Packing the Prius in Winnipeg

We started our engines by filling (literally) our tanks with a fantastic breakfast buffet at the Delta Winnipeg. After a very delectable meal we were off to help set up for the anticipated barbeque that was about to take place out front of the Elephant and Castle Pub which happened to be attached to the hotel. We quickly removed most of the tables and chairs and set up the patio. We moved the shiny Community Cruiser right in front of the patio, opened up the trunk and attached some balloons to either side.

The event was about to begin and more and more people started to crowd around the Toyota Prius and the Delta Winnipeg’s well-displayed patio. This event was in support of the city’s Winnipeg Harvest. The Winnipeg Harvest is a local food bank and organization that received over 10 million pounds of food in donations last year and feeds an average of 48,000 starving mouths annually. Out of the 48, 000 people fed last year they claimed that half of those in need were children.

Geoff and Suzanne Packin' the Prius

For this event, participants were being fed a sausage on a bun, a bag of chips and pop all for $2 if they donated a non-perishable food item and for $5 without a donation of a food item. With the help of the well-organized staff at the Delta Winnipeg, Suzanne and I were placing all of the food donations into the back of the Community Cruiser. People sat on the patio enjoying their lunches while socializing and asking some very curious questions about the cruiser tour.

About half way through the event, a cameraman from CBC came by and took some shots of the cruiser and of the event that had been causing lots of commotion on this busy downtown corner. After speaking with him and informing him about what the Community Cruiser tour was all about, I convinced him to do a brief interview with Suzanne. Being the “celebrities” that we had both become, a photographer from the Winnipeg Sun newspaper attended the event and took some photos of Suzanne and I beside the cruiser that was now overflowing with the food donations.

The busy afternoon started to wind down and it was now time for us to visit the Winnipeg Harvest’s warehouse. After the barbeque we had some left over sausages, chips and drinks so we wrapped them up and donated them to the hard working volunteers and staff at the Winnipeg Harvest. We had a brief tour of the facility before unloading the donations. Overall the Delta Winnipeg donated $610 in cash and an outstanding 334 pounds of food!!!!

Delta and Winnipeg Harvest working together!

Along-side my newfound friend Suzanne; I had begun the tour 16 days ago. Unfortunately this incredible once in a lifetime experience was about to come to an end for me, as the Ontario regional ambassador Carys was about to take over. After meeting and working with so many fabulous individuals and organizations, this was a life changing experience that I will definitely remember forever. The gratification I have felt being a part of the Community Cruiser tour is unexplainable. Words cannot express how I felt being able to help so many people in need, and it really opened my eyes to see how much a lucky individual like me takes for granted. I’m extremely sad to go but I look forward to following the tour online and watch my fellow cruiser’s continue to help others and work hard to achieve the goal of raising $1 million dollars for charities and help donate 10, 000 community services hours…

Farewell my friends, it has been an absolute pleasure to have been a part of the Delta Community Cruiser tour.

The hand-over!

Warmest Regards,

Geoffrey Alan
Prairies Regional Ambassador

Big Bike! Bigger Hearts!

How many people can say that they have ridden a 29 person bike before? How many people can say that they were shot in the back of the head with a water-gun continuously while riding a 29 person bike before?? Thanks to the Delta Regina and the Heart & Stroke Foundation I can claim the first and thanks to Regional Ambassador Geoffrey I can also claim the second!!

The BIG bike

Geoff and I, along with 27 Delta Regina employees peddled our hearts out as we propelled the giant bike through the city streets. Funny hats, noisy bells and water-guns were all part of the ride, which culminated a heartfelt fundraising effort by multiple members of this caring team. The cost of a seat was $50 raised, however that was just a target and clearly not the ultimate goal. This fantastic team raised a total of $4250 for the Heart & Stroke Foundation thanks to their big hearts and their pocketbooks.

Money raised by the team at the Delta Regina

Way to go team! With the amount of fun Geoff and I were having on the big bike we could have ridden all the way to our next stop in Winnipeg! Well, maybe not! We still have the Prius though, and it’s a ton of fun too!

