Sports and Entertainment Celebrities Join in Helping Kids Rise Above
TORONTO, Dec. 4, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, CIBC team members together with clients, celebrities and partner charities united to raise money for children as part of this year's CIBC Miracle Day, and unveiled a giant thank you card featuring messages from children who have been helped by this annual event over its 35 year history.
Every year on the first Wednesday in December, CIBC Capital Markets traders and CIBC Wood Gundy Investment Advisors donate their fees and commissions from the trading day to help thousands of kids in need around the world access vital support services and programs.
In celebration of the event's 35th anniversary and year-round efforts to help kids rise above and achieve their ambitions, a giant 'Thank You' card with real messages from children to CIBC clients and team members was unveiled outside the bank's headquarters, reflecting the size of gratitude and appreciation from kids who've been helped by the funds raised on Miracle Day. The card will be on site until December 18. Card sentiments from kids include:
Thank you for helping me learn how to swim.
Thank you for helping me meet friends like me.
Thank you for paying for my medicine.
"Every year we receive heartfelt thank you messages from children who benefit from the charities we support. We are proud to share those messages with our clients, team members and charitable partners, to highlight the tremendous impact of Miracle Day over 35 years," says Harry Culham, Senior Executive Vice-President & Group Head, Capital Markets, and Chair of the CIBC Children's Foundation. "It only takes one person to make a difference, and even greater things happen when our team and our clients come together to rally around helping children achieve their goals, which is the spirit of Miracle Day."
Celebrities across the entertainment and sports worlds coming together today to help fundraise on CIBC's trading floor include:
Movie and TV personalities:
- Billy Baldwin, Actor (Northern Rescue, Gossip Girl)
- Yannick Bisson, Actor (Murdoch Mysteries)
- Rachel Harris, Actor (Lucifer, Suits)
- Djimon Honsou, Actor (Aquaman, Blood Diamond)
- Kim Coates, Actor (Sons of Anarchy, Bad Blood)
- Ryan Armstrong, Child Actor (Anne with an E, It: Chapter Two)
- Hill Harper, Actor (The Good Doctor, CSI:NY, Limitless, Homeland, Covert Affairs)
- Devo Brown, Entertainment Broadcaster
Athletes & sports personalities:
- Tessa Virtue, 5-time Olympic medalist and Ice Dancer
- Michael 'Pinball' Clemons, CFL
- Ryan Borucki, Major League Baseball player
- Jack Armstrong "The Coach", Raptors team commentator
- Sonia Rodriguez & Piotr Stanczyk, National Ballet of Canada
- Wendel Clark, former NHL player
- Paul Coffey, former NHL player
- Eric Lindros, former NHL player
- Thurman Thomas, former NFL player
- Marissa Papaconstantinou, Paralympian
- Rod Black, sportscaster
- Caroline Cameron, sportscaster
- Nav Bhatia, Raptors "Superfan"
CIBC's annual employee-driven event has raised $250 million globally since 1984, helping transform the lives of children and their families around the world.
CIBC Miracle Day funds have a global impact 365 days a year supporting non-profit organizations like Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.
"CIBC has been an incredible supporter of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital since 1994, generously donating to support programs such as our Spiral Garden Camp, Independence Programs, and Ontario's first child-friendly research MRI suite," says Sandra Hawken, President and CEO, Holland Bloorview Foundation. "Holland Bloorview kids look forward to Miracle Day every year and love to meet everyone and speak about the impact that CIBC has made for kids with disabilities."
CIBC Miracle Day events also took place today in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, New York, Chicago, London and Hong Kong.
About CIBC Miracle Day
CIBC Miracle Day is the annual flagship fundraising event for the CIBC Children's Foundation. On CIBC Miracle Day, CIBC's Capital Markets employees and CIBC Wood Gundy Investment Advisors donate their fees and commissions to organizations that support kids in our communities. Through the efforts of employees and clients, $5.7 million was raised in 2018, for a total of more than $250 million donated to hundreds of children's charities across the globe since 1984. To learn more, visit www.cibc.com/miracleday.
CIBC in the community
CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 10 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. United under the bank's community investment initiative One for Change, CIBC and its team are committed to coming together to support people and communities with the belief that giving is personal and comes from the heart. In 2018, CIBC and its team invested $80 million in community organizations across Canada and the U.S., through initiatives that include the Canadian Cancer Society CIBC Run for the Cure and CIBC Miracle Day. Learn more about community investment online or join the #OneforChange conversation on Twitter @CIBC and Facebook (www.facebook.com/CIBC) or follow on Instagram @CIBC.
SOURCE CIBC
