Staffers from Unity Builders Group’s Elite, Greenboro, Today’s Homes and Today’s Communities, and Wilderness Homes were joined by a handful of other participants from bankers and designers, to a few of us from Source Media Group for the event. Each of the 15 teams was given an identical number of cases of non-perishables in cans, boxes and containers and five hours to complete the task of building a house.

The June 18 can-test was the brainchild of Elite Homes’s area manager Simon Lau, who got the idea from another company rounding up food for charity, but he and his volunteers took it a step further. “We wanted to give back to the community and wanted to do something with houses,” he explains. “It’s just a great way to bring all of the people we work with on a regular basis together. I think everyone had a great time participating to help this great cause.”

Said cause was the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank, which was presented with a cheque for $50,000—$30,000 raised by the team entry fees, along with donations and a generous top up from Elite—following the awards presentation. All the “building materials” were also donated back to the food bank.

While our team (admin whiz Dianne Rink, ad gurus Dave O’Connor and Linda MacQuarrie, associate editor Shelley Williamson, and co-publisher Norma Robertson, along with Elite reinforcements Miguel Stamile, Breann Sullivan and Evan “Almighty” Stirling) may have been shut out, all had a blast seeing how the house of cans stacked up.

There was some stiff competition to contend with. CWD Windows and Doors’ consumable castle took home first place, while UBG’s own Greenboro Estate Homes came second with its custom house of eats. Meanwhile, DEB Design measured up a close third for their impressive palace of palatables. All teams were given their 15 minutes of fame—all the edible edifices were to stay on display for all mall visitors to see for a week following the event, in Southcentre’s centre court.
Hopewell Helping Kids

The Hopewell Group of Companies is flexing its charitable muscles again, this time partnering up with the PREP Program, a not-for-profit education and resource facility geared at helping youngsters with Down Syndrome and their families.

Hopewell got involved by pledging $75,000—$25,000 for three consecutive years—to the partnership, which will also see the well-known developer’s employees roll up their sleeves and pitch in.

Vivian Wattleworth, chairperson of the charitable committee for the Hopewell Group of Companies, says they had been looking to take on something new after a three-year Children’s Cottage commitment was fulfilled. “We actually have a major charitable organization. This year we looked at (PREP) and what they were doing and it was a good fit. We will also work with them over the next three years for any projects … we will have a meeting to decide where we can help the most.”

Established in 1988 in Calgary, the PREP Program was founded by speech pathologist Barbara Tien(who remains executive director), when she saw a need for special speech services for children with Down Syndrome and the possibilities such a program would open up for them and their families.

Now the charity has expanded to include help and education for parents of children with Down Syndrome, including early intervention programs which help youngsters gain self-esteem and actively participate in learning, as well as outreach and Every Child a Reader programs for Calgary schools.

While the purpose the funding will fulfill hasn’t yet been finalized, the donation may contribute to a library, likely bearing the Hopewell name, says Wattleworth. NL