Breakfast, Lunch & a Berry Barn run!

What a beautiful day in Saskatoon!

The rain finally subsided and the sun shone down on the smiley volunteers at the annual United Way and Delta Bessborough Drive Thru Breakfast! “Coffee”, “Pastry”, “Newspapers” “and a Smile” “For a Donation” signs lined up along Spadina Drive as sleepy commuters made their way into downtown Saskatoon. While the donations did not match those of last year (a record year!) they were certainly appreciated as we collected a total of $1100 for the United Way. Way to go team!!!

Hungry Habitat for Humanity volunteers

After a little downtime, a handful of Delta volunteers, including Executive Chef Ryan, were off to serve lunch to the hungry workers at the nearby Habitat for Humanity Saskatoon build-site. These very warm and dirty workers were more then gracious for the amazing meal that Chef Ryan and his team whipped up in the kitchen at the Delta Bessborough. After some quick pics with the car (the biggest celebrity on this tour!), we were off again.

This time we were heading for a tourist spot! Much to Geoff’s delight (haha!) we visited the

Saskatoon Berry Barn; a beautiful property about 20 minutes outside of Saskatoon City Centre.

There, we wandered the berry laden paths and rested by the colourful and fragrant gardens. Before leaving we made sure to try some tasty Saskatoon Berry jam.

A special thanks to our wonderful tour guide Kristen for showing us around Saskatoon, and to the enthusiastic team at the Delta Bessborough, who are celebrating their 75th year as the Castle on the River.

Pitching In!

Tents weren’t the only thing that the staff and volunteers from the Delta Edmonton hotels were pitching at the Homeless for a Night event! As I was reviewing my photos from the recent Edmonton event, I came across a great shot that I thought I should share.

The two Delta Edmonton Hotels, the Delta Edmonton Centre Suites and the Delta Edmonton South, did a fantastic job of fundraising for the Homeless for a Night event which we participated in last week. Their overall goal was a hefty $10,000. Since part of the funds for this big donation weren’t collected until the actual YESS event (through the Sanctuary tent and that Stuff the Prius with Pillows raffle draws) the teams did not know if they had reached their goal until the last minute.

After all the funds were counted, it turned out that they were $200 shy of their final goal. Without any hesitation, the Edmonton Delta staff pulled money out of their own pockets and tossed it onto a nearby lawn-chair. Within moments the $200 needed was collected and the $10,000 goal was raised.

Way to go team! I applaud these wonderful folks for taking money out of their own pockets to give back to others! It’s one thing to fund-raise and donate time, but it’s another to simply take a $10 bill out of your own wallet and hand it over to a greater cause! This sincerity impressed itself upon me to such a degree, that I wanted to share it with everyone, in hopes that others will act the same!

Sleepless in Edmonton

After a short but sweet stop in our home city of Calgary, Suzanne and I continued on our expedition and made our way north to the city of Edmonton, Alberta. Once we arrived, the fabulous staff at the Delta Edmonton South warmly welcomed us. We took a few photos with the friendly team surrounding the community cruiser and later checked into our rooms.

Being an ambassador has really started to make me feel as if I am a famous celebrity. We never know what to expect, as there have been so many surprises along the tour. Although we had no event scheduled for the evening, we unexpectedly got invited to a private VIP launch party for NOW radio. This popular local radio station welcomed us into their studios where we were given a tour and had the opportunity to indulge in everything from pizza and chicken wings to sushi and champagne! While being overwhelmed with free stuff we were then invited into a sound proof recording room where Suzanne and I were able to introduce ourselves and got to record a short conversation between the two of us and the NOW radio stations DJ. This was very interesting and exciting experience to say the least.

After a well-deserved sleep, we prepared ourselves both physically and mentally for the big event we had ahead of us. We arrived at the Telus Baseball Field shortly after 4pm. We met lots of volunteers who had been hard at work setting up for the event. We drove the community cruiser right onto the middle of the field so that everyone could see the gleaming Toyota Prius. The event “Homeless for a Night” was about kick off as hundreds of people started arriving at the field. This event was organized with the intentions of raising awareness and donations for the Youth Emergency Shelter Society. Volunteers raised money for this organization and donated their time, as they were about to spend the entire night in the field.

