The 2013 Staples Give a Toonie. Share a Dream. campaign was yet again a huge success, raising a record-breaking $586,000 across the country! From May 4 to 26, Staples staff were joined by Special Olympics athletes asking customers to donate a toonie (or more!) to support Special Olympics athletes in Canada. Big thanks to all of the Staples stores, staff, and supporters and the SOBC volunteers who made the campaign such a great success.

Congratulations to the Staples Langley store, who earned the title of highest dollars raised on the last day of the campaign! They raised just over $2,000 on that day, and $7,412.64 during the campaign, the third-highest total in Canada. In August SOBC – Langley Local Coordinator Dick Jennens presented the plaque to store General Manager Kuljinder Karwal and members of the terrific staff.

“Everyone from the store was involved in the campaign for Special Olympics, with a number of athletes in store during peak hours. We’d like to thank all our customers and local businesses for their generosity to reach our yearly goal,” Kuljinder Karwal said.

“We worked well with the Special Olympics athletes as a team by getting to know them by name, and many of the same athletes are with us each year, forming great friendships. It was wonderful seeing the excitement on the athletes’ faces as we received our many donations, and brings us closer together as a community,” said Lisa Dick, the store's Special Olympics captain.

On June 1, Staples employees across the Lower Mainland came together for a day of fun and (mostly!) sunshine at the 13th annual Staples Special Olympics Softball Tournament. The Burnaby Lougheed Lions held a hot dog barbeque and there were great prizes available for the raffle. The team-building event raised nearly $1,000 for SOBC programs. Big thanks to Special Olympics athletes Michaela Robinson, Allan Hunter, and Cecilia Rodriguez for spending the day with us, and Eva Faith of Staples for all her hard work organizing the tournament!