian County recording artist and Algonquin College Pembroke Campus Business graduate has now raised more than half-a-million dollars for local causes in his hometown of Pembroke.

Six years ago BlainJason Blainee had a vision to establish his own charitable fund by holding a two-day event that included a concert and golf tournament. In its first year, the event raised $50,000 and it has been hitting new highs every year since including a record $125,000 raised this past June.

It has become a signature fundraising activity in the community that attracts some of the biggest names in Canadian country music. Artists that have performed at the concert include Tebey, Aaron Pritchett, Gord Bamford, Kira Isabella, Dallas Smith, Petric and many more and according to Jason, the party is just getting started. He hopes the event will continue for many more years, proud of the incredible impact his charity is having on the community.

Jason Blaine

All of the money raised supports local organizations and projects. This year’s recipients are the Pembroke and Area Boys and Girls Club, the United Way’s “After the Floods” campaign to support Renfrew County residents who have been badly impacted by this spring’s devastating floods, and Jason’s endowment fund at Algonquin College. That fund helps students in financial need pay for their educational investment at the college.

There is no question that Jason has been very generous in supporting his alma mater at the college. His charity provided $100,000 in funding to the college’s capital campaign when the new Waterfront Campus was being built and his endowment commitment will provide an additional $100,000 to students who need financial aid help. When you consider the dozens of other organizations that have received micro-grants from his charitable fund, it is clear that this high profile Algonquin alumnus is living the college mission to change lives.

$125,000 raised

We are very proud of all that Jason has accomplished in his musical career, but we are even more proud of his gift to humanity. As British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Congratulations Jason and thank you from everyone at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Acting Dean of Pembroke Waterfront Campus

Jason Blaine Does It Again!

Observer picture of Jason Blaine charity Cheque-2016Jason Blaine continues to pay it forward. The Canadian Country Recording Artist and high profile Algonquin College Business program alumnus recently held his annual concert and golf tournament in Pembroke, raising a record $80,000 for local organizations in his home town.

Now into its third year, the charity has brought in a whopping $205,000, money that has supported great local causes such as the Pembroke and Area Boys and Girls Club, the capital campaign for Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus and Mental Health First Aid training for not-for-profit organizations.

Jason Blaine Stars-2016With Dallas Smith and Jason McCoy of The Roadhammers in town for the event, Blaine and “A Few Good Friends” put on a great performance at the Pembroke Memorial Centre, while also allowing themselves to be auctioned off for the following days’ golf tournament. The live auction alone brought in $30,000 and set the tone for the fundraiser which has become a signature summer social event in the city.

More than 600 people attended the concert which is intended to be an intimate night with the stars, where fans can mingle and have their photos taken with the artists, while enjoying some of the top performers in Canada’s country music industry. Pembroke native Ben Rutz, the lead fiddler in the Johnny Reid band, the Western Swing Authority and “up and coming,” the River Town Saints also took the stage.

Jason sings from purple couch

The following morning, with only a few hours sleep, Blaine was up early to appear on the CTV Ottawa Live Morning Show to talk about his charity and to say thank you to the dozens of businesses, organizations and individuals who have supported him over the years. He then capped his day by playing a round of golf with more than 160 others before unveiling how much the event had raised.

While very few Algonquin College alumni have the profile that Jason Blaine does, we know that many are giving back to their community in special ways. We’re proud of all of our graduates and hope that Jason Blaine’s act of kindness is an inspiration. Blaine may live in Nashville, but his heart is in Pembroke and with his alma mater.

Jason Blaine - Plain Logo

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

Algonquin College Alumni Doing Great Things

It has been a week to celebrate our alumni at Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus. Not a formal celebration, but rather a time to reflect on the great things that our graduates are doing here at home.

Dallas McLeod-PF gradIt seems everywhere I turned this past week I was learning about a special project or initiative that one of our alumni was involved in. It started with a chance meeting with Police Foundations graduate, Dallas McLeod, who was on campus for a Program Advisory committee meeting.

McLeod graduated in 2013 and is now a full-time member of the Renfrew OPP detachment. While he was a student, he accumulated an incredible 3000+ hours of volunteer work. Through his participation on an Advisory Committee, he is continuing his commitment to volunteerism by providing feedback to the College on the program he graduated from.

Sam Graham-wheelchair basketballA few days later I had a call from Social Service Worker graduate Sam Graham, class of 2015. Graham, who is now working on earning a Degree in Social Work at Carleton University, was planning a wheelchair basketball fundraiser at the Waterfront Campus for the fourth year in a row.

Graham has raised money for several causes including the Algonquin College food bank and the Pembroke Regional Hospital MRI Fund. This year, he was helping to generate funds for a recreational facility in Ottawa for people with disabilities.

Jason Blaine2001 Business graduate and Canadian Recording artist, Jason Blaine, established his own charitable fund a few years ago. For the past two years, he has held a two-day fundraising event that features a concert and a golf tournament, raising more than $125,000 for community causes in his hometown.

This week he announced he will be joined by two of Canada’s top Country performers, Dallas Smith and Jason McCoy at this year’s charity concert on June 14th. It will be another sold-out event with this year’s beneficiaries including Algonquin College, the Pembroke and Area Boys and Girls Club and local food banks. Blaine is also again committing $5,000 to help Renfrew County not for profit groups access Mental Health First Aid training.

These are only a few examples of what you can learn in a short time about the great things our Algonquin College alumni are doing. They really are terrific people and their commitment to helping others is extraordinary and worth celebrating.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community & Student Affairs