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Without KidSport, Jesse Wouldn’t Have Played High School Sport
As a kid, you don’t understand what money has to do with playing sport. It’s all about playing the game, being with your friends and having fun. Thanks to my friend’s dad, who knew about KidSport, I got off the sidelines and was fitted with the proper gear to play football in high school.
Organized sport teaches our children life-long skills, and improves self-esteem and self-confidence, so children can contribute positively to a strong, healthy community.
Sport Gave Me Discipline, Focus & Patience
I was 14, when my friend said we should join the school football team. I naturally went along and brought home the registration forms. My parents didn’t have the extra money for football gear and registration fees, like the other kids at school.
Kids don’t play a sport to get an incredible team-building experience. It just happens and you don’t even realize it. When it’s fun playing a sport, kids inherently have better physical and emotional heath, know how to work as a team in group settings and develop good leadership skills and discipline.
Athletes Make Tomorrow’s Leaders
Looking back at how playing organized sport influenced me as an adult, I realize KidSport opened the door to all the other sport I’ve played in my life. KidSport also helped me develop leadership skills which started on the football field as I worked my way from the position of lower-end defense to blocking for the quarterback and then advancing to the position of full back for the Esquimalt Eagles.
First hand, I can tell you that KidSport affects all areas of a kid’s life including your health, your academic standing and, even, your career path.
When my high school football team disbanded, I turned to rugby. While in grade nine, I was one of the few junior boys to play senior boy rugby. Although I suffered a severe tackle, which broke my ankle in three different places, I still continue to be active and involved in non-contact sport as an adult.
Active, Confident and a Team Player
As a Tile Resource Expert at Tile Town Victoria, I know the leadership skills that I developed as a team player in contact sport has influenced my career path. At work, customers often want me to choose the tile for their home renovation or new build. I approach the situation a little differently. I figure out what a customer wants from the tile – in terms of look, feel and durability – as well as their design style so they can make the decision themselves. The best part of my job is helping people create a dream space in their style.
When you’re in an organized sport, everybody has a job and you learn a lot of things about health, exercise, strategy and, most importantly, how to work together. Playing football built my confidence and provided me with lasting friendships throughout high school.
KidSport is an amazing program for it gives kids the experience of playing a sport and a good start on being well-adjusted individuals in life. First hand, I can tell you that KidSport affects all areas of a kid’s life including your health, your academic standing and, even, your career path.
I’m proud to ask customers if they’ll support KidSport with a donation during Tile Town’s Spring GiveBack Campaign from May to June in 2016. With every $5 donation, customers receive a FREE mini sport ball. All proceeds help KidSport remove the financial barriers that prevents kids from playing organized sport in our communities.
KidSport is a program Tile Town believes in, and I’m living proof that getting kids into the game provides them with more opportunities later in life. Without KidSport, chances are I wouldn’t have organized sport in my life today. I don’t know where I’d be working or if I would be in the great relationship that I have today with my partner.
Celebrating Pomp, Pageantry and Fun on Victoria Day
Tile Town’s official mascot Tyler will be celebrating Queen Victoria’s birthday in the provincial capital on May 23, 2016. Representing Tile Town’s five stores throughout western Canada, Tyler will be taking the day off from his usual tasks of Ask Tyler, to assume his royal duties in the Victoria Day Parade on Vancouver Island.
Joining Tyler in Victoria’s largest parade will be the entire crew of Tile Town’s Victoria store.
Victoria’s Largest Parade Celebrates Queen Victoria’s Birthday
Named in honour of Queen Victoria, it’s only fitting to have a Victoria Day parade in British Columbia’s provincial capital.
In amongst Daisy, Farmer Vicki, marching bands, floats and family entertainment, you’ll easily spot Tyler – the big red tile. Tyler will be handing out taWoos and candy throughout the parade. Beginning at Mayfair Shopping Centre, the parade starts at 9 am and proceeds along Douglas Street finishing at the intersection of Douglas and Humboldt.
If you have any questions on the type of tile or tile products to use for your next project, Ask Tyler will be back at work on Tuesday. In honour of the statutory holiday, Tyler wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable May Long Weekend.
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Surrey Goes A Litte Bit Country
Time to dust off your cowboy boots and polish your belt buckle till it glistens with Surrey’s most famous event coming to town: the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair.
From May 20-23, 2016 the population of Cloverdale more than triples on the Victoria Day long weekend with visitors from all over Metro Vancouver, and afar, eager to see the Cloverdale Rodeo Parade, midway, country music bands, rodeo, agricultural exhibits and the many family-friendly activities on the Cloverdale Fairgrounds.
