Every year, the Niagara College community comes together to support charities across Niagara that work to improve the lives of local residents. Whether mounting a bike to support cancer care, braving the cold to raise awareness of hunger and homelessness, or contributing a pledged donation to help individuals facing social issues like domestic violence and poverty, the NC community is there to answer the call.
Here are three examples highlighting the efforts of NC employees and students, who helped make a difference for the community over the past year.
Knightwalkers show up for the Coldest Night of the Year
On February 26, a group of Niagara College employees, students and their families laced up their boots to participate in the Coldest Night of the Year, an annual Canada-wide fundraiser that raises money for local charities helping those experiencing hunger and homelessness.
In the case of the 2022 NC Knight Walkers, all money raised – more than $7,800 – went to Welland’s Open Arms Mission, a food and personal care bank. In total, the Welland edition of the national event exceeded its $74,000 goal by raising more than $92,000.
Niagara College not only contributed walkers and funds, it also provided a covid-friendly gathering spot for participants. The College’s Welland Campus was the start and end point for the five-kilometre walk, allowing the Welland edition to be the only in-person version of the fundraiser in Niagara in 2022.
NC Hairstyling Professor Joe Abbruscato captained the College’s team, the second-largest team in Canada this year with 54 college staff, faculty and students.
“A lot of people just wanted to do something good for the community and this is a good thing to do,” he said after the walk. “When we say the Niagara College Knight Walkers, it’s legit. It’s the whole college.”
According to Josh Walsh, who heads up communications and development for Open Arms Mission, the charity has been seeing a dramatic year-over-year increase in the people it helps. In December 2021, 47,000 pounds of food were donated to the mission but 60,000 pounds went out, underscoring the importance of fundraisers like Coldest Night of the Year to meet demand.
“It was just so nice to get together and share in and champion a cause, and see people going beyond themselves and being little miracles in their community,” Walsh said following the event. “When we talk about Niagara College, it’s the words appreciation and grateful. Joe has been such a blessing, personally and professionally. We’re just so thankful.”
NC Cares United Way campaign celebrates another record year
Niagara College’s United Way workplace campaign – ‘NC Cares’ – lived up to its name once again, after breaking another fundraising record in 2021.
Announced last December at NC’s Holiday Celebration, the campaign raised just over $50,000 for United Way Niagara, exceeding its 2021 goal and surpassing its last record of $45,900, raised the previous year.
Funds for the 2021 campaign were raised through staff and faculty pledges and revenue from a variety of fundraising activities co-ordinated by NC’s School of Environment and Horticulture, the NC Student Administrative Council in partnership with Mother Parkers Coffee, the NC Teaching Greenhouse and NC’s Community Employment Services.
“When it comes to supporting those in need, the Niagara College community shows up and rises to the challenge,” said Kennedy at the celebration. “This banner year for our United Way campaign is a tribute to the amazing work of our campaign committee and to the spirit of caring and giving of our college community.”
The College is a long-time supporter of the United Way, launching its first campaign in 1991 and raising over $850,000 to date to help fund essential programs and services related to food insecurity, poor living situations, domestic violence and more.
At the celebration, Alysha Angrilli, United Way Niagara’s Assistant Manager of Annual Giving, accepted the donation from NC campaign Co-chairs Michele O’Keefe, NC’s Athletic Director, and Shelley Panetta, NC’s Associate Director of Marketing.
“Our partnership with Niagara College is essential to ensuring that community members can access much-needed support, whenever and wherever they need it,” said Angrilli at the time. “The Niagara College campaign plays a huge role in keeping our 216 programs and 26 special initiatives running – helping our community recover, rebuild, and do better than normal.”
NC’s 2022 NC Cares campaign will be launched later this year.
Team NC rolls on for the Big Move Cancer Ride
For the third year in a row, Niagara College employees donned blue and white jerseys to ride as a team in the 2021 Big Move Cancer Ride. The annual event, hosted by Niagara Health Foundation, raises funds for the Walker Family Cancer Centre in St. Catharines.
The team included 18 college staff and faculty members, who pulled together to raise nearly $6,000 for the regional cancer care, exceeding their $5,000 goal and finishing in the event’s top 20 teams with a thirteenth-place result.
Team NC leads Joanne Maltby, Regional Manager, South Asia, Mike Pasquale, Manager, Strategic Procurement and Janet Pizzati, who recently retired from the College, organized a series of Tuesday training rides throughout last summer to help prepare for the event.
With the 2021 Big Move taking a virtual format for a second year, participants were encouraged to complete their final event rides on their own during the month of September. This flexibility provided an opportunity for the team leads to also schedule a series of group rides in September, allowing the team to complete their event-day rides with other team members and building a sense of camaraderie.
“It gave me a proud feeling seeing all the riders in their NC jerseys and wearing blue and white – it was always an impressive sight,” said Pasquale. “Knowing we were all there to support the hospital foundation, but to also meet colleagues that we may never have a chance to meet and share a common interest – cycling.”
Since riding as an official team beginning in 2019, NC has raised more than $18,000 for local cancer care in Niagara.
Team NC looks forward to riding for a fourth year as a team in the 2022 Big Move in September.
