Community support

Pembridge proudly supports the community through sponsorships and contributions to various charitable organizations across the country including Easter Seals, Operation Red Nose, P.R.O. Kids, Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC), and many others.

It was a victory for everyone when approximately $4000 was raised for P.R.O. Kids during this year’s annual high school basketball tournament.  Pembridge was a proud sponsor of this event for the third straight year. The tournament took place December 28-30, 2009 in Saint John, New Brunswick and was covered by the local newspaper and radio stations.

P.R.O. Kids (Positive Recreation Opportunities for Kids) is a non-profit program whose mission is to provide assistance to as many children and youth as possible who are unable to participate in sport, art, recreation or cultural activities due to financial limitations.

P.R.O. Kids Program Manager Tammy DeSaulniers wrote, “I cannot express how happy we are to have Pembridge as a sponsor of this tournament. Each year, the tournament attracts more attention and raises not only funds but also much awareness for P.R.O. Kids.”

Pembridge recognizes the importance in giving back to the communities that we live in and is pleased to be able to sponsor events such as this that help raise money to provide assistance to children and youth in need.

Read the article in the Telegraph-Journal.

Pembridge Staff Supports “Second Harvest”

With the holiday season right around the corner it is easy to get caught up in the hustle bustle of the holidays and excitement of Christmas and often forget about those that are less fortunate.  This year, some Pembridge staff took it upon themselves to get involved in ‘Second Harvest’.

This organization collects surplus fresh food donations from various locations like grocery stores, hotels, caterers and others, and distributes them to many social service agencies across the GTA.  The recipients include children in breakfast programs, seniors on a fixed income, drop in centers, women fleeing domestic abuse, psychiatric patients, homeless people, families struggling on minimum wage and many others who have fallen on hard times.

On December 12th, Pembridge staff members Heidi MacDonald, Crystal Macklin and John Ilias, along with their children, volunteered their time to help with the Second Harvest 7th Annual Turkey Drive which took place at the Loblaws store in downtown Toronto. They spent 4 hours there and were able to collect close to 300 turkeys from customers who were willing to help out this worthwhile cause. Several turkeys were also purchased on behalf of Pembridge with money that was donated by Pembridge staff prior to the event.

This year’s turkey drive, which took place on 4 different weekend dates at a variety of grocery store locations around the GTA involved over 300 volunteers who were able to collect over 5000 turkeys – their highest collection ever at store level.

Thank you to all the Pembridge staff that generously donated funds or their time to help feed those that would otherwise be hungry at Christmas time, and a special thank you to Kim Hauri for looking after the fundraising.

View photos of the event

Pembridge was the proud sponsor of the Operation Red Nose Program in Newmarket/Aurora, Ontario for the fifth straight year. On Friday December 4th, 2009 Pembridge volunteers were joined by President and COO, Bob Tisdale to help ensure that our streets remain safe from Drinking and Driving. Pembridge staff from our Atlantic office also volunteered in Halifax, Nova Scotia on the evening of Saturday December 12th, 2009.
 
Operation Red Nose is a free, designated-driver service that helps keep roads safe during the holiday season. It’s the only anti-drinking and driving program that gets drivers to their destination safely – in their own car. The safe delivery of the cars is vital to the success of the program because drivers often do not want to leave their cars behind. The service operates in more than 100 communities across Canada.

Operation Red Nose typically runs Friday and Saturday nights throughout December, as well as New Year’s Eve in some locations.
Click here for nights of operation and locations

This program's success wouldn't have been possible without the volunteers who donated their generous time to their communities and this worthwhile cause during the holiday season. Thanks to our Newmarket/Aurora Volunteers: Helen Bauer, Bob and Christine Tisdale, Jo-Ann Braund, Bill Houston, Helen Dunlop, Lenny Haus, Allison Stade, Bhavna Narsai, Bernie Lam, Crystal Macklin and special thanks to Susan Walker who lead the volunteer program this year. We were lucky to have a special visitor this year; Aurora Mayor Phyllis Morris stopped by to show her support for this worthwhile cause. Another thank you goes out to our Pembridge staff who volunteered in Halifax: Karl Biermann, Jeff Cove and James Stutely. 

Visit the official Operation Red Nose  site to learn more.

Operation Red Nose…Last call before you hit the road

View photos of the event.

Pembridge’s support of $15 000 for Easter Seals’ ‘Power Play’ ball hockey tournaments in September 2009 has received local media awareness in London, Ontario’s Scene Magazine.

The largest event took place in London, Ontario, September 18, 2009 where the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, David Onley, NHL players along with local community members came out to show their dedication to helping the lives of youths and adults who suffer from physical disabilities. 

Our very own Tony Irwin, Manager of External Affairs, represented Pembridge well while presenting a sponsorship cheque to Harrison Tremblay, an Easter Seals child.

The day was full of fun, games and support for a great cause. This is just one of the ways that Pembridge gives back to its community.

To view the article, click here.

Pembridge sponsors the 2009 Annual Power Play tournaments

September 21, 2009 – Pembridge showed their commitment to community by supporting three different Easter Seals Power Play tournaments across Ontario – Peterborough, North Bay and London, during the month of September.

Easter Seals Ontario is an organization dedicated to helping physically challenged youths and young adults to lead independent and fulfilling lives. Power Play tournaments are ball hockey tournaments that bring together people who suffer from physical disabilities, NHLers and other community members to raise awareness and funds for the organization.

A number of Pembridge employees have shown their support in the past. This year Helen Dunlop and Cathy McCutcheon, Broker Sales Managers, were invited to events in Peterborough and North Bay, respectively. Tony Irwin, Manager of External Affairs attended the London event. More than 200 people participated and watched while rooting for their favourite teams. Also in attendance for London’s Power Play was the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, David Onley.  

Showing our support at community events such as this allows our customers and community members to know that Pembridge is a confident and approachable organization. 

   

Picture 1, L to R: Cathy McCutcheon, Broker Sales Manager presenting cheque to Marc Baril, organizer from Blue Sky Insurance Brokers, and Lisa Lounsbury, Easter Seals Ontario

Picture 2, L to R: Tony Irwin, External Affairs Manager with Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, David Onley

Picture 3, L to R: Tony Irwin presenting cheque to Easter Seals youth, pictured also, Canadian Forces Team