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

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

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