Tag: Kidney Foundation of Canada

It’s Time To Donate!!

All donations help!!- CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

I may have won Banff National Park’s Big Mountain Challenge, but we’re not done yet! It’s now time to raise $5000! Every donation (up to $5000) will be matched by Banff Lake Louise Tourism. Upon completion of the hikes, an additional $15000 will be donated to The Kidney Foundation of Canada. So potentially, that’s $25000! WOAH! Please donate as much or as little as you can :).
Here’s the blurb from the donation page:
All donations help!!- CLICK HERE TO DONATE!
The Banff National Park Big Mountain Challenge contest launched on Facebook on June 11, 2012, asking entrants to submit a photograph of themselves with accompanying commentary about how they would prepare for the epic challenge of ascending 3 mountain peaks over the course of seven days. The winner would also have a chance to raise up to $25000 for charity. By close of the contest, 719 entries had been submitted from around North America. 
How did I prepare for the challenge? By singing show tunes to keep the bears away, of course! 
The first part of the Big Mountain Challenge is now complete… and I’m humbled to say that I’ve been chosen as the winner! Thank you everyone for your votes, your encouragement, and your support- this was possible because of you. I’m still in absolute shock that my photo entry was chosen! I can’t wait to take on this challenge and report back on the amazing experience it will be. But that’s still a few weeks away. 

The second phase in the Big Mountain Challenge is to fundraise for my charity of choice. So over the next two weeks, I will be raising pledges of support for The Kidney Foundation of Canada. What’s awesome is that Banff Lake Louise Tourism will match all donations, dollar-for-dollar, up to $5000! Not only have they hosted a great contest, they are also happy to donate to an incredible charity. Upon completion of the ascents, a guaranteed $15000 will be given to The Kidney Foundation of Canada, as well as up to $10000 more based on the pledges earned. 

So what’s our goal?? The ultimate goal is $25000 for The Kidney Foundation of Canada. To make sure this happens, we need to raise at least $5000 in pledges. This is an ambitious goal to achieve within two weeks, but I have no doubt that with your support and generosity, we can do it! Any amount, as large or as little, will benefit this great organization. (Note: All donors will receive an electronic tax receipt via e-mail).

For more information, visit www.kidney.ca
I’ve been asked the question: Why did you choose The Kidney Foundation of Canada? Truthfully, up until a few years ago, and probably like many Canadians, I didn’t know much about kidney disease or the effects of kidney failure. When I moved from Ontario to work with a kidney disease research group at the University of Calgary, I learned very quickly that chronic kidney disease is very serious, lifelong, and there is no cure. It not only impacts the life of the patient, but the patient’s family and friends as well. And there are 2.6 million Canadians who have or are at risk of kidney disease. There is so much we still need to understand about the disease, and so sometimes it’s difficult to give it the platform and attention it deserves. 
From a personal standpoint, I have family members affected by diabetes and high blood pressure, and I learned that those are the two leading risk factors for kidney disease. That’s a very scary thing to think about. Over 50% of people diagnosed with kidney disease have diabetes, high blood pressure, or both. 
The Kidney Foundation of Canada is a leading national health charity for reducing the burden of kidney disease. They focus on research, education and support, promoting access to quality health care, and increasing public awareness for organ donation. I felt it was important to hike for The Kidney Foundation of Canada. It’s my way of showing support so they can continue helping all Canadians affected by kidney disease.
For more information on The Kidney Foundation of Canada, please visit www.kidney.ca.

I’m Still in Shock!

I WON!!