With the help of the Delta Community we stuffed a whopping 93 pillows into the cruiser. We then sold tickets to people who were given the chance to guess how many pillows were in the vehicle. With so many close guesses, we finally determined a winner who guessed that there were 92 pillows inside the Prius. This lucky lady won a two-night stay at any Delta Hotel across Canada.

A large tent was set up in the middle of the field near the community cruiser where a Delta Sanctuary bed was set up just like a hotel room. This tent had everything from carpet, lamps, a television and even a DVD player. We showcased the tent as we sold tickets to people. Around 9pm we drew the winning ticket and called out the number. The winner came to the stage and was escorted by the Canadian Army to the Delta room (open tent). This proud and popular winner got to spend the night in the comfortable Sanctuary bed. All the proceeds from both contests were donated to the Youth Emergency Shelters. Around 11pm we took the 93 pillows out of the cruiser and donated them to the shelters as well.

A stage was set up where people were enjoying themselves listening to live local bands, comedians and watching dance shows. There was a beer tent and concession stands for people to enjoy. The field was full of excitement as people (including myself) played football, baseball and passed around Frisbees. As the sunset and the sky got dark, the Army set up controlled bonfires, which become very popular spots. As people enjoyed the warmth of the fire, marshmallows were being roasted and people were playing their guitars.

Being in Alberta, the sun set very late and rose very early, which didn’t help many of these excited participants settle down and fall asleep. The majority of the participants did not sleep and made it through night with ease. Suzanne and I were both very exhausted around 6am where we returned to the hotel to get some rest. This was a very successful event and I was astonished at how many people came out to raise money for such a great a cause. The organizers seemed very grateful for everyone’s efforts and donations. I found this event to be very touching and I will remember this night for the rest of my life.

Best Regards,

Geoffrey Alan- Prairies Regional Ambassador

Chills, Grills and Thrills!

What is June in Calgary without a little rain??
As a native Calgarian I wasn’t completely surprised by the gloomy day that was on hand for our Thrill of the Grill kickoff at the Olympic Plaza site in downtown Calgary. Geoffrey and I, now accustomed to rainy Cruiser events, donned our warm Cruiser fleeces and our well-worn raincoats. Along with the many, many volunteers from the three Calgary Delta locations, we were prepared for whatever the skies would bring.

Now Calgary is my hometown, so when I say that this was by far the best event, I am completely biased!! However it was fantastic! Spirits were high when Geoffrey and I arrived to find the site organized with multiple grills set to thrill and a fantastic stage area for the Iron Chef competition; and what a competition it was! Thanks to the good humor of the three Calgary Delta hotels Executive Chefs and some local celebrity antics assisting them, an entertaining show was on display for all those charitable patrons purchasing a yummy lunch.

After a 45-minute preparation period, in which the two special ingredients of Bison (a local delicacy!) and pineapple (less local!) were to be incorporated into the meals, the three teams were ready to WOW the judging panel, which was comprised of three local media personalities and a representative from Habitat for Humanity Calgary. While it was evident that the judges were thoroughly impressed with each of the meals, not surprisingly (to me) the Delta Calgary Airport pulled out a win and proudly hoisted this years Thrill of the Grill trophy (Way to go Chef John!!). After the newly crowned Iron Chefs posed for pictures with their impressive trophies and made a sentimental acceptance speech (which included a huge thank you to Gary Coleman!) the event swiftly came to a close.

Despite the rain and the chill, this years Thrill of the Grill kick-off was a success, as it brought out a number of media outlets to recognize and communicate our fundraising efforts to the fine citizens of Calgary. While neither Geoffrey nor I were interviewed, we did have an opportunity to speak about the tour during a “commercial break” during the Iron Chef competition. It has become a lot less nerve wracking speaking in front of large groups of people. I really enjoy being able to share all of the amazing events that I have participated in and the amount of good we have done for so many communities. This time it was nice to be home and to contribute some goodness alongside my Calgary family.

