NSS Canada has launched an initiative called the Cross Canada Challenge, hoping to raise $5500.00 for Neo Kids by challenging colleagues and local mining and mining supply services organizations to get onboard to promote regular exercise within their organizations as a means to enhanced health and personal wellbeing. (The distance coast-to-coast across Canada is approximately 5,500km.)
“We know the mining and mining supply and service sector employs about 50,000 individuals in Northern Ontario and generates over $18 billion per year. We see this challenge as an opportunity for the sector to give a little back, and there are literally thousands of reasons why we chose NEO Kids,” says Bruno Lalonde, President, NSS Canada.
Lalonde notes that with so many individuals employed in the sector, this translates to thousands of families with children and grandchildren who may require specialize pediatric care at some point in their young lives. Each year, approximately 3,900 children from across the Northeast make 10,000 trips to Toronto, Ottawa and London to receive the specialized care they need.
“With every donation made to the NEO Kids Foundation, we get one step closer to keeping our NEO Kids and their families closer to home for care when possible,” Lalonde adds.
NSS Canada has set up a GoFundMe, www.gofundme.com/f/nsscanada, to track the progress of donations from the initiative. Participants are encouraged to download the Strava app join the NSS Canada club (https://www.strava.com/clubs/NSSCanada) on the app to track their kilometres, either walking, running, cycling, or swimming. The first team to 5500 kms logged wins the challenge and prizes for goods and services at local businesses and restaurants. (Details at the NSS Canada website, https://www.nsscanada.com)
“We’ve seen a focus on healthy living and regular exercise as means to enhance immunity, which is important for obvious reasons. And I think many of us would admit to having put on a few ‘pandemic pounds’,” jokes Lalonde. “For 31 years, NSS has working with our colleagues in the industry to integrate technology in Mine Surveying to increase safety, accuracy and efficiency. We care about our colleagues, and we know they are caring people, so let’s see if we can integrate greater health for a good cause,” Lalonde concludes.
For more information on NSS Canada or the Cross Canada Challenge, please visit www.nsscanada.com, and find us on social media at https://linktr.ee/nsscanada.