Gold Flame Award
Selection Criteria:
-
individuals or organizations who have made donations exceeding $5,000 and/or have made other significant contribution to WICC
- nominations are submitted to the WICC Secretary by February 1st (in time for presentation at the annual WICC Dinner held in March) and reviewed by the Board of Directors, Ontario Chapter.
WICC Ontario Award Recipients
| 2008 |
Economical Mutual Insurance Company
Accepting: Katherine Kipper, VP, Marketing & Communications
Every year, Economical host a Christmas luncheon for their retirees. For many years, they purchased WICC products which they gave to each employee as a token of their support to WICC’s cause. Since 2004, Economical have contributed over 28,000!
Economical was the recipient of a Gold Flame award in 2005.
Hallmark Insurance Group
Accepting: John Walters, President
In celebration of this brokerage firm’s 60th Anniversary, Hallmark made a donation of $10,000 to WICC in 2008.
Simmlands Insurance
Accepting: Ashley Chinner
In 2007, Simmlands Insurance (division of Jones Brown) initiated the 2007 Simmlands Pro-Am for the CPGA Women’s Tournament. This inaugural event enabled industry participants to golf with a pro in advance of the CPGA Women’s Tournament. To date, this event has raised over $6,500 and raised significant awareness to WICC and the CPGA tournament.
|
| 2007 |
Enterprise Rent-a-Car
Accepting: Alex Orlotti
In 2007, Enterprise decided to move the donations from their annual golf tournament to WICC. They raised over $12,000 from this tournament. They have recently announced the 2008 tournament will be in WICC’s honour.
Guy Carpenter Canada
Accepting: Don Callahan, President & CEO
In 2007, Guy Carpenter hosted a Monte Carlo Casino Night. This event raised $17,600. They have just identified WICC as the charity of choice for the 2008 Casino Night.
ServiceMaster of Canada
Accepting: Mary Ann Anderson, National Insurance Relations Manager
ServiceMaster, a well-known restoration franchise, began a series of seminars to educate Canadian Brokers with claims issues such as:
- Smoke and Odor Mitigation
- Mold Remediation
- Water Damage Mitigation
- Reducing Severities Through Restorative Structural Drying
- Reducing Severities Through An Understanding of Furniture Damage and Restoration
The seminars charged a nominal fee in order to support WICC. In 2007, ServiceMaster awarded WICC with a cheque in the amount of $15,000.
|
| 2006 |
Aon Reed Stenhouse
Accepting: Craig Gilmour, Regional Director
For the past 4 years, Aon Reed Stenhouse has chosen
WICC as the beneficiary of monies raised from their Annual
Bonspiel and often their Annual Charity Golf Tournament.
Cordie Taylor Edwards
Accepting: Cordie Taylor-Edwards
Cordie Taylor Edwards of Royal & SunAlliance initiated a couple of grass roots
fundraising efforts:
As a PartyLite consultant, she hosts these parties during lunch hours
2 or 3 times a year. She brings all the items into the office
and with the help of her team sets up and displays items geared
to the changing seasons to ensure optimal interest in the
products and optimal sales.
Cordie's
"WICC Committee" also sells daffodils and solicits sporting
event tickets and promotional items for raffles in support of
WICC. In addition, in September of this year her team sold
prostate cancer bracelets to raise funds.
All of the proceeds of these ventures go directly to the WICC
objective.
KRG Insurance Brokers Inc.
Accepting: Paul Martin, President & C.O.O.
When ING launched the ING Ottawa Marathon in 2005, KRG
“raced” at the chance to invite their employees to create a
team. In 2005, at their own expense, 5 employees drove to
Ottawa and participated in 2K, 5K, 10K and ½
Marathon events. In 2006, the team expanded to 9 members.
They each raised pledges from friends and family members
– which took WICC’s name into the homes of their friends and
families. In two years, they raised over $17,000!
Marvin & Susan Katz
Accepting: Marvin & Susan Katz
Marvin Katz, is a former partner of KRG Insurance Brokers Inc.
He is actually the “K” in “KRG”.
Marvin and Susan are both former cancer survivors and
very big friends to WICC.
In the past 3 years, Marvin & Susan have:
- Raised funds for WICC at Marvin’s 70th Birthday Party in 2004 which raised $3,470
- Held a book fair at work whereby everyone brought in their old books and sold them for $1
- Every year continues to make pledges to WICC in honour and in memoriam of friends, family and colleagues.
- Marvin & Susan attend all WICC functions – they even participated in the 2006 ING Ottawa Marathon
- Combined, this couple have raised approx $6,000 for WICC!
|
| 2005 |
ING Insurance
Accepting: Tracy McLaughlin, Regional Vice President
In May 2005, ING was the title sponsor the Ottawa
Marathon. Imagine over 27,000 people of all ages, generations,
able bodied, disabled and from various countries gathered to
partake in the ING Ottawa marathon!
This 3-day event was a sea of activity with numerous events -
2K, 5K, 10K, ½ Marathon and Full Marathon events that could be
walked, ran or in-line skated. There was something for
everyone!