From Marching Bands to Vintage Cars to Horses
Where else would you be able to have horses, marching bands, floats, vintage cars and dancers come together in one place? Only at the Cloverdale Rodeo Parade. Be prepared to have a good old-fashioned time where a li-le bit of Surrey’s country lifestyle still exists.
In its 70th year, the Cloverdale Rodeo Parade brings young and old outside onto the streets of Cloverdale – with lawn chairs, blankets and plenty of enthusiasm – to watch a little taste of western living walk, dance and roll by.
Tile Town’s Community Ambassadors Shop Local
Tile Town’s Tyler wouldn’t miss the parade for anything. Tyler will be bringing Surrey’s store manager, Joelle Cooke with him to represent our local business. Joelle recently went shopping at Cloverdale’s Stampede Tack & Western Wear to get her first pair of cowboy boots and a cowboy hat.
Not sure what to look for in a western boot, Joelle was in for a treat. Nikko Konyk, the daughter of Floss and Ralph Winkler (the owners of Stampede) was on hand to help Joelle pick out a boot suited to her needs.
With the right style and size, Joelle is ready to go a little bit country and show her support for her local community by shopping in Cloverdale and being in the parade. Look for Joelle and Tyler in the Cloverdale Rodeo Parade on Saturday, May 20. The parade starts at 10 am, sharp! Tyler will be the big red tile handing out tattoos and candy to the kids.
Tyler will be back on duty to answer your questions on the type of tile or tile products to use for your next project at www.asktyler.ca afer the May Long Weekend. Until then, enjoy the rodeo and the agricultural exhibits and displays which many local residents work all year long to enter.
https://www.facebook.com/StampedeTack
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Humanity Greater Vancouver’s Women Build Program
Knowing more than 3.2 million Canadians don’t have a safe, decent and affordable place to live, Habitat for Humanity® Women Build is set to construct, in 10 days, six homes for low-income families in Richmond, British Columbia.
What makes this program a little different is that all the people planning, organizing and building these homes are women. As Habitat likes to clarify, the Women Build Program is not about excluding men, it’s about including women while promoting women as leaders in the trades.
Hoping to Join 400 Women Change Makers
Joelle Cooke and Dionne Walach from our Surrey and Richmond Tile Town stores have taken up the women’s challenge and chosen Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver’s Women Build Program as their store’s GiveBack campaign during the month of October.
When customers visit either the Surrey or the Richmond stores, Joelle, Dionne and their staff look forward to promoting the life-changing work of Humanity Canada for low-income families caught in the vicious cycle of poverty.
Rolling up our Sleeves
For Joelle and Dionne, they are determined for their stores to raise the $1,000 so they can represent their customers and staff on the Habitat for Humanity® construction site. For Joelle, the thought of being on a construction site brings back memories of when her dad would take her to his construction sites.
To spend a day, hands-on, helping out in the community will certainly be a worthwhile day that neither Joelle nor Dionne will forget. And, it’s why Tile Town has a GiveBack campaign for we believe in giving back to the community in which our stores operate.
To learn more about each of Tile Town’s GiveBack charities, follow our posts on Facebook and Twitter. We’ll give you a weekly update on how the thermometers are rising and the excitement we share in the store with our customers about each charity.
Donate today on-line or at our Surrey and Richmond Tile Town locations.
Helping BCs Abandoned and Mistreated Animals
Offering a safe haven and new hope for sick, injured and homeless animals in BC, the Victoria Humane Society (VHS) is committed to assisting animals in rural and remote communities. With no shelter of their own, VHS relies on over 50 foster families, along with staff and volunteers to socialize and exercise the animals.VHS_Logo_RGB allows an animal’s true personality to shine through and ultimately makes the animal more adoptable.
Logan Found a Forever Home
Ask any of the staff at Victoria’s Tile Town and they’ll remember who visited the store just after last year’s fall GiveBack campaign. A litter of puppies … from the Victoria Humane Society! Does Penny Stone know how to make an entrance, or what?
While visiting the store to receive a cheque from Tile Town’s 2014 GiveBack campaign, it only seemed natural to the ones who were benefitting from the Victoria store’s campaign to accompany Penny. The puppies captured everyone’s attention – customers and staff alike. For store manager Chuck Sauve, he had no idea what would happen next. Penny handed Chuck one of the puppies while telling him that she had been saving this little guy just for him.
Always wanting a dog, he and his partner Kristey were hard pressed not to fill out the adoption papers. A cross between a Border Collie and a husky, Logan is now a year old and part of the Chuck’s and Kristey’s family.
Support from the Community Keeps VHS Operating
Offering a safe haven and