Blog

Power Lifter on Pause

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Making a Difference, You and Your Health

Our power house of a human, power lifter Ryan Lapadat, has a strong start to his enormous charity-awareness effort. A strong beginning. And then...a bit of a bump in the proceedings...

Lapadat won't quit

You've been following along and you know that our favorite power lifter, Ryan Six Pack Lapadat, is tackling a 143 day, 100+ charity promoting challenge of car flipping. Well, being a soft-bodied animal, as we all are, Ryan's body has asked to slow things down a little. He's torn a calf muscle and isn't bouncing back as quickly as he hoped.

Here's what we know from Ryan (emphasis...and a little punctuation tweeking, mine):

"Here is a brief update:

Yesterday I partially tore my right calf while flipping the car. It felt like a pop, loss of strength, then I couldn't walk on it. Very painful. I am walking with a limp now.

But it would hurt me more to quit. And I know that. So today, I stepped up to the car and flipped it again, and I intended to keep flipping this car. Things do not always get worst. Sometimes they get better. Keep the faith.

I will adjust to keep this going. Terry Fox only had one leg anyway.

To make the car easier to flip with my torn calf I have found flipping from the roof to the wheels is easiest. This is because I can grab the window ledges and flip it. The window ledges are higher up than the handle we put on it, and I do not have to bend my injured right leg.

This is day 9. We have 143 days. This is early days. By the time we reach 100 days this story could really get interesting."

What this means for the challenge

That was a few days ago. But Ryan needs to give his calf time to heal. As a power lifter, his body is a well-tuned instrument and the source of his livelihood.

The determination, creativity, and all-around drive Six Pack bring to this are the stuff of inspiration. You know where he's coming from: sometimes life knocks you flat. Or, it throws you a little off course, at least. Ryan's not fazed. And we're excited to see how this pause in the process leads to renewed health and energy for the challenge.

Lapadat hopes to pick up where he left off sometime early in October. We're on board with that and will be pulling for a full and power lifter worthy return to recovery.

Keep watching here for updates. The links for Ryan's Twitter and Instagram are in previous posts as well -- he's an inspiring guy to follow around! We're proud to be working on this effort together and wish Ryan full health from head to toe.

Kindness Matters

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Making a Difference

Is kindness uncommon?

“When one reaches out to help another he touches the face of God.” – Walt Whitman 

Your kindness counts

Henri Nouwen says, "...our faithfulness to a small task is the most healing response to the illnesses of our time." Kindness matters, and your efforts in the smallest expressions of that goodness can have large effect.

Take a little minute and consider the nature of the acts of kindness that have most put air in your own lungs. Was it a break, a smile, a compliment, a hand up, or a hard-earned treat? Whatever it was, it probably didn't cost the giver much, and it made a difference to your day. What was it like for you to be the recipient? And did you go on to be a giver of the same?

Benefits to bein' nice

Psychology Today notes, "A recent study, Kindness Counts, conducted by researchers from the University of British Columbia and the University of California, Riverside, broke new ground by showing the benefits derived by tweens when they were taught happiness-increasing strategies.

For a month, several hundred 9-11 year-olds performed and recorded three acts of kindness each week for anyone they wished. Another several hundred kept track of three pleasant places they visited during the week.

Not surprisingly, the results were consistent with adult studies. When kids performed acts of kindness or took notice of the pleasant places they visited during the week, they significantly increased feelings of happiness and satisfaction.

But those who performed acts of kindness received an additional benefit.  Measuring how well children were liked or accepted by their peers, the study showed those who performed acts of kindness gained an average of 1.5 friends during the four-week period – good support for the idea that 'nice guys finish first.'" (Acts of Kindness: Key to Happiness for Children & Teens)

Three acts of kindness each week? 'Sounds do-able! Let's take up that challenge and make a difference.

6packlapadat | Flipping for charity

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Making a Difference, You and Your Health

Follow DAC's favorite powerlifter

Ryan (6packlapadat) is really doing this! He's on day 18 of flipping4charity. Stifling heat, a few obstacles, and an injury won't slow this guy down. Check his Twitter feed for some of his updates.

Following Lapadat on Instagram is worth a daily check-in, too. 6packlapadat and Donate a Car Canada are excited to be promoting over 100 Canadian charities in this unique way. Does it spark you imagination? How are your unique capabilities setting you up to do your version of good in Canada? In your city? In your neighborhood?

