Here’s something cool. As many of you know, we here at Simply Elegant are big supporters of  Hospice Calgary.  If you feel, as we do, that the work they do is important, you can help them by voting for them in the APX Givesback Project.  

Hospice Calgary is now in the APX Givesback Project finales. In fact, Hospice Calgary has been chosen as one of 15 Canadian finalists given an opportunity to win the top prize of a $100,000.or the regional prize of $30.000.

That means, they’re only up against 14 other Canadian charities. So they have a real shot at this!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Every day until August 21, 2010, Facebook users from all over the US and Canada will vote for the charities that they feel are having the most impact in local communities. If Hospice Calgary gets the most votes for Canada, APX will give us $30,000. The top overall charity will receive $100,000.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

Just follow these simple instructions and remember to vote EVERYDAY for Hospice Calgary.

1. Click on this link  
2. Click on ‘Like’
3. Find and click on the yellow ‘Canada’ icon
4. Find Hospice Calgary, then click on ‘Endorse this charity’
5. That’s it!
6. Vote EVERYDAY, and please encourage all of your friends to vote too.
7. Invite your kids (with Facebook accounts) to get on board and help us out.

With your help, Hospice Calgary could win $30,000 (or more!) towards helping families like Rylan’s discover hope after the death of someone they love.

RYLAN’S STORY

Just before New Year’s 2007, a patch of black ice turned Jennifer’s world upside down. She and her family were headed to B.C. for a ski trip when in an instant a fatal crash took her husband, Doug, her daughter, Amy, and left her injured with multiple fractures.

The family had previously lost their 18-month-old daughter Kira to meningitis in 2000.

Her son, Rylan, was only 5 years-old at the time of the crash. He survived without physical injury, but his spirit was traumatized. Jennifer turned to Hospice Calgary for help.

Over the next eighteen months, Rylan came to Hospice Calgary for counseling and play therapy. He joined Kid’s Club, the support group for grieving children and also attended the summer Kid’s Bereavement Day Camp. “There is no quick fix for grief. It is a journey of healing as it happens, and I know Hospice Calgary is there for as long as we need it,” says Jennifer.

“I learned to recognize the ways that grief surfaces at different developmental stages. When it does show up, Rylan and I say that ‘our bucket is full’ and we need to tip a little out so we can go on. And so we do,” she said.

Hospice Calgary has checked with APX Alarms and has concluded that this is a legitimate initiative set up by APX Family Foundation to fulfill its mission to restore hope for families impacted by need.

PLEASE VOTE EVERYDAY

Knowing how busy we all are, may we suggest that you set up Outlook to send you a daily reminder to vote.  It’s fast and easy to set up recurring tasks on Outlook.

Open Tasks
Subject: Vote for Hospice Calgary
Date Due: Mon 8/23/2010
Start Date: Today’s date
Click Recurrence and request daily recurrence with an end date of Aug 21.
Make note: Facebook APX Givesback

Robert Vidra carves the turkey at Hospice Calgary's Christmas Dinner 2009

This week, as we have done for the last few years, we were honoured to provide a traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings for the residents and staff of Hospice Calgary. We were touched by the gratitude of the residents and humbled by ongoing work of the staff who tirelessly meet the needs of others in what is a very trying time.

For more than 30 years, Hospice Calgary has provided end of life and bereavement care, helping people live life to the fullest, offering dignity, comfort and understanding. We salute them for the extraordinary work they do, and we look forward to supporting their fundraising efforts through their annual walk.

It is the season for reflection, and so my thoughts also turn to the last year and to so many of the treasured moments and important events our clients trusted us with. I think back to 12 months ago when the future seemed less certain and no one was sure if the economy would hold. It did — and we made it through, together, with grace and a full order of style.

Thank you for trusting us with the corporate and personal occasions that mattered most to you. We will never take that trust for granted.

So as we look ahead, we wish you the happiest of holidays and a prosperous new year.  We hope we have the privilege of helping you with your event, private party and catering needs in coming year.

Here’s to Great Things in 2010!

All of us at Simply Elegant are humbled by the work done by Hospice Calgary. That’s why we’re very proud to announce that, once again, Hospice Calgary is Simply Elegant’s charity of choice for the 2010 season.

As we did last year, Simply Elegant and staff members plan to help raise money for Hospice Calgary through their annual walk, walking with Hospice Calgary clergy as part of “The Holy Crows.”

As we did last year, we will help the residents and staff of Hospice Calgary celebrate Christmas with a beautiful traditional feast with some non traditional accents. The Seafood Platter went over particularly well. And we will provide small events throughout the year to brighten the days of those at Hospice Calgary.

If you are inclined towards charitable giving this season, please consider a donation to Hospice Calgary. Here is a bit more about their vital efforts to bring dignity and care to those who are very ill.

About Hospice Calgary

A leader for over 30 years in end-of-life and bereavement care, Hospice Calgary provides services through two centres of care: Rosedale Hospice and its Counselling & Education Centre.  Hospice Calgary is a registered

Life is a journey…

Wherever the journey takes us, life is meant to be lived to the fullest every day.  Hospice Calgary is here to help patients, clients and their families to make the most of life.

A Philosophy of Care at End-of-Life

Hospice is both a philosophy of care and a program that provides compassionate, quality care for persons with limited life expectancy and those caring for them.  It focuses on enhancing comfort, dignity and choice.  Support extends to caregivers, friends and family members during times of grief.

24-Hour Care at Rosedale Hospice

Rosedale Hospice is Hospice Calgary’s 24-hour residential end-of-life care centre for adults with cancer.  Overlooking the city in the neighborhood of Rosedale, the home provides personalized care in a beautiful setting.

Counselling & Education Centre

Hospice Calgary provides support for children, teenagers and their families who have experienced a loss through death – whether sudden, accidental or anticipated.  Hospice Calgary specializes in child and teen-friendly techniques to build strength and renew hope.  Hospice Calgary offers:

• Individual and family counselling
• Bereavement Groups – “Kid’s Club” and teen “Dream Catchers” groups
• Specialized trauma counselling

Community Education and Professional Consultation

Hospice Calgary offers a wide variety of workshops, training sessions and school grief programs that can be customized to fit any group.

Simply Elegant catered the lunch for those who came out to help Epilepsy Calgary. Epilepsy Calgary is vital to the well-being of Calgarians living with Epilepsy along with their families.

Jack FM’s Matt O’Neill, The Calgary Roughnecks Drill Crew, Miss Calgary, along with other Calgary beauty pageant winners, entertainer Clark Robertson and United Way’s Ruth Ramsden-Wood were all in on the follicle fun, helping to bring attention and much needed funds to a really worthy organization.

Way to go Calgary. Thanks to everyone who put their heads together to (And it will grow back).