Now in true Calgarian fashion, I should be dreading our upcoming trip to Edmonton. However, I’m not. I am intrigued by their “Homeless for a Night” event and what it will entail. While I know in the depths of my being that the Stampeders and the Flames FAR out-rank the Eskimos and the Oilers, I somewhat suspect that they may have a pretty cool event awaiting us. Time will tell…

18 Kilometers Up and Over $10,000 Raised!

After a wonderful breakfast at Delta Sun Peaks Resort, we said our good byes and began our journey to Banff. We participated in a 5 km hike and trail clean up on Tunnel Mountain. After spending the weekend at home in Calgary, Suzanne and I made our way to the beautiful Delta Lodge at Kananaskis.

I woke up on Monday morning holding my fingers crossed as the weatherman had predicted cool and rainy weather for the day. I looked out the window and not to my surprise, the reporter was right. After indulging in a 3-egg omelet breakfast I was ready to take on the damp trails of Ribbon Creek. Suzanne, myself and a group of eager and determined hikers made sure our boots were tight as we embarked into the woods leaving the trail head in the distance. We witnessed many spectacular views as the summer run off from the mountains filled the river beside us with intense rapids. As we climbed towards the top of the trail sweating and short of breath, we could hear the waterfall in the distance. As we approached, the air was filled with cold mountain mist and a sound as loud as thunder could be heard. We had finally made it to our destination after being on the trail for about 2.5 hours. We quickly snapped some photos and admired the stunning views before descended back to the trailhead, which was about 9 km back down the trail.

Ribbon Creek

We made it back to the trailhead safely but sore. A strong sense of accomplishment lingered in the air as the strong-hearted Delta community returned back to the lodge exhausted and in need of refreshments and a hearty meal.

The staff and friends of the Delta Lodge at Kananaskis put together a delicious barbeque and a well-deserved celebration. As people enjoyed their meals and relaxed, we had the opportunity to hear all about the unique ways the lodge was able to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. The creative participants at Delta Lodge at Kananaskis did everything from washing guest and employee vehicles for donations, organizing hockey tournaments to holding events such as take your dog to work day where volunteers walked and took care of the pets. I even heard that an employee who had been growing his hair for a long time cut off his ponytail for the cause. In the end the Delta Lodge at Kananaskis raised over $10, 000 for Habitat for Humanity! Way to go team, don’t stop there!

After a very exciting and successful day the tour continues as Suzanne and I head back to Calgary’s own Olympic Plaza to participate in kicking off the “Thrill of the Grill’ series where we will help host a barbeque along side the Delta Calgary Airport, Delta Bow Valley and Delta Calgary South and raise more money for Habitat for Humanity.

My leg of the tour has just begun and I am extremely excited to so what it will bring next…

Geoffrey Alan
Prairies Regional Ambassador

Sweet Home Alberta

The skies weren’t blue, but the mountains were just as majestic and awe-inspiring as they were when I left them two weeks ago. It’s hard to believe that we are already on the second province of the tour. While BC was beautiful and scenic at every stop, Alberta is my home and I am happy to be home. I was sad to have my BC-pal Denise head back to Vancouver, but I was ready for the beginning of a new adventure with Geoffrey Alan, the Prairies Regional Ambassador.

Our first stop? Beautiful Banff for a breath-taking (literally!) hike up the Tunnel Mountain Trail. A group of employees at the Delta Banff Royal Canadian Lodge, Geoffrey, myself and our new four-legged friend Frank, wound our way up the steep pathway searching for garbage to pick-up. Happily Frank was the only one who found a single piece of garbage, which he thoroughly enjoyed chasing after on the mountain top.

While our intentions to clean-up the Tunnel Mountain trail-way were unsuccessful (way to go hikers for keeping the trails clean!) we did make it to the top after only a minimal amount of grumbling. No expedition would be complete without marking the conquered territory, which we did with our Delta Community Cruiser banner, perched high above the bustling town of Banff.