Stay tuned on our social media platforms for daily updates on Ryan's efforts, our charity connections, and ways that you can be involved in spreading the word.

flipping4charity

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Making a Difference, You and Your Health

What Six Pack is up to

Lapadat's daily car flip challenge is trackable via our Donate a Car Canada Twitter likes. 'Good days, or tough days, Ryan is working hard for a wide variety of Canadian charities.

Learn more about Ryan, his vision and mission, and just how much he's already tackled (and flipped) in his career, so far. Check him out at The Great Canadian Bucket List. This guy is committed to his craft and to caring for Canadians in larger-than-life ways.

Charities

Over 100 of our receiving charities are being spotlighted in Ryan's ambitious endeavor. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada is in his sights. BBBS is changing lives by investing time and mentoring resources into the lives of Canadian young people. "Changing the course of young lives changes the future of communities. By every measure, BBBS returns positive results in the mental health, employment and civic engagement" of the recipients of their programs.

How to give

Follow and share Ryan "Six Pack" Lapadat's power lifting, flipping4charity efforts on Twitter. Explore ways to give to the charities that he's championing. Volunteer, offer gifts-in-kind, donate cool cash, or donate your vehicle. Every gift counts!

pick n pull

Speeding Tickets

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, You and Your Health

Speeding tickets don't land in our mail box very often. But when they do, they hurt.

Notice of offence

Given the number of vehicles rolling out of our driveway on a given day, we do okay around here. Four of the adults living in our home drive for work and school and leisure. Our little Scion XB just flipped the odometer to a visually satisfying, 111,111 kms. So, we're on the road a lot. And some days our pedal pushers can get a little heavy. But we don't pull a lot of tickets.

I'm just about to online pay the $233.00 I owe our beautiful city for my most recent traffic violation. I was driving over 80 kms/hr in a 60 km zone. I deserve a strong consequence. Of course, I want to defend myself just a little. My son looked at the ticket, noted the location, and was immediately sympathetic, "Oh, Mom. That's such a bad spot! The speed drops like crazy from one side of the intersection to the other!"

A little empathy and validation are nice. But I still deserve the ticket. I've driven that patch of road before, and I should have remembered it was a steep slow down.

Playing it safe

I love driving fast. But speed limits are posted for good reason. Safety matters. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Transport Canada’s website include the following statistics from the CCMTA: Speed and Intersection Safety Management, Annual Monitoring Report 2009:

1. 27% of fatalities and 19% of serious injuries involve speeding

2. 40% of speeding drivers involved in fatal crashes were 16 to 24 years of age

3. Most drivers killed in speed-related crashes were the ones speeding

4. 80% of young adult passengers who were killed in a speeding crash were in the vehicle with a speeding driver of similar age

5. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for more than 50% of speeding deaths and serious injuries

6. 1 in 3 speeding drivers involved in a fatal crash had been drinking

7. Research indicates that a 1% reduction in speed results in reducing the likelihood of a fatal collision by 5%. (OECD, 2008)

Takin' it easy

So, it's time for me to pay better attention to speed markers. And it's helpful to consider that we're all traffic. Everybody is trying to get where they're going. Everybody has important things to do. And me? I'm as much traffic as everyone around me is.

pick n pull

Car Flipping for Charity

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Making a Difference

We're just days away from Donate a Car Canada's biggest charity spotlight event ever! On July 1st, Ryan "Six Pack" Lapadat begins his powerhouse efforts to bring car flipping awareness to over 100 Canadian charities in 143 days.

The man

The plan

So, what exactly is Ryan getting himself up to for charity this time 'round? He's flipping a car, of course!

Starting on July 1st, Six Pack is planning to flip a car, every day, for almost 150 days. We'll be tracking him online and collaborating with him in giving shout-outs to our charities. Watch for our blog posts, Tweets, and Facebook updates to see where Ryan is and what he's up to on any given day.

Some of our charities are excited to be planning special events around Lapadat's feats of strength. Stay tuned for more information about where he's been and who has been helped by his unique skills.

And how you can be involved

Keeping an eye out for Six Pack's daily charity boosts will be an easy and exciting way to get a quick peek at what some of Canada is about charity-wise. You'll see many children's charities spotlighted (Ryan's personal mission is to see kids inspired to greatness). Many of our health-related charities will also be getting some attention via his car-flipping mastery.

No funds are being directly raised by Ryan or Donate a Car through this venture. Our deserving charities will receive some much-needed exposure through these events. Further, folks interested in donating to charity will be presented with some of their many Canadian options.

