Give the Gift of Hope Through Our Promising Futures Monthly Giving Program!
The season of giving is right around the corner and now more than ever, our city’s vulnerable children and youth need your help. 2020 has been especially challenging for those we serve and by becoming a Promising Futures monthly donor this holiday season, you are giving the gift of hope to the 9,000+ children and youth we reach each year by providing them with the supports they need to thrive and become good citizens.
Signing up is easy and any donation amount will help make a difference. Learn more and sign up today at: https://cpf.cpsevents.ca/promising-futures/.
Calgary Police Service 2021 Canine Calendar – the Best Holiday Gift!
Looking to find that perfect gift for your friends, family or colleagues? We are here to help! Embrace the holiday season and spoil your loved ones with the 2021 Canine Calendar and a gift from our exclusive canine merchandise line. Our new collection features great gift ideas for everyone including canine mousepads, tote bags, socks, stuffies and more!
Need another great reason to buy? All of the funds raised from calendar and merchandise sales are directed to child and youth Programs providing prevention, education and intervention supports aimed at keeping Calgary children safe from victimisation and crime.
Purchase your calendars at Calgary & Area Safeway and Sobeys locations, or visit our online store at www.CPYFStore.ca!
2020 Chief Youth Courage Awards Recap
On November 13th, we hosted two virtual celebration events to recognise our six child and youth Chief Youth Courage Award recipients, along with our Philanthropic Leader Award recipient, Mr. Dick Haskayne.
At 7:30am, Chief Constable Neufeld met with all six of our youth recipients virtually to share their stories and offer words of congratulations. Breakfast treats and Awards were sent by special delivery to every youth and their families, and it was almost as good as being together in person. It was an incredible morning of celebration and we are so proud of all our award recipients. Congratulations to Vesko, Scott, Giovanni, Nathan, Mateo and Mamdouh (pictured above) from all of us at the Calgary Police Youth Foundation!
In the evening, we were joined by Chief Constable Neufeld and Mrs. Neufeld, our Chief Youth Courage Award sponsors, family and friends as we gathered to celebrate Mr. Dick Haskayne and the impact his philanthropy has had on the Calgary community. Leslie Horton from Global TV emceed our virtual ceremony and throughout the evening guests learned more about the Calgary Police Youth Foundation, heard from many of Mr. Haskayne’s friends and colleagues as they offered their congratulations, and finally heard from Mr. and Mrs. Haskyne about the importance of supporting your local community.
During the virtual event, we also hosted a special chat room fundraiser to raise money for the vulnerable children and youth we serve. Guests pledged donations and entered to win a fun Police Headquarters Lego set! Thank you to everyone who donated and congratulations to Grant Stapon, our prize winner!
We wanted to be able to share this special evening with all of our supporters, so we have uploaded the full ceremony to our YouTube channel. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgTS_dlz2Ek
Chief Youth Courage Awards Silent Auction
As part of the Chief Youth Courage Awards celebration, we also recently hosted an online silent auction fundraiser! This event was a huge success and helped us raise over $15,000! It was a lot of fun and we are already planning the 2021 auction!
Thank you to everyone who bid on items in the auction and a special thank you to all of the incredible organizations and businesses that donated items to be included. We couldn’t have done it without you! Proceeds from the auction will support child and youth crime prevention, education and intervention Programming for children and youth in Calgary.
Today’s young people are burdened by many threats in the world around them including substance abuse, gangs, unemployment, peer pressure and unsafe environments, just to name a few. We also know one of the leading causes of crime and violence surrounding young children is poverty.
This holiday season we will be bringing joy to the kids with our “Joy to the Kids Holiday Hamper Campaign” to help our young people cope with these challenges and to lift their spirits during this festive time. We will be distributing over 700 hampers to children and youth in the community from schools supported by the Integrated School Support Program, Indigenous students attending schools in Calgary and children who are participating in Power Play.
Due to the ongoing pandemic and our restrictions on collecting items and bringing people together, CPS and CPYF will organise hamper fulfillment which will include a grocery card and an age/gender appropriate gift for every child. All donors will receive a tax receipt for their donation and of course lots of lovely, sincere thank-you’ s from the children and youth we bring a smile to this holiday season.
Be part of the holiday magic and donate today by contacting Barbara Pohl at Bpohl@calgarypolice.ca
Get Your “Thank You CPS” Bumper Stickers in Support of CPYF!
Order your “Thank You CPS” bumper stickers today for just $10 each and help support vulnerable children and youth in Calgary!
These stickers, created by one of our supporters, Devon, are a great way to show recognition and appreciation for the Calgary Police Service and all of the funds raised support education, prevention and early intervention programs funded by the Calgary Police Youth Foundation.
Help make a difference for those we serve by ordering your bumper stickers today! Visit www.ThankYouDecal.com!
Wealth Management Seminars
The Calgary Police Youth Foundation recently hosted a pair of wealth management seminars for our supporters teaching them about the importance of having an up to date Will, how to maximize their estate and how they can leave their family feeling financially secure. These virtual presentations were hosted by Rick Green, Wealth Strategist and Founding Partner at Sagium and were very informative for all of our guests. Thank you to everyone who attended!
Did you miss the seminars but still want to start your estate planning? Our Canadian Free Wills Network program can help. Learn more about how you can have your simple Will written or amended for FREE today at: https://cpf.cpsevents.ca/canadian-free-wills-network/
Family and Friends FREE Cyber Safety Webinar
Date: December 11th, 12 PM – 1 PM
We invite our donors, volunteers and supporters to all join us for a special “thank you” webinar featuring the Calgary Police Service Cyber Crimes unit as they share information about how to keep you and your family safe from cyber crime.
Sign up today! Spots are limited and are filling up quickly.
Register at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/webinar-cyber-safety-for-you-and-your-family-tickets-129949306875
Learn More About CPYF Funded Programs With Our New Video Series!
The Calgary Police Youth Foundation is proud to launch a new video series aimed at sharing information with our supporters and the public about the six child and youth crime prevention, education and intervention programs CPYF provides funding towards.
Each video explains the Program’s goals and purpose, demonstrates the impact the program is having in the community and the difference donor support is making. We also have two videos featuring Chief Youth Courage Award recipients Vesko and Mateo, where they tell us in their own words what the Programs have meant to them.
Check out the whole series on our YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLetWsDwqJB0hQ1dwjJUWQg/featured
A Letter from Board Chair, Brian Ferguson
Dear Friend,
Mayor Nenshi proclaimed 7th to 13th November 2020 as the Calgary Police Youth Foundation week. In this week we celebrated six children and youth from Calgary who received a 2020 Chief Youth Courage Award. We also celebrated and recognised renowned Philanthropic Leader, Mr. Dick Haskayne, as our inaugural Philanthropic Leader Award Recipient.
Earlier in the year, I let you know we had to move our planned Chief Youth Courage Award Gala from April and, based on information at that time, optimistically planned to host the Gala on 13th November during Calgary Police Youth Foundation week; as proclaimed by the Mayor and the citizens of Calgary.
Alas, this wasn’t to be and, like many other organisations, we moved to a virtual celebration to maintain the safety of our invited guests and all the award recipients, young and old.
It truly was an honor to recognise the children and youth who have worked so hard to make good choices based on the learning they gained from the child-youth crime prevention, education and intervention Programs funded by the CPYF and delivered by the Calgary Police Service.
We couldn’t celebrate the children without recognising one of Calgary’s greatest philanthropists and community leaders, Mr. Dick Haskayne. Dick is known best for his selfless dedication to building a stronger and safer Calgary and a man who has shown us all how to lead with kindness, tenacity and generous spirit.
Calgary Police Youth Foundation week not only allowed us to celebrate the giants among us but also allowed a time for reflection. My heart is full as I think of all the giants among us, ordinary people who have stepped up to help others as the full impact of the pandemic disrupted our lives and changed the world in ways no-one could have imagined.
Over the last few months, we have had to change the way we support children and youth to ensure their continued safety throughout the pandemic. Knowing that one of the leading causes of crime and violence surrounding young children is poverty, we increased our efforts to address food insecurity and provide more practical support for children such as providing access to technology to keep them connected to their schoolwork.
With your help we can continue to customise our support to address what is needed now, and in the future, so that we can position children for success in staying safe from crime and victimisation and applying what they learn from the crime prevention, intervention and education Programs delivered by the Calgary Police Service. We want children to be empowered to make good choices guiding their behavior and for all children to know they have support and help available to them all year round.
As infection rates escalate, no-one knows what is ahead for any of us, so I plan to take a lesson from the children and youth who received a Chief Youth Courage Award, and indeed Dick Haskayne, to keep on doing everything I can to keep Calgary’s children safe from crime and victimisation and I hope I can count on your support. With kind hearts and generous spirits anything is possible.
Sincerely,
Brian Ferguson
The Calgary Police Youth Foundation Blog 