Not long after we conquered the great Sleeping Buffalo mountain (Tunnel Mountains former namesake) we were back on the road in our shiny red Prius! Geoffrey and I both live in Calgary, so we were looking forward to rejuvenating our road-spirits at home for a couple of days.

Our next stop is the Delta Kananaskis Lodge & Resort for a hike of a different nature. Can’t wait to see my friends there and to conquer yet another obstacle for a good cause.

Young Cheers, Furry Ears & Some Emotional Tears

This was such a perfect spot for me to enjoy the last stop of the Community Cruiser journey. Delta Sun Peaks Resort has always held a special spot in my heart. Aside from the many fabulous holiday vacations I have experienced here swishing down the slopes, it is where my husband proposed to me. It is, and always will be, a special place for me.

Today, we were in for an action packed day. We loaded up the Cruiser with various gifts and departed the Resort to start the inaugural “SPOT THE CRUISER” event in the local community of Kamloops. First stop, Heffley Creek Elementary! Most of the children of the Sun Peaks community attend this school, which makes it a very endearing place to visit. We were welcomed by over 90 screaming and smiling students as we provided them with a healthy snack to start their day!

Next stop, we were off to see our furry, four-legged friends at the BC SPCA. We had the pleasure of providing 7 dogs with a short stroll around the block and as we left got a few friendly “barks and licks” as a thank you for our time. As we continued on our day, the cruiser got even lighter when we stopped into the Kamloops Food Bank - Food Action Centre and donated over 170lbs of non-perishable foods. This delivery will help provide good food for all people in need.

The wheels just kept on moving as we visited the Royal Inland Hospital, and provided over 200 stuffed animals to be given to the children on the Pediatric floor. This was an extremely touching donation and will certainly help brighten the spirits of many young boys and girls.

Before we completed our day, there was one more spot to lend a hand, at the ReStore – Habitat for Humanity. From scrubbing the floors, to painting a few doors, we helped the team with various duties around the store. Our efforts certainly did not go unnoticed as we headed back to Sun Peaks and were sent off with a thankful farewell.

When I first applied to be the BC Regional Ambassador for the Community Cruiser, I was certainly looking forward to an amazing adventure. However, the last 9 days have certainly exceeded my expectations and provided me with such great new friends, experiences and memories that I will never forget! I have loved being able to give back and to help make a difference with all of my fellow colleagues in our outstanding region. Thank you for this opportunity, I look forward to reading the future blog updates from Suzanne and her new co-pilot, Geoffrey, Regional Ambassador for the Prairies. Many more inspiring stories to come as the Cruiser heads east and makes it way to the final stop, St. John’s, Newfoundland.

By BC Regional Ambassador, Denise Jury

Helping Those Who Help Others!

Our first event of the week brought warm sunshine and even warmer smiles! After a relaxing weekend in Whistler, with wonderful stays at both the Delta Whistler Village Suites and the Tantalus Resort, we made our way along the mountainous Duffy Lake Roadway to beautiful Kelowna. We could not have asked for a nicer day for a fundraising BBQ or for a nicer place to host it!

The Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, boasting water-fountains, colourful flowers and its own picturesque lagoon, was the back-drop for this great cause. The staff, clad in their blue “Delta Helps” t-shirts, volunteered their time to sell barbequed burgers and smokies to the local business crowd, all in support of Cops for Kids. Cops for Kids is a local charity, close to the hearts of those at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, who support children with special needs.

Thanks to the twenty hungry, bike-riding RCMP officers in training (say that with a burger in your mouth!) to the ravenous passersby, we raised just over $1,000 for this wonderful cause. As quickly as the tables went up, they came down and we were on the road again! This time to a hidden-jewel, nestled just outside of Kamloops, British Columbia; the Delta Sun Peaks Resort.

Sadly this is our last stop on the B.C. portion of the Delta Community Cruiser tour. As well the “Spot the Cruiser” event tomorrow will be Regional Ambassador Denise’s last event. Stay tuned for Denise’s final blog, which will include details regarding our Kamloops community event and some of her favourite tour moments!