Last fall, I had a chance to attend the launch event for Brita Canada’s partnership with WE focused on the campaign that’s resulted in a borehole in Irkaat, Kenya. This borehole provides a community of more than 1,800 with access to clean water.
This spring, the program is growing in a pretty awesome way. We all make use of reusable water bottles, or we all should be (to cut down on bottles going into landfills, and besides, it’s good for our bodies to stay well hydrated with water). And now, as of March 2017, your purchase of this specially marked Brita Me to We statement bottle (it’s $19.99) will provide a year’s supply of clean water to a person in Irkaat.
I think it’s especially cool because you can actually check online how your purchase has made an impact. On each Brita Me to We product, there’s a Track Your Impact code; enter it online and you can see how you’ve helped make a difference.
The 700-mL bottle features the Brita replaceable water filter (I already use a Brita filter at home because I prefer the cleaner taste) and every reusable bottle has been shown to replace 300 plastic water bottles. I’ll admit that don’t always remember to bring a reusable bottle with me when I head out for a workout other than a run (I’m very careful about hydrating for a run) and I do tend to use my S’well bottle to keep my water cold on hot days. But I like this Brita Me to We bottle because it’s lightweight and I feel like I don’t have to be as precious with it (I’m always scared of scratching or denting my S’well), and the biggest plus of this bottle is that it’s great to be able to filter water on the go.
And of course, there’s the pretty great feel-good factor off knowing this small purchase helps provide clean water for a full year to someone in Kenya.
To get your own Brita Me to We limited edition bottle, you can find it at Wal-Mart, Real Canadian Superstore, Real Atlantic Superstore, Loblaws and Zehrs locations.
One of my friends works at the Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada and I’ve had the opportunity to attend their annual gala twice so I”m familiar with the wonderful work that they do. The non-profit’s mission is to provide spirit-lifting events, programs and services for seriously ill children and their families, and when you witness what a difference this organization can make in their lives, well, you quickly become a supporter of the organization, too.
Which is why I’m sharing the details about the upcoming Visage x Starlight Your Purchase Counts campaign, which runs from May 1 to 8th, 2016.
For each Caryl Baker lipstick purchased, $1 will be donated to Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada. Which is not the only thing Caryl Baker is doing: on Sunday, May 1, Caryl Baker will host families from the Foundation and give moms and daughters day makeovers and an afternoon of pampering.
With 40 lipstick shades to choose from (and it’s cute tube featuring a mirror) and at only $18.50 a pop, it’s a great extra item to add onto your Mother’s Day gift (tie it with a ribbon onto your main present for your mom), and it helps Starlight. Or if your mom’s just not into lipstick, you can always just make a straight-up donation to Starlight.
Roseberry is a pretty neutral taupe (it’s the one on the far left), but I am drawn to the deep red Marilyn (pictured at the bottom of the photo above; I can’t resist a great red lippie), but my favourite shade name has got to be Supertramp (the pink on top in the photo above) . (Your moms might wonder what you’re trying to say if you give her that shade of lipstick!).
May 1 to May 8th. Buy a Caryl Baker lipstick, and you contribute to helping lift the spirits of a terribly sick child. Your purchase counts.
On Sunday, I met up with my teammates Megan and Sharon (our fourth member, Diane, wasn’t feeling well so couldn’t make it out) at Varsity Stadium for the Kick It Up for Kidney Cancer boot camp. We were blessed with perfect weather, sunny but with a light breeze. And Varsity Stadium is such a great venue; it was fun to have a chance to work out on the field.
Not going to lie: the idea of a four-hour boot camp was daunting. Add to this that I feel like I’ve been working out daily for the past few weeks; I haven’t but I’ve definitely been more active than my usual 4 workouts a week, and doing activities I don’t normally participate in, such as SUP and hiking. So I was a bit tired to start but excited for a fun day with my friends.
The dream team of Brent Bishop of Think Fitness, Michael Decorte of Jock Yoga Guy and Dara Bergeron of Belly Bootcamp each taught sessions of 15 minutes each, with a 10-minute break between sets. We did so many push-ups and vinyasas, some running, and so many drills that those breaks were very much welcome. Jully Black co-hosted the event and she has such a fun energy; she even lead a few minutes of the workout and had us all twerking (there’s some video of it on my Instagram). Here’s a video of Jully leading us through a chant of “I am powerful, I am wonderful, I’m free.”
Halfway through the boot camp, we took a moment to remember loved ones affected by kidney cancer, many who were at last year’s event and no longer with us now. It really was a touching tribute and a reminder of what the event and the money raised is for.
The event was bigger this year than last year, but there’s always room for more, if you’re up for it in 2016! And even though the event is a wrap, you can still show your support for kidney cancer. Just visit www.kickitup4kidneycancer.ca to make a donation. Whatever you can spare will help (and donations of $10 or more will get you a tax receipt).
Thank you to Kidney Cancer Canada, the team at Environics and the dream team of Brent, Michael and Dara, and Jully Black for a fantastic day of fitness for a great cause.