Today’s posting was supposed to be about my lovely weekend away, but today I was thrown for a bit of a loop. It was all good news though! Here is an e-mail I wrote and sent earlier, which I will post here as my blog entry 🙂
*****
So life really is a funny thing. On Friday I had sent around an e-mail informing you that I had made the top 10 of the Big Mountain Challenge. I was trying to raise up to $25000 for The Kidney Foundation of Canada, and I was so close!
Well, today I received a call from Banff Lake Louise Tourism. Due to some eligibility requirements, the winner who was competing to win for Doctors Without Borders was ineligible. It’s unfortunate for Doctors Without Borders, which is a great charity. It’s also too bad for the winner from Ontario who I know was looking very forward to travelling to Banff and Lake Louise to experience the awesome landscape we have out here.
With that said, though… can you guess why they called me?!
I’m happy to announce that I am the WINNER of the Big Mountain Challenge!!! I’m still in shock over this news!
I had an idea that I ran a great campaign, thanks to social networking, a Global TV news segment and all of your support! I reached a vast number of people and spread the word about The Kidney Foundation of Canada and The Big Mountain Challenge. But to be told that I was, without a doubt, the contestant to give the former winner a run for that money!… well, that’s pretty cool :).
Thank you again, everyone, for your help and support! Since sending the e-mail on Friday, I’ve had many kind e-mails and messages about how it was amazing to bring awareness to kidney disease and The Kidney Foundation of Canada, and how happy and proud you were that I made the top 10! Thank you for reminding me that that feat was a huge accomplishment on its own.
By a twist of fate, it turns out- I made the Top 1! 😀
So what happens next?
1) Well, I’ve now secured $15000 for The Kidney Foundation of Canada. YAY! This is an AMAZING feeling.
2) Over the next two weeks, I will be running an intense fundraising campaign to raise up to $5000. I will say in advance that helping me get to this point has been incredible. Now I turn the focus away from me winning the challenge, and over to The Kidney Foundation of Canada. Any amount I can raise will truly benefit this amazing organization, so I encourage you to donate with as much (or as little) as you can. Any amount helps. I will be sending around further information on this once I set up the fundraising page. For every amount (up to $5000) that I raise, Banff Lake Louise Tourism will match it! And that’s how we’re going to get to $25000 for The Kidney Foundation of Canada!!
3) After that, I’m going to get into the best shape as I can, because I will have a week (starting August 27th) to hike Sulphur Mountain, Cascade Mountain, and Mount Temple. They are EPIC, but I know I will be able to do this. Here is a link that I found about Mount Temple, the most difficult of the three. The elevation gain is 1690 metres. It is rated as a difficult hike and is estimated to take anywhere between 8 and 12 hours. Climbing helmets and an ice axe are recommended. It is one of the highest peaks in the Lake Louise area. I’m super excited.
4) The prize also involves enjoying the Banff and Lake Louise areas. I’m always trying to encourage people to visit out this way, and now I’ll be able to entice them even more by experiencing the area a bit more. The winner and a guest receive:
– Round trip airfare to Calgary with transport to Banff National Park
– Eight nights in the Fairmont Banff Springs and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
– Spa treatments at a spa at The Fairmont Banff Springs
– A Certified Mountain Guide for Mount Temple and Cascade mountain, and a Parks Canada guide for Sulphur Mountain
– A Parks Canada Discovery Pass
My friend Dan from Guelph, Ontario will be flying out here as my guest, and he will join me in conquering these mountains. Dan brought this contest to my attention and has been supporting the campaign the whole way through, so it’ll be nice that he’s able to have Banff Lake Louise Tourism fly him out here for the challenge.
So I’m super stoked, but that’s only phase one of the challenge! Thanks again everyone… you’ll be hearing from me again 🙂
Regards,
Rick

My 3 Minutes 24 Seconds of Fame!

So I’m incredibly behind on my blog postings. I mean, I returned from Peru almost 2 weeks ago and haven’t even uploaded photos or written about it! Alas, that can wait.

Even while I was away, I was trying to win the Big Mountain Challenge. When I found a wi-fi connection, I was voting. I knew it would be difficult to maintain the momentum while I was in Peru, but thankfully I had some friends who helped me out by posting voting reminders on my FB. They also posted to the Banff National Park and The Kidney Foundation of Canada FB pages. When I returned home after Peru, the goal of winning the challenge continued. It was time to send out as many e-mails as possible, and post everywhere I could. Then on Thursday of last week, I received an e-mail. It read:
“Hi Rick,
Thanks for entering the Big Mountain Challenge and congrats on having a top entry! Banff  Lake Louise Tourism is trying to spread the word about the contest and our partner Global Calgary wants to interview an Alberta contestant on the morning show. If you’re interested in doing either a phone or in-studio interview this could be a great way to get some votes and raise awareness for the Kidney Foundation.”

For real?! So I e-mailed them back right away. Before I knew it, I had an in-studio interview with Global Calgary scheduled for Saturday morning at 8:24 am where I would be speaking to one of the anchors of the morning news show. Through the help of my boss, I was in contact with communications staff from the The Kidney Foundation of Canada to go over some speaking points. Then I spoke with news anchor Bindu Suri to go over the questions. I couldn’t believe how quickly it was all happening! 


