That was the question Carl Irvine of Whitby, Ont., asked himself when he first saw Canada Army Run advertised through his work’s intranet. It was for a good cause, and it seemed like fun.
That was three years ago. Irvine has participated in Canada Army Run virtually since then and is excited to take part in his first in-person event this Sept. 22 in Ottawa. Irvine works for the Bank of Montreal, Canada Army Run’s presenting sponsor, and he now captains a corporate fundraising team – BMO Tax, which this year includes Ashley Fraser, Marc Watkins and D’Arcy Schieman.
Over the years, Irvine has put more energy towards fundraising for Canada Army Run’s charitable causes, Support Our Troops and Soldier On. He is currently the event’s top individual fundraiser, and BMO Tax currently sits atop the team fundraising leaderboard.
Irvine describes his initial fundraising efforts as “pretty haphazard” – he would send an email to friends and family – but it didn’t take him long to see how much the charitable causes mean to people.
“What I found was that once I told people about Canada Army Run, they were really enthusiastic about it and wanted to donate – Canadians really care about the men and women who serve in the armed forces,” he said. “It took so little effort to just tell people about Canada Army Run, and it was so rewarding to see how enthusiastically – and generously – they reacted.”
Irvine’s brother and sister-in-law are long-serving members of the Canadian Army, and it means a lot to him to be able to support them, their colleagues and their families.
“I have an appreciation – albeit second-hand – for the sacrifices they, their colleagues and their families make for Canada and for Canadians,” he said. “For me, participating in Canada Army Run and raising funds for Support Our Troops and Soldier On is a way to show my appreciation for those sacrifices and to help make life a bit easier for Canada’s soldiers and their families. And, I think that appreciation is shared by the other members of the BMO Tax team and the broader BMO community who have supported us and is reflected in their generosity.”
To learn more about participating in and fundraising for Canada Army Run, visit armyrun.ca
