BLG is celebrating our 200th anniversary this year, which has provided us with a special opportunity to reflect on the people and values that make us Canada’s Law Firm. We are a firm of community builders, future thinkers and trusted advisors, who understand that giving back to our communities supports our personal and professional growth and is key to building our collective future. We demonstrated this firsthand through our annual United Way campaign this year, with every office participating in a variety of fun and engaging initiatives. Our common goal: to help provide our communities with the right resources and connections to improve opportunities for everyone. The results speak for themselves, as our 2023 firm-wide campaign raised almost $620,000 and counting.
BLG supports United Way for the way it keeps a close eye on the social fabric across Canada and allocates resources where they are most needed, in real time. The variety of causes it embraces in over 5,000 Canadian communities makes the organization a clear choice for our firm members.
A snapshot of our regional efforts across Canada
This United Way campaign season had our volunteer teams across Canada planning and executing some top tier initiatives to raise money for United Way efforts. Here’s a quick recap of how each of our office teams participated…
Calgary
Oh pie, our Calgary team made this United Way campaign a hit. One of BLG’s most beloved fundraising initiatives “Pie a Lawyer” took place in Calgary this November, allowing for competing lawyer teams – corporate vs. disputes – to try and raise the most money, with the losing team getting a pie in the face from the winners. In addition, the Calgary office participated in bake sales, a live auction, 50/50 draws and other fun activities to raise money for the campaign.
“I have participated in seven United Way campaigns and have learned valuable lessons each and every year. The most important lesson being that people rely on United Way for much more than handouts: the charity assists with basic needs but is also very active in connecting communities and providing a sense of belonging.”
Lauren Morrissey – Specialist, Release Management, Calgary
Vancouver
The Vancouver office was going for gold this campaign season as the volunteer committee organized the “United Way Games,” where six teams of BLGers competed in four competitive games – cornhole, ping pong ball race, golf putting and toss & catch – to bring home the win. The office also came together for kick off breakfasts, silent auctions, a Halloween dress up contest and more.
“I enjoy volunteering for the United Way campaign as it gives me a sense of purpose and personal fulfillment knowing that my fundraising efforts might improve the life of someone in need in our community. I also do it as I love the social aspect of my work at BLG and we always have lots of fun planning for the event.”
Sanya Asprovski – Practice Assistant, Team Leader, Vancouver
Montréal
The Montréal United Way committee was the ghostests with the mostest this campaign season, planning and hosting a number of spooktacular initiatives. One of those initiatives was a unique Halloween challenge, where top donators were able to pick another team member to tackle a Halloween inspired contest of their choice.
“I have been a supporter of United Way for 20 years. I believe the work that it supports is far reaching and diverse. I feel it’s important to support causes that strive to have an impact on the social fabric of our local community. This year’s activities were a step up and involved many members of the Montréal office. It was great to inject some friendly competition in the mix and fostered involvement from so many firm members.”
Emily Findleton – Director of Human Resources, Montréal
Ottawa
’The early bird gets the worm’ was a true statement during this campaign season in Ottawa. Early bird draws are a staple part of our fundraising efforts in multiple offices and the Ottawa office kept the tradition alive this year, keeping firm members on the edge of their seats daily in hopes of winning one of our exciting prizes.“This was my second year on the organizing committee and I enjoyed doing it again because our communities are facing ongoing challenges related especially to the increasing cost of living. Every donation we secure makes a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it most and is a testament to our ability to transfer compassion into a meaningful impact.”
Adrian Howard – Intellectual Property Partner, Ottawa
Toronto
The Toronto team brought our fundraising initiatives to new heights this year – planning several activities including silent auctions, Halloween costume contests and the triumphant return of the United Way’s ClimbUP – where firm members from across legal and business services departments took the challenge of climbing 1,776 stairs to the top of the CN Tower.
“This is my third year actively participating in the planning of United Way activities at BLG. I was excited to see ClimbUp come back after its pandemic hiatus because it meant there was something that BLG could participate in with the larger Toronto community to show our support for United Way. As team captain, it was great to feel the camaraderie from Team BLG on the day of the climb. We had lots of fun together and contributed to our firm’s campaign goals.”
Hayley Niven - Senior Manager, Brand Programs, Toronto
Looking forward to next year’s campaign and keeping the tradition alive.