Did you know that in 1949, mothers across Canada went door to door asking for ‘just a dime’ to fund the fight against polio? I didn’t. A terrifying disease that disabled of hundreds of thousands of children and adults every year until a massive vaccination programme pretty much cleared the disease from the global population.
The mothers that worked to raise money for the cause, however, didn’t stop there. After the vaccination programme was well underway, they looked to help survivors of the disease through job training and rehabilitation. By the 1960s, the March of Dimes organisation looked to help all people living with disabilities. Their mission now is to maximize the independence, personal empowerment and community participation of people with disabilities.
I’m sharing this with you because March of Dimes have a fundraiser coming up – the Penzoil presents Rock for Dimes. It’s a battle of the bands with amateur musicians, sweating it out in front of judges including Dave Genn (54-40), singer-songwriter Tal Bachman and producer/songwriter Jeff Dawson, all to raise money for the charity.
Specifically the money from this event will go towards, among other things, a workshop for mothers with children with a disability called Healthy Mom, Healthy Families here in Vancouver. Helping mums figure out some of the latest research, the challenges they face and coping strategies, and healthy lifestyle that can work with their entire family.
I hope you’ll join me in supporting this charity doing great work close to home, either by donating a small amount, or heading to their Rock for Dimes event on 21 February at the Redroom Ultra Bar. You can even donate your pennies – just roll them up and take them to any TD Bank, the details on how to make the donation are here.
Learn more about the history of the March of Dimes organisation.
DONATE, even the pennies count.
All photos courtesy March of Dimes