Calgarians Pledge 7,000+ Volunteer Hours at 6th Annual Timeraiser

Jill Belland, co-host of the 6th Annual Timeraiser, with Travis Porter.

A brilliant blend of selflessness and selfishness, the volunteer Timeraiser hit Flames Central on June 16, raising 7,115 hours of volunteer time for local charities and non-profit organizations.

Calgarians promised their time and talent to the maximum of 150 hours per year to local non-profits, including the Art Gallery of Calgary, The Cerebral Palsy Association and the YWCA, among dozens of others for a chance at one of 25 locally made pieces of art on display.

Megan Weir and Sveta Shustova attending the Cerebral Palsy Association booth at the Timeraiser.

Roger Kingcade from X92.9FM and Jill Belland from CityTV hosted the sold-out party, which transformed Flames Central into a bustling market of booths from non-profits competing for volunteers. Pledgers went from booth to booth trying to find a fit for their skills and interests, while attendants peddled the merits of their organizations to the crowd.

Philanthropic partygoers John Landry and Miles Kramer with local artist Nicole Gour.

The Timeraiser presents meaningful volunteer opportunities to skilled young professionals in their twenties and thirties, and in so doing, it benefits volunteers, community organizations and artists alike. Volunteers acquire a career-oriented opportunity that pads the resumé, organizations get a few hours of pro bono skilled labour and artists get fair market value for their work. Can’t find a losing party in that group.

Best of all, after you put your hours in, you get a shiny new piece of artwork to decorate your living room. I’d say that’s time well spent.

Learn more about this innovative program at timeraiser.ca.