Arriving for my interview. So nervous!

I arrived at the studio early on Saturday accompanied by Robbie, who came for support :). It was really neat to see the studio and watch how the morning news was filmed. I was quite surprised to see how much of the set is a green screen! I always thought there was a little bit of an actual background. Before I knew it, I was being fitted with the microphone and was awaiting the interview with news anchor Reid Fiest. To say that I was nervous is an understatement. I was literally shaking! But thankfully my nerves didn’t show too much on camera 🙂 Also, I started getting sick a day prior, and I was terribly worried that I would cough or clear my throat on camera. It could have been disastrous! But thankfully, that didn’t happen either. Here’s the segment:





In the end, yes, it was a short clip on the Global Calgary morning show. However, it was so exciting and it was a great experience. I spoke about the contest and how much I love the Banff and Lake Louise areas, and I was able to bring a bit of awareness to The Kidney Foundation of Canada and all of the support it provides to Canadians affected by kidney disease. Also, when I was preparing for the interview and discussing points with The Kidney Foundation, I was amazed with the level of support I had, whether it was from the staff at The Kidney Foundation, or through comments of support on Facebook from individuals affected by kidney disease. I really hope to win the contest, but if the prize is awarded to another person and another charity, I know it will be for a great cause and that I gave it my all.  Whether or not I win, my support for The Kidney Foundation of Canada doesn’t end there :). For more information on The Kidney Foundation of Canada, go to www.kidney.ca. For information on the Kidney March, a 100km 3-day walk to fight kidney disease, go to kidneymarch.ca.


*****************************************
Please help me win the Big Mountain Challenge
for The Kidney Foundation of Canada!
Vote for me EVERY DAY (until July 27, 2012)
by clicking here: http://t.co/scxG735u
*****************************************


The Big Mountain Challenge- Vote for me!

https://www.facebook.com/banffnationalpark


It’s been over a week since I entered the Big Mountain Challenge, sponsored by Banff Lake Louise Tourism. Thanks to EVERYONE who has supported me with this so far- your votes and encouraging words have been amazing! It’s no secret that I’m huge into hiking in the Canadian Rockies. Well, the winner of this contest, along with a friend, will summit 3 EPIC peaks within 7 days, all in the name of a charity. Those peaks are Mount Temple, Cascade Mountain, and Sulphur Mountain. From what I know, they are all high and challenging mountains, and I have yet to hike any of them! Even though ice axes and helmets may be required, I’m up for the challenge 🙂 The great thing about the contest is that it’s for charity: the winner will receive $15000 for a charity of their choosing. Every amount raised by the winner will be matched, up to $5000. So, potentially, that’s $25000 for charity! Woah!

As for the charity: given my work in kidney disease research, I have decided to hike for The Kidney Foundation of Canada. Kidneys are important for regulating water, removing wastes, filtering blood and producing hormones… so you can imagine what happens if they begin to fail. The Kidney Foundation of Canada continues to provide leadership for kidney health and improve the lives for all Canadians affected by kidney disease. It’s definitely an amazing organization.
Help me win for The Kidney Foundation of Canada!
The first step is to be chosen, which is partially based on votes and comments. 
So humbly, if you’re reading this post, this is where I ask you to please vote for me and help me win Big Mountain Challenge. All you need to do is click on this link and click on the “Vote Now” button:
(***In fact, you may click on this link EVERY DAY until July 27th to give me as many votes as possible! ***)
Or, you can “Like” the following page and add comments that you want me to win!

Vote for me! Please click HERE.

If you’re wondering what the tag line of the photo is all about, it’s in response to the question: “How are you getting ready to prepare for the challenge?” By singing show tunes to keep the bears away…. obviously. I do like to sing….
I did have the most votes for a while, but at the time of writing this, I have the second most votes. Thankfully, having the most votes does not result in winning. The winner is chosen based on what the judging panel is looking for, but votes and comments of support are STRONGLY considered. So keep clicking that “Vote Now” button and leaving comments when you can. Let’s hope I win! *fingers crossed*

Thanks for reading and let’s keep those votes coming!
Rick