'Ready to donate today? Just click here...

pick n pull

The Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Making a Difference, You and Your Health

We're excited to announce that the Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation has received their first vehicle donation through Donate a Car. They are all set with our program and ready to receive your vehicle donation, too. First Time Donation

First time donation

$120.00 is to be forwarded to the charity as their start-up gift
thanks to a generous donor.

Different factors impact how a donation outcome is set. First, each vehicle donated through our program is individually assessed for either recycle or re-sale value. A car or truck may be deemed recycle-ready by our regional agents. In this case a flat rate donation outcome is set by the agent. Whenever possible, a vehicle is re-sold at auction for a higher donation return. The car is sold as-is to the highest bidder. In either the case, the net proceeds from the sale are forwarded on to the donor's charity of choice.

What is JMMF all about?

The Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation is a society that does not tolerate domestic violence. They are a community that brings safety and hope to vulnerable individuals and families.

JMMF strives to remove the stigma associated with domestic violence through community engagement, awareness, prevention and education.  They seek to empower individuals to live a life free of violence.

Where you can find them

Statistics Canada's 2006 numbers on domestic abuse are troubling:

Between 1999 and 2004, 7 percent percent of Canadian women reported being abused by their intimate partner. Furthermore, 9 percent of women under the age of 25 years reported sexual assault or criminal harassment in 2004. Shockingly, 21 percent of abused women were assaulted during pregnancy. At 24 percent of Aboriginal women in Canada reporting abuse, violent acts against indigenous women are startlingly high.

One in five homicides involves the killing of an intimate partner.

These are some of the stats behind the need for a charity like the JMMF. To learn more about Jessica's story and how you can be part of the solution to this complex issue visit the charity site.

How you can help

Donating a car may be well out of the question right now. Would you like to volunteer time instead? Here are some JMMF options:

Third Party Fundraisers
You take the reigns and organize an event to support us!  You’ll raise funds and awareness while building a community that brings safety and hope to vulnerable individuals. Learn more.

Board and Committees:
Board and Committee members help us achieve specific goals and objectives.  (fundraising, outreach, etc.)
Board and Committee Application Form (2018)

Project Volunteer:
Do you have a special skill or talent you’d like to share with our organization?  Graphic Design? Photography?
Let us know and we will work with you to create a meaningful position or project.

Contact:
Teena Hughson, B.A.
Community Engagement Coordinator
587-879-5465
teena@jessicamartelmemorialfoundation.com

Financial gifts are always welcome, and if you'd like to learn more about car donation, just click on the big red button below.

pick n pull

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Making a Difference

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary serves to rehabilitate and re-home wolfdogs.

Who, what, and why?

Yamnuska wants to "...encourage fellow passionate wolfdog lovers to take action for responsible wolfdog ownership." They also advocate for wild wolf protection.

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary currently has 25 permanent wolfdogs. They also care for 10 ambassador wolfdogs, and any number of wolfdogs available for adoption.

Their wolfdog ambassadors are the wolfdogs that take front and center stage at events and sanctuary interactions. These animals help educate the public about wolfdogs and the importance of wolf conservation.

Book a wolfdog visit

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary offers a variety of tours to the public. These tours educate the public on wolfdogs and raise awareness regarding wolf conservation. All proceeds from the tours directly fund the sanctuary and its continued rescue efforts.

Ready to help this cause?

Thanks to the donations they receive, Yamnuska is able to carry out rescue missions. As with the Milk River Wolfdog Rescue, they ensure wolfdogs the care they need to be rehabilitated and rehomed.

Every donation helps feed, care for, transport, and rehome an adoptable wolfdog. Or, it gives a high-content wolfdog a permanent home at the sanctuary. Monetary donations are gratefully accepted, but they do also accept material goods donations. Check out their Donation List for items they are currently in need of. Other ways to donate include Donate A Car, sending an E-transfer donating via Paypal. 

Stay connected to Yamnuska

Looking for a take-a-pause regular glimpse at the majesty and sweetness of these rare animals? Or would you like to hear the contented howl or playful scrabblings of the 'dogs? Follow YWS on Facebook.

pick n pull

Ryan “Six Pack” Lapadat

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Knowing the Industry, Making a Difference

Lapadat - a real-life Canadian hero. Donate a Car Canada is excited to be working alongside Ryan in an upcoming (heavyweight!) fundraising effort.

Who is the man behind, in front of, and beneath the weights? And what does he have in store for Canadian charities? Stay with us in the weeks ahead to learn more.

Continue reading "Ryan “Six Pack” Lapadat" →