It's That Time of Year Again

It's mid-to-late October, which must mean that the United Way workplace campaign is underway.

In the years since I joined the Ministry of the Environment in 2006, I have, for the United Way, climbed the stairs of the CN tower twice (raising more than $3,500), co-chaired the campaign for 2009 (that raised $154,000), organized a fund-raising event where three lucky winners got to put a cream pie in the face of a high-profile apparatchik from the Deputy Minister's Office ($900) and last year, I promised to feed a colleague one lunch for every $10 people contributed to the United Way. The colleague in question was famous for standing in the middle of the kitchen, forking sardines into his mouth straight from the can. That raised $240. My colleague ate pretty well for five weeks and the rest of us were spared for that time the spectacle of fork-borne sardines disappearing into a deep, dark hole.

This year, the workplace has been a bit unsettled for a campaign. First there was some labour unrest. My staff were first supporting, and then, after the negotiators offered it up to them to read, largely opposing a proposed new labour contract with the provincial government (which, this past week, was ratified anyway).  

And, second, suddenly and without warning, the Premier resigned.  

It is one of the great notions of our democracy that a head of state can quit his job and ... nothing happens. Business proceeds as usual and (if) the trains (were anything but VIA, they would) continue to run on time.

But the United Way campaign has suffered. People respond to uncertainty by holding more fast to what they have.   

One thing that seems to loosen that grip a bit is, of course, food. We raised $250 on Friday by inviting people to cough up seven bucks and then sample from ten different homemade soups. I contributed Italian Wedding Soup.

The other thing that will inspire people to donate is impressive but pointless acts of physical endurance, such as the aforementioned climbing of the CN Tower. Even as I write (which is about 24 hours before you'll receive notice of this post), Ministry teams are lined up and waiting for their turn to sprint/step/hurl themselves up the stairs. 

The web site to collect donations is now closed. The MOE Empower Rangers, thanks to the enthusiastic support of many sponsors, and especially the Clark sisters, met their fundraising goal.  

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One more note about the dog. As silly as it sounds - and I have heard myself say this to several people over the past while - I think Bruce and I are coming out of our mourning period for Molly.

The signs that this is so are that we have started seeing people again and, as related two weeks ago, we finally found the strength to give the dog's stuff away.

I have also begun posting on the blog I created in 2008 (and left empty for four years) called Molly-the-Dog. There's only one post there so far, and one picture:

You can see it again here.   
And have a great week!

Karen