Tracy McLaughlin launched a challenge to their branch offices in
Ontario. Approx 600 ING employees & family members
participated, and collected pledges of just over $20,000.
ING will once again be sponsoring the 2006 event, and once again
has selected WICC as its charity.
Honourable Order of the Blue Goose
Accepting: Max Brugger,
Weilder of the Goose Quill and Keeper of the Golden Goose Egg
This fraternity organization of men & women from all
aspects of the property/casualty industry, who use titles such
as "ganders, goslings", know how to party. Every year, they
have events such as a ski day, scotch nosing, golf tournaments,
Christmas parties, the list goes on.
Max Brugger, Wielder of the Goose Quill and Keeper of the Golden
Goose Egg, is an old friend to WICC. Since this group of
unflappable geese began selecting WICC as their charity of
choice in 2001, the Honourable Order of the Blue Goose, have
contributed over $47,000 to WICC.
This organization was a recipient of the Gold Flame award in
2002
CGI Canada
Accepting: Rick
Jackson and Leona Charbonneau
Rick Jackson and Leona
Charbonneau both agree that almost everybody feels the effect of
cancer in one way or another, thus their decision to choose WICC
as their charity for the tournament proceeds. WICC is
tremendously grateful for the support and were particularly
wowed that the $5100.00 received from this event came from the
heart-felt support by the employees at this 2005 event.
|
| 2004 |
ACE INA Insurance
In July 2004, ACE-INA Over 100 employees, representing three
quarters of ACE INA Insurance participated in ACE's first annual
"Breast Cancer Survivor Challenge". ACE's Breast Cancer Survivor
Challenge was modeled on the hit reality series, 'Survivor'.
Participants were asked a series of questions related to
wilderness survival. Various prizes were afforded to category
winners including Blue Jays tickets and dinner.
ACE employees generously donated $3,495.00 to this year's
campaign. With the matching program in effect, a total of
$6,990.00 was raised with all proceeds benefiting the Women in
Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC).
In addition, ACE-INA generously accepted "Title Sponsor" at the
2004 5th Annual Golf Tournament, pledging $10,000 in support of
cancer research.
Slingshot Communications
Chris McKechnie (President of Slingshot) was an instrumental
creative designer of the National Sponsorship Program. Chris'
experience with a variety of non-profit organizations and his
firm's track record in designing marketing strategies culminated
with the launch of the National Sponsorship Program in 2004. In
addition to his complimentary design time, Slingshot and Royal & SunAlliance equally shared in the $15,000 cost in producing
these brochures. By year-end 2004, WICC received commitments
from 6 major insurers, who collectively have pledged over
$100,000 in Platinum level sponsorships. Chris continues to
assist WICC's efforts with their communications and Event
presentations.
Fred DeFrancesco
Fred De Francesco, principal of Fairview Insurance Brokers and
veteran philanthropist, selected WICC as his charity of choice
for the inaugural "Night at the Races". With help from Bill Blakeney, over 200 guests enjoyed a great evening of good fun
and horse betting at the Woodbine Racetrack. With support from
numerous sponsors and donors, this dynamic team raised an
astonishing $17,000!
Economical Insurance Group
Every year, Economical host a Christmas luncheon for their
retirees. For the past 3 years, Economical have chosen to
purchase products from WICC, and most recently, have opted to
donate $5,500 to WICC. (2004 saw two cheques: the first from
the holiday donation in 2003 and the second for the donation of
2004.)
|
| 2003 |
Steve Wilson and Canadian Underwriter Magazine
Steve's efforts have been more than anything we could have hoped
for: articles, advertisements, post-event articles and photos,
volunteering at events, coverage for other WICC chapters,
developing the WICC website and the catchy slogan of "click
WICC".
ServiceMaster Canada
In June 2003, Servicemaster introduced three training seminars
to brokers: (1) water damage restoration; (2) mould remediation;
(3) smoke & odour. They sent a mailing to 1800 brokers in
Ontario offering these seminars for $30 pp, of which proceeds
would be donated to WICC. So far they have raised between
$10-$15,000 (they are to confirm amount shortly). This will
have significantly expanded the WICC name into many companies
throughout our region. In summer 2004, they intend to roll-out
this seminar program to brokers across Canada. Servicemaster
have been supporting WICC along with the Honourable Order of
Blue Goose for the past few years.
Nancy Thorne, Carnaghan Taylor & Fowler Insurance Brokers,
NB
Nancy is a broker in New Brunswick who has organized a Fun Night
in their industry which raised almost $5000. She also had
influence with the IBANB who donated the $3,225 proceeds of
their charity golf tournament to WICC. Through these two
events, Nancy has extended the reach of WICC into the New
Brunswick community.
|
| 2002 |
McKellar Group
Royal & SunAlliance
The Accidental Benefits
|
| 2001 |
Informco Inc.
The Honourable Order of the Blue Goose International
Toronto Insurance Conference
|
| 2000 |
Economical Mutual Insurance Company
Marita Simbul-Lezon, Merrill Lynch
Zurich Insurance Company of Canada
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