Big Brothers Big Sisters get big boost from Qualico

Like many others in Calgary’s home building and land development sectors, Qualico has shown where its heart lies through its involvement in charitable projects.

“It’s a whole lot more than just writing a cheque. We want to give back to the city where we work, to help where we can — it’s that simple,” says Glynn Hendry, company regional vice-president for Southern Alberta.

Again this year, a big part of the company’s charitable efforts are directed toward raising funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) in and around Calgary through the second annual All- Stars For Kids campaign. And again, Qualico is receiving the invaluable support of Calgary business executive Gary Nissen who, along with Qualico, will match funds raised to a maximum of $100,000.

But the charitable team effort doesn’t end there. BBBS has recruited the help of some highprofile athletes, including Calgary Flames centre Sean Monahan, Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jasmine Mian and John Morris, the winner of a curling gold medal at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Morris, by the way, is a Big Brother — and has been since 2011. He raves about the good feeling he had after meeting Hendry and the volunteers from Qualico.

“As a company and as individuals, they genuinely care about people, about helping in the community,” says firefighter Morris, whose curling team is sponsored by Qualico.

Together, Qualico, Nissen and the athletes are hoping to surpass the $233,000 raised last year.

According to BBBS estimates, with this year’s campaign slightly more than half complete, funding is about halfway to its goal.