THUNDER BAY – LIVING – Tbaytel is once again seeking input from the non-profit sector to determine where a portion of its community support dollars should be allocated. Tbaytel officially launched the next campaign in its Tbaytel for Good program – this time with a focus on improving outcomes for the northern Ontario youth community – at the Thunder Bay Boys and Girls Club (270 Windsor St.) earlier today.
“We wanted to start off Tbaytel for Good in 2015 with a campaign theme that would extend across a number of support areas and have a wide reach at the community level,” says Tbaytel manager of corporate brand communication Katie Crowe. “There is a growing demand for youth programming in communities throughout northern Ontario, as well as a large network of organizations who already do amazing work with youth, so we are very excited about the potential for relevant idea submissions.”
The online community support program, driven by idea crowd sourcing and online voting, is the first of its kind for Tbaytel and began in October 2013. Non-profit organizations and groups are invited to submit idea proposals online for projects with a positive community impact, which are then voted on by the public and juried by a judging panel. The top ideas in each campaign receive funding from Tbaytel to help bring the projects to fruition.
Tbaytel was joined for the launch via Skype by Nipigon-Red Rock District High School food and nutrition teacher Erin Langevin, whose idea submission won the very first Tbaytel for Good campaign for education.
Langevin entered Tbaytel for Good with the goal of securing funding for food and nutrition students to serve weekly healthy lunches out of the school’s cafeteria after a regular lunch service vendor could not be secured. Nipigon-Red Rock District High School was awarded $5,000 through the Tbaytel for Good program to help make that idea a reality.
“Before we received our Tbaytel for Good funding my first consideration when planning meals with my students was always to look at our budget and determine what we could afford to cook,” says Langevin. “Now the first thing I consider is how healthy it is and that is an amazing feeling.”
Eligible program entrants for the youth campaign can submit their good ideas online at tbaytelforgood.net until Apr. 27, 2015. The public will then be given the opportunity to vote for their favourites and use social media to share and promote them among their social networks. The top three ideas will be determined based entirely on public votes.
The winning organization will receive a $10,000 grand prize to help bring the top idea to life and the two semi-finalists will each receive $5,000 to fund their projects or programs. Winners will be announced on May 14, 2015 and idea submission for the next campaign for health and wellness will open on Aug. 31, 2015.
