Credit
Slab Cares, the flagship charitable initiative of NuLife Credit and its
affiliated companies, has once again teamed up with Kids up Front, a charitable
organization dedicated to giving underprivileged and deserving kids the chance
to see live events. It is a team-up that’s destined to win more than games;
it’ll also win the hearts of the kids who get to attend the events.
Sheldon
Wolf, the director of the Credit Slab Cares program and long-time Calgary
Flames fan has donated seats to multiple games during the 2015-2016 season to the
Kids up Front organization, giving underprivileged children a once in a
lifetime chance to see the Calgary Flames in action on home ice. Up front is
literally where the children get to sit since Credit Slab Cares provides the
seats which happen to be in the front row.
Started
in late 2015, the Credit Slab Cares program was created by Credit Slab and
NuLife CEO Sheldon Wolf to raise awareness for charitable causes and to
encourage charitable participation from his companies and the corporate
community at large. Credit Slab Cares charitable drives include volunteer time
with Inn from the Cold, donations to animal causes such as the Little Mutts
Society and the Calgary Humane Society, food donations to the Calgary Food
Bank, the adopt-a-family program which helps families hit hard with job loss
and unforeseen circumstances get through tough times with donations of food and
basic needs, and much more. Their latest program, designed to help veterans of
the Canadian Armed forces hit financially by hard times, offered our veterans
pro bono services for their credit repair and credit improvement programs.
But
now it’s the kids turn to get boost from Credit Slab Cares as company president
Sheldon Wolf donated front row tickets to the Kids up Front organization so
that underprivileged children can see their favorite NHL stars play live and up
close during Calgary Flames home games. So close that they’ll have the best
seats in the stadium! They’ll be seated next to the visitor’s bench, first row,
to watch Calgary’s star players light up the lamp.
As
a long-time fan of the Flames, Sheldon wanted to share the experience of a live
Flames game with deserving kids by giving them the best spot to watch all the
action. And as an experienced philanthropist Sheldon found his passion for the
Calgary Flames and his desire to help others was a winning formula to bring
smiles and help inspire future champions.
Kids
up Front was founded by former Calgary businessman John Dalziel, whom got the
idea when attending an event at the Calgary Saddledome and seeing empty seats.
His tickets were complimentary, and it occurred to him that many of the vacant
seats were also complimentary seating bought up by businesses and
organizations, but were sadly being unused. With the sudden idea that those
seats would be better used by families in need to let underprivileged children
see a world class sporting event, he founded the Kids up Front charity with the
expressed goal of putting those unused seats to use, getting the corporate
community to better use their gratuity tickets and of course bringing kids to
live events that they normally would not be able to attend due to circumstances
beyond their control.
With
chapters in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton and new chapters being
developed in Ottawa and Halifax, the Kids up Front organization has, since its
founding in 1999, provided over one million tickets to deserving children and
families for arts, culture, sporting and recreational events. With over 30,000
tickets per year distributed and a total approximate value of tickets
distributed at 13 million over the years, Kids up Front is no small charity. Kids
up Front has also attracted such national sponsors as Corus Entertainment, CIBC
and TD Financial, while garnering local partnerships with local businesses. Sports
teams like the BC Lions and the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL, the Calgary
Flames and Vancouver Canucks of the NHL, The Calgary Hitmen and the Vancouver
Giants of the WHL, Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, and much more have
also supported this worthwhile cause. They also team up with local charities
and philanthropic organizations to help find deserving children in need of a
ticket to a local event.
Children
shouldn’t be denied the chance to see the big game because it’s out of their
reach or too expensive. For many it would be a once in a lifetime chance.
Thanks to Sheldon Wolf’s generosity through Credit Slab Cares and the Kids up
Front organization, now these kids have that once in a lifetime chance to see
their hometown heroes play.