January 25, 2011 – (Toronto, ON) – Aviva Canada Inc. is pleased to announce the recipients of the second Aviva Community Fund competition, and this year ten worthy ideas representing communities nationwide have been chosen. A total of $1,000,000 will be awarded to these diverse local projects, including a special hockey team in Ontario, an animal shelter in the Northwest Territories, a therapeutic garden in Quebec, and much-needed community playgrounds across three provinces. This unique competition created by property and casualty insurer Aviva Canada aims to lead, empower and support community initiatives across the country.
“The Aviva Community Fund winners celebrate Canada’s regional diversity – this year’s winners come from as far north as Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and coast to coast from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Rexton, New Brunswick,” said Paul Fletcher, Senior Vice President with Aviva Canada. “The team at Aviva is committed to bringing these projects to life, as we lead positive change in both the insurance industry and in the communities where our customers, employees, brokers and partners live, work and play.”
Launched in September 2010, the Aviva Community Fund encouraged Canadians to share ideas and vote for causes that were meaningful to their communities. After several rounds of voting to identify Canada’s 30 favourite ideas, a panel of impartial judges was tasked with reviewing the causes and selecting the winners.
Aviva Canada congratulates the winners of the 2010 Aviva Community Fund:
- A Special Hockey Team for Special Kids – Capital City Condors!: Kanata, ON – Capital City Condors is an ice hockey team for youth with intellectual and/or physical disabilities. Funding from Aviva Canada will help supplement registration fees, ice time and pay for new uniforms.
- Crystal Bay Yard Improvement:Ottawa, ON – The Crystal Bay Centre for Special Education is aplace for children of various abilities to learn and grow. Support from the Aviva Community Fund will help build a yard equipped with structures accessible to everyone.
- Dreamcoat! The Joy is Contagious: North Bay, ON – Dreamcoat Fantasy Theatre is a theatrical group that enables children to explore and share their love of the dramatic arts. In addition to providing equipment upgrading, the funding from Aviva Canada will offer assistance to special needs children and families experiencing financial challenges.
- Dream Playground: Rexton, NB – Rexton Elementary School requires a larger, more modern play structure. Support from the Aviva Community Fund will help build a playground where children can enhance their strength, agility, and gross motor skills through play.
- Northwest Territories SPCA Northern Community Animal Shelter: Yellowknife, NWT – The NWT SPCA is a board of volunteers that promotes proper animal treatment and care. Support from the Aviva Community Fund will help create a much-needed and eco-friendly animal shelter for neglected and abandoned pets.
- Playground Activity Area for Essex, Ontario: Essex, ON – This rural community is home to Essex Public School, a special education centre. Funding from the Aviva Community Fund will allow the school to build the first fully accessible playground area for children and adults with special needs.
- Playground Legacy – 100 Years in the Community: Vancouver, BC –The shared playground for Lord Selkirk School and Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood House is in need of improvement. Funding from the Aviva Community Fund will enable this community to rebuild the playground and create a welcome garden to celebrate children of all abilities.
- The Hill of Dreams: Tillsonburg, ON – The primary students at South Ridge Public School need a new outdoor play area. The Aviva Community Fund will help provide the children of the school and the surrounding community with a new playground and new memories.
- Therapeutic Garden:Cleveland, QC – The Wales Home, a non-profit organization which provides care to senior citizens, is creating a therapeutic garden for its residents suffering with cognitive related dementias. Support from the Aviva Community Fund will help create a garden area for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
- Supporting families affected by cancer: Oshawa, ON – Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre provides care for families touched by cancer in Durham Region. Funding from Aviva Canada will help expand Hearth Place’s family support services, including music and art therapists, social workersand special retreat days.
This year’s Aviva Community Fund competition also called for ideas from Aviva’s network of independent brokers with one award for a broker-supported idea outside of the $1,000,000 in funding open to all ideas. Aviva Canada also congratulates:
- A Well Connected Knowledge Centre: Ottawa, ON – In association with Smith Petrie Carr and Scott Insurance Brokers Ltd, “The Well” will use the funding to provide a knowledge hub at a drop-in centre for women and children.
About Aviva Canada
Aviva Canada Inc. is one of the leading Property and Casualty insurance groups in Canada, providing home, automobile, recreational vehicle, group and business insurance to more than three million customers. The group has more than 3,000 employees, 33 locations, 1,700 independent broker partners and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-based Aviva plc, the world’s sixth-largest insurance group. For more information visit avivacanada.com.
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