I have done community service all my life. It is part of my family's culture and homeschool. As a little boy, not 3 years old yet, I started with entertaining seniors with my three siblings every week in care centres and hospices. At 6 years I started donating my birthday and Christmas money to the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation and sending extra donations to our foster children through World Vision.
This past year I met Benard Onsare, a marathon runner from Kenya who was seeking Canadian citizenship so that he may run for Canada in the 2016 Olympics. I encouraged Benard with this process and I collected clean almost new running shoes for Benard to take to his village in Kenya to share with children who have never had shoes of their own. Now Benard is proudly a Canadian Citizen!
I train 24 hours per week at my sport, artistic gymnastics, at the Calgary Gymnastics Centre. I love my sport, setting goals, achieving new skills and each moment of training. At the same time, I knows how deeply blessed I am to have these opportunities and I want to share that with children who don't enjoy the same advantages. I also want to encourage children here in Canada and everywhere to find their passion, work hard at it and follow their dreams. Look after yourself, look after each other!
Since 2011 I have been raising money for the charity, Right To Play. Since the age of 9 years I have raised funds and awareness for the charity Right To Play in order to help children all over the world, including Canadian children in disadvantaged circumstances, to enjoy sport and play as I can so freely. Kyle Shewfelt challenged me to come up with a way to do this. I started by earning a loonie every time I did 10 circles on the pommel horse with one handle, and I would give this to Right To Play. Once I earned $100.00, I sent it to Right To Play and they helped me set up my own fundraising page, where I could set goals for myself and I have continued to meet them. I believe that every child no matter where they live in the world, has the right to free play and sport time. Many children spend much of their days earning money or food for their families or searching for drinking water. They have little time for play, for fun, for enjoying sport. By raising funds for Right To Play we support play programs in their villages and towns as well as practical help to reduce how much time children need to spend getting the necessaries of life like food, clean water and shelter.
These photos are from a Right To Play Winter Run I participated in with Martin Parnell. My training means that I cannot participate in every event I would like to, but whenever I can, I am there to support.
You can donate here to support my new quest to raise $2500.00 for Right To Play children's programs this summer:
