Doing Good in Charlottetown

It is day 66 on the tour for me. These days everyone is asking me how I am doing and how I am feeling. While I am definitely tired, I am doing good. The enthusiasm of the teams we meet and the good will that is created at the events we attend has kept me going. Its funny how the energy created by doing something you are passionate about, day in and day out, can keep you motivated. It helps that I am also lucky enough to be surrounded by my Delta family, who are certainly like-minded folks.

This was true for the team at the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown, PEI. After a quick ferry ride across the Northumberland Strait and a scenic drive to Charlottetown, the hotel staff eagerly greeted Charlene and me. We were then introduced to the hotel’s Community Cruiser Champion and our tour guide, Katie Baker. I can’t say enough about Katie. She took us for a fantastic dinner that night and played tour-guide, along with her beau Grant Critch, for the entire time we were in town. They took me to the Great Canadian Soap Company to pet a few goats (so fun!), to a gorgeous Zen garden/shopping Mecca and a scenic, secluded beach that only the locals visit. All of this was after a full day of “doing good” at the local soup kitchen. We can’t thank you enough Katie and Grant! You showed us the true Atlantic spirit (moonshine and all)!

Our fantastic tour-guides Katie and Grant!

This spirit was fully noticeable at the Delta Prince Edwards Cruiser event as well. After a yummy breakfast, Charlene and I were directed towards our working stations. We, along with the city Mayor, Honourable Clifford Lee, the Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry Honourable Richard Brown, the hotels General Manager Zubair Siddiqi and our Chefs and leaders Mark and Brian, made 90 sandwiches for the local soup kitchen. I was responsible for lettuce detail, Katie for tomatoes and Char for wrapping the sandwiches. I feel we did a stellar job and certainly heard no complaints when we handed out the food to the folks at the Upper Room Soup Kitchen.

Doing good in the sandwich line!

Not only did these worthy folks get yummy sandwiches, but they also received a steaming bowl of soup, homemade potato salad and cole slaw, fruit, cookies and a beverage of their choice. We also served them at their tables and cleaned-up for them once they were done. The event was a huge success when we saw how appreciative these street-folks were. Many of them even stopped to shake the hands of each of the volunteers and to express their gratitude.

Char serving our yummy lunches!

I think its experiences like this that make complaining about being tired seem so silly. It’s simple really; doing good, makes you feel good. These days we are doing A LOT of good and we are feelin’ just fine.

He he he he! Goats at The Great Canadian Soap Company!

Suzanne

Moving homes and hearts in Fredericton

Greetings from NB… what a great few days we have had since we left Saint John. Thursday morning Suzanne and I drove out of the fog and straight to sunshine in beautiful Grand Falls NB. We were eagerly greeted by the staff at our GRS Satellite office in down town Grand Falls. Tina Desjardins and her staff fed us local YUMMY pizza and provided us with a great tour of their wonderful contact centre. It was so great to see such passionate employees!

Staff of GRS Satellite Office in Grand Falls, NB

After our visit to GFS we headed to the provinces capital city… Fredericton!!! With a huge smile Martin Gilbert welcomed us to the Delta Fredericton for what turned out to be an amazing event. Maple Leaf homes, Recycle NB and a wonderful company called Track joined the Delta Fredericton and GRS staff along with dignitaries, such as the honourable Mayor Brad Woodside to parade the new modular home onto the Delta Fredericton site. With an excited crowd watching, media snapping pictures and tears flowing, the Habitat for Humanity family along with their new home made their way on site.

The Barton Family

Suzanne and I had the privilege of meeting and spending a lot of time with the Barton family which included 3 young children and a 4th on the way on August 11th. They told us that they are counting down the days until they can settle into their new home. Tyson their oldest son (who stole my heart) loved the cruiser and NEEDED to wave from the sun roof as I honked the horn to get everyone’s attention … he had an important message… “I am getting my own room”! Needless to say I was happy to have my sunglasses on so no one could see me choking up!

Tyson making his announcement

While everyone mingled, the staff from the Delta Fredericton along with Delta Global Reservations Services worked diligently on serving the community with a free BBQ along with free face painting. It was an amazing day for everyone involved.

Delta Fredericton and GRS Staff Volunteers

Suzanne and I were thrilled to hear that the shingles that were being used on the house were made from recycled plastic and they are guaranteed to last a minimum of … 50 years! How impressive… and GREEN!
Our next stop is Delta Beausejour … look out Moncton… here we come!

Suzanne and I heading the parade!

Charlene

Drive-thru in the Soo

I HAD A BLAST for my very first event in the Soo! Delta Sault Ste. Marie Waterfront hosted a ‘Drive-thru Breakfast’ on June 29th offering commuters delicious coffee and muffins in exchange for donations.

The Delta Sault Staff

Upon arrival, Suzanne and I were greeted by Kevin and his welcoming staff in the lobby of the hotel, making me feel like an A-list celebrity. After driving for half a day, coming from the White River Motel, the staff’s immediate excitement certainly pumped us up and made me realize what Delta as a brand is all about. Suz and I got settled, and went down to the View, the Delta’s restaurant for dinner. If you are ever in the area I strongly recommend the Filet but be sure to save room for the Bailey’s Chocolate milkshake, or the Banana Pudding cake at the end! Needless to say, Suzanne and I had a solid night’s rest after being stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey.

The 29th turned out to be an extremely windy, chilly day and Kevin (General Manager) announced at the end of the day, we had lost several staff to Mother Nature unfortunately…good one Kev! The wind didn’t damper the spirits of the staff at all as they waved people in and jumped up and down with signs attracting commuters to our event. Several volunteers ventured out into the city and redirected traffic towards the hotel, encountering friendly, courteous Sault Saint Marie-ers and the occasional ‘mooner’. Their efforts certainly paid off, raising $873 in 3 hours.

The Drive-Thru

The staff at the Delta Sault Ste. Marie are absolutely amazing and made the event super fun, regardless of the mini-Katrina enveloping us. Thank you so much for making my stay and the event a fantastic time, you have set the bar for the rest of Ontario!

Carys

Carys being Carys

Ontario Regional Ambarassdor

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

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.

We Raised A Lot More Than Just The Roof In Whistler!

After a warm send off from the team at the Delta Burnaby Hotel and Conference Centre, we were off to test our ride on the new Sea to Sky Highway as we headed to our next destination.

What a send-off!

I would have to say that there is no better spot to test out the full potential of the Toyota Prius – then this scenic highway. The road is filled with many steep inclines which allowed us to enjoy the “Power Mode” feature when we needed an extra boost and also use the “Eco Mode” to charge our battery while we cruised smoothly through many of the valleys.

When we arrived into Whistler, we were welcomed with a loud and friendly cheer by all of the team members of the Delta Whistler Village Suites and the Tantalus Lodge. They were eager to have the Cruiser back in their home town, help make a difference in their community and to get the party started! The 2nd Annual Raise the Roof Party took place at Buffalo Bills and was being held in support of the local charity partners: Whistler Adaptive Sports Program, and Habitat For Humanity – Sunshine Coast Region.

An incredibly successful and entertaining night ensued; to the sound of Bluesberry Jam, people mingled, raffled, and generously bid on a number of fabulous donated items. All told the evening was a huge success, raising an amazing amount (approximately $12,000) and beating their efforts from the previous year. Way to go!!

After a fun packed week of excellent events, I’m looking forward to a weekend of taking in the wonderful sights and food of Whistler, before we embark on the next leg of our journey. Look out Kelowna, here we come!!!!!

Blog by BC Regional Ambassador - Denise Jury