Local non-profit partnership strengthens community bonds
Field Hockey Canada is excited to announce a partnership with Power To Be, a British Columbia-based organization offering inclusive experiences in nature.
Based in Victoria and Vancouver, Power To Be is a non-profit organization that believes everyone belongs in nature. The organization offers inclusive and accessible outdoor experiences and works to remove cognitive, physical, and social barriers to the outdoors.
Field Hockey Canada’s Women’s National Team and Power To Be are forming a community partnership, whereby the WNT will support and participate in Power To Be initiatives and the two organizations will collaborate on joint projects. According to Susan Ahrens, CEO of Field Hockey Canada, these local societal partnerships help strengthen the sporting community and benefit both groups.
“Field Hockey Canada relies heavily on partners, donors, sponsors and fundraising support to drive our national teams,” Ahrens said. “We are grateful for the continued and growing support of our incredible community. In partnering with Power to Be, we are connecting with an organization who shares our values of inclusive and accessible access to communities we are passionate about: field hockey and nature. Our national team athletes are wonderful ambassadors who are delighted to become part of a larger social community and active participants giving back in a cycle of social good.”
Dana Hutchings, COO of Power To Be, said that the partnership is a perfect fit and aligns well with all parties’ values.
“We are honoured to be partnering with the Canadian Women’s National Field Hockey team. Their passion to be involved in the community promoting a healthy, active lifestyle in the outdoors aligns very well with what we do here at Power To Be,” Hutchings said. “We are so looking forward to having the team participate in Power To Summit, our annual fundraising event, and raise awareness for our programs, as well as have the athletes share their stories and connection to nature with our participants. Their leadership and dedication will surely be an inspiration to those breaking through their own barriers.”
Power to Summit
Charities such as Power To Be rely heavily on their fundraising events for revenue to support their mission. During these unprecedented times these causes have had to get creative and reimagine their events to support Covid-19 restrictions and ensure the health and safety of their supporters. One of their primary fundraising initiatives is Power To Summit.
The Field Hockey Canada Women’s National Team has entered two teams into the Power To Summit virtual fundraising initiative. The event is taking place from May 14 – 16, 2021. The teams have three days to “climb” 6190 metres (equivalent to the tallest peak in North America – Mt. Denali) to complete the goal.
Racers can gain elevation anywhere; for example, climbing the stairs in their houses, hiking a trail, or walking up an inclined street. Women’s National Team members Maddie Secco and Alison Lee are captaining the two virtual race teams. According to Secco, the connection with Power To Be is fuelled by the mutual interest in the outdoors and living a healthy lifestyle.
“As national team athletes, we are passionate about healthy living. We are truly honoured to be partnering with an organization that aligns so well with our values,” Secco said, adding that the team is looking forward to the Power To Summit initiative next week. “We will be posting pictures in costumes and making updates as we climb, so stay tuned for some great content!”
Women’s National Team 1: [DONATE HERE]
Alison Lee, Natalie Sourisseau, Alexis De Armond, Sara McManus, Marcia LaPlante, Anna Mollenhauer
Women’s National Team 2: [DONATE HERE]
Maddie Secco, Jordyn Faiczak, Karli Johansen, Elise Wong
Later in the month, Women’s National Team members will take part in a Power To Be speaker series. Members of the team will join virtual programs to share peaks and valleys about; being a strong leader in your community, what it is like to be an elite athlete and their connection to nature. The speaker series is a program based around developing leadership skills for youth and young adults in our programs with a focus on discovering their leadership style, overcoming adversity, and supporting others.
