Charity Work
Giving back to my community and supporting amazing charities for me is easy. It’s a no brainer. I’ve always said that I give because I can. I’m extremely grateful to have a talent that I can use to help people out. My career is booming and I’m in a place right now that I can support what is dear to my heart.
One cause that I’m never shy to support is the fight against cancer. My family has been touched profoundly when over forty years ago my parents lost their first child to Leukemia. I can’t imagine loosing one of my children. It kills me to think what my parents went thru. I’ve never actually met my sister but I know she looks down from above and is truly proud of what I’m trying to achieve.
I estimate that I have given well over $75,000 in artwork to various charities over my almost five year career as an artist. In 2010, I launched a seemingly impossible mission called the Art for Life campaign. The goal was to create 200 original paintings in 184 days, with all profits from the sales going towards the fight against cancer. This project was a first for a Canadian artist, and I more than exceeded my goal to raise $25,000. By the time the campaign wrapped up in September 2010, I had raised an amazing $38,000 for the cause.
Last year, I got involved with the Little Wishes Charity. I was very inspired by their story so I’ve picked up the phone and invited them over to my studio. We ended up getting a bunch of kids to create little artworks and sell them to raise funds for their charity. It was an amazing project and it’s something that I want to continue to support going forward. Keep an eye out for this project to surface again in 2012.
Last but not least, I was truly honored when asked to be part of the 2012 New Brunswick Dream Team for the Canadian Cancer Society. I was surprised and also very grateful that they asked me to represent my province. Starting in February, I will embark in a new quest to raise even more funds for the fight against cancer. My goal with this campaign is $10,000. Hopefully I will get support from my fans, clients and my community as a whole to surpass that goal. Take that cancer!