Charity Auction

The Touchstone Youth Centre

The first of three RCW 139 charity donations was made on 16 October 2010, to the Touchstone Youth Centre in Toronto, a 32 bed emergency shelter for 16-24 year old homeless and at-risk youth.

Touchstone was chosen by Tom Melissis: his connection to the charity began in the mid-1990s, when he did volunteer work for the centre. In 1998, a significant donation was made to Touchstone by RCW 139 in Tom's name, and more recently, in 2008, nearly $1300 was given to Touchstone following RCW 139: Toronto Holiday. This year, Tom once again made sure to be available to present the money to Touchstone - a cheque in the amount of $1500, raised mainly through proceeds from the charity auction, the sale of mugs, and the sale of convention DVDs.

As we walked in the shelter, we met with Susette, the shelter's Executive Director, as well as Andrew and Miriam from the centre. All were very grateful for the donation and explained how the money would help. This was highlighted by a tour of the facility, which emphasized the day-to-day challenges of making ends meet to help at-risk youth. A few examples of how the money donated by Duesers will be used:

You can be sure that the money will be put to good use, and that such a donation will make a significant difference for the centre and directly impact the lives of at-risk youth.

RCW 139 is a very special event. It is tremendously successful in bringing people together and in creating lasting memories. But the generosity of guests, attendees, and supporters also ensures that we can make important contributions to very worthwhile causes such as this one. Paul Gross has always said that what made Due South so special was that it was always full of heart. There is no question that RCW 139 is also full of heart. A big thank you to all who made this possible, and a big thank you to Tom for his continuing support to Touchstone.

The Kings County SPCA

The second of three RCW 139 charity donations was on 12 November 2010, to the Kings County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). This donation of $1500 follows an earlier donation of the same amount to the Touchstone Youth Centre in Toronto, raising the total amount donated by RCW 139 to $3000.

The Kings County SPCA runs the only animal shelter between Yarmouth and Halifax, Nova Scotia. On top of running the shelter, the SPCA funds animal protection, care and rehabilitation, advocacy, and humane education. The money donated will certainly be put to good use, both to cover the never-ending operational expenses of running a shelter, and to pay for the emergency treatment of injured animals.

The generosity of Duesers will make a significant difference in the lives of animals in need of care, and the donation was greatly appreciated by SPCA staff! You may also be interested to know that in recognition of the donation, the SPCA will engrave a commemorative stone with the name of the convention!

Once again, many thanks to all who participated and donated!

SickKids Foundation

The third and last RCW 139 charity donation was made on the morning of 29 December 2010, to the SickKids Foundation in Toronto. This $1500 donation follows two earlier donations of the same amount, to the Touchstone Youth Centre in Toronto and the Kings Country SPCA in Nova Scotia, bringing the total amount raised and donated by RCW 139: Duesers' Day Off to $4500, and the total amount donated by RCW 139 since 2008 to over $7700.

The SickKids Foundation raises funds on behalf of the Hospital for Sick Children, which provides a full spectrum of health care services from infants to youth up to the age of 18. Once again, RCW 139 is able to support another very worthy cause! Many thanks to all who participated and donated, through the charity auction or through the purchase of mugs and DVDs!