If you have never been to a meeting before and you are looking for a way to give back- may I suggest one of the 100 groups.

100 Women Who Care, 100 Men Who Give a Damn and 100 Kids Who Care are all currently looking to expand membership. With all three groups giving back to support a local charity or organization, how can you go wrong?!

100 Men Who Give a Damn met on November 29, 100 Kids Who Care followed on November 30, and 100 Women Who Care capped off the year with their December 5 gathering. The total financial contribution was well over $10,000 for all three like-minded groups, with 100 Kids contributing unwrapped toys and gift cards to the recent Share Your Christmas campaign hosted by the Cochrane Activettes.

Greg Sawchuk, accepted a cheque for just over $3000 from the September meeting of 100 Men Who Give a Damn. Beyond thrilled to receive support as the organization awaits official charity status for 'The Vaughn Sawchuk Foundation', Greg thought it was an incredible honour to be chosen. "I put myself and our foundation out there, feeling a little vulnerable, to be honest. But when the ballots came back it was almost like a wave of comfort washed over me. It made me proud to be associated with an organization that wants to improve the overall well being of various foundations."

The Vaughn Sawchuk Foundation was founded by Greg and his wife Jaime after the loss of their warrior son Vaughn. The charity (in the works) supports families with children undergoing pediatric cardiac care at the Stollery Hospital in Edmonton as well as Little Heart Hero’s camp for kids with cardiovascular complications. 

For Greg, the ability to help any local organization with such little effort but having such incredible impact, is amazing. "I really like the no hassle concept of this group. It’s very simple, come down and have a beer or two, listen to a few presentations about various foundations, vote on one and donate. Simple and it makes you feel really good to do something for someone else not expecting anything in return. We’re all there because we care about our community."

All groups encourage anyone who is interested to come by their respective meetings in the New Year. Airdrie-Banff, MP Blake Richards, even congratulated the Cochrane and Airdrie chapters on their incredible gifts to the community. When you combine all the Cochrane chapters roughly $110,000 has been raised with all monies going directly toward the charity of choice. To find out more about 100 Men Who Give a Damn, 100 Women Who Care, and 100 Kids Who Care, click on their respective title. 

You can see MP Blake Richards address in the House on the 100 Men Who Give a Damn page.