As a result Shelter is hosting a fundraising spinathon to benefit the McGill Cardiovascular Health Improvement Program (CHIP) and West Island Community Shares on Sunday, November 29th at the Mansfield Athletic Club in Pointe-Claire.
“CHIP offers a really great comprehensive rehabilitation program, but it is located downtown,” said Shetler, a West Island resident and partner at Mansfield Pointe-Claire. “If you’ve had a heart attack and live on the West Island, this is a problem because you’re not allowed to drive for a month following the heart attack.”
As a supporter of West Island Community Shares, Shetler knew that funding is a crucial issue for existing West Island community groups offering vital health and social services. When he approached representatives of CHIP and West Island Community Shares with the idea of a joint
fundraiser, both were keen to collaborate. CHIP will use its share of the funds to start a cardiovascular health program in the West Island. Community Shares will distribute its portion to the 30 West Island charities it supports.
“We’re grateful to Mike Shetler for bringing us together for this exciting spin fundraiser,” said Caroline Tison, executive director. “We hope many West Islanders will participate and help raise funds to better their community.”
No experience is required to participate - anyone who can pedal can spin! Participants must register in advance for the spinathon which will take place on November 29th from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Mansfield Pointe-Claire, in the Sources Mega Mall, Pointe-Claire. Registration and pledge forms are available at www.communityshares.ca, at all West Island branches of TD
Bank Financial Group, Royal Bank and Desjardins Caisse Poplulaire as well as at the Mansfield Club. For more information, call West Island Community Shares at 514-695-8694.
West Island Community Shares provides crucial funding to 30 West Island community groups who deliver
essential services to West Islanders in need. Its corporate partners include Pfizer Canada, Desjardins,
Schering-Plough Canada, Tenaquip Ltd., Avon Canada, Merck Frosst Canada Ltd., Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Canada Inc., Bromelin People Practices and Roxboro Excavation. Thanks to these corporate partners,
100% of donations received go back to the West Island community groups supported by Community
Shares. Last April, a total of $685,000 was distributed to 30 local community groups as a result of the
2008-2009 fundraising campaign. Since its inception, West Island Community Shares has raised and
distributed more than $4.5 million. For more information on West Island Community Shares and the groups
it supports, visit www.communityshares.ca.
CHIP is a not-for-profit organization staffed by health professionals from the McGill University Teaching
Hospitals, the Jewish General Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital Center and the Montreal Children’s Hospital. It
offers multi-disciplinary programs including exercise, nutrition and lifestyle education to help prevent and
treat heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, cancer and smoking. For
more information on CHIP, please visit www.chiprehab.com.
