The Holiday Season: A Time to Give Back

The holiday season is upon us! I personally refer to this time as ‘the season of giving’. While I work throughout the year with various charities, foundations and initiatives to help the Calgary community, this time is crucial for so many in need. That’s why I make every effort to go above and beyond during the holiday season.

Some of the charities I work with on a regular basis include the Child Advocacy Centres of Alberta, The Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter and Aspire Special Needs. I also support The University of Manitoba as an Alumni contributor, as well as local schools and sports teams in Calgary. These are all organizations that are close to my heart.

In 2015 the Sheraton Celebrity Dance Off partnered with the Aspire Needs Resource Centre as the fundraiser’s partner charity. All funds went to the much-needed renovation of the building located at 4826 47th St. I was truly proud to be part of this special event as a chosen dancer. You had to raise over $15,000 to be a dancer. To top it off, I actually won the dance off! The event brought in thousands of dollars for the Aspire Needs Resource Centre and it was a remarkable event to be a part of. I continued to be involved with this event and organization for 3 consecutive years. In 2017 I presented a special cheque with a donation of $20,000 to the Sheraton Celebrity Dance Off for the Aspire Needs Resource Centre.

This year, we faced many challenges globally. I found it particularly important this year to support initiatives involved with COVID-19 relief and Black Lives Matter foundations. These were important ways for me to give back to my community and help those in need this season.

I hope that you find a way, big or small to help out our Calgary community. Feel free to reach out if you need any ideas of how to give back this season.
-Dr. Vivek Cheba