Teck gives Emily Brydon the Key to their hearts… and SO much more!
By Krista Turcasso
When Emily asked if I would accompany her and her mom (Rosemary) to a special dinner Teck was holding in her honour, I immediately said yes. Emily supports all of my endeavors, but more importantly the endeavors of so many young people in our community through her foundation – The Emily Brydon Youth Foundation. She is passionate about helping them pursue their dreams, especially when faced with financial hurdles like she was at the beginning of her alpine ski racing career.
Teck has been on board as Em’s sponsor from the get go and she has always spoken of this support with an incredible amount of appreciation and emotion. The relationship goes so much further than a typical company looking for media exposure. The employees of Teck follow and support Emily as though she is daughter or family member, which became very apparent as the evening unfolded at Picnic on August 4, 2010.
An intimate dinner of around 20, when it came time for the big presentation I could not hide shock, awe, pride and happiness. From behind a curtain came a very large cheque for the Emily Brydon Youth Foundation. $1,000? $5,000? When I realized it was $50,000, I looked at Rosemary and the tears were mirrored in her eyes. Oh. My. God!
The generosity to not only support Emily individually but to get behind her foundation so significantly truly is inspiring. And it didn’t stop there. Out came a Tiffany’s bag, they obviously know Emily very well. A beautiful gold chain holding a key was presented. She already has the key to the City, now she has the key to the hearts of those at Teck… although I’m sure she’s held that for some time.
The Emily Brydon Youth Foundation is lucky to raise the amount donated by Teck in two years. Its biggest fundraiser is the EBYF Golf Tournament, held this year on September 18, 2010 and is one of the funnest events I have ever been a part of. Put a team together and help support this amazing charity or buy a ticket to the evening portion with local favourite band Shred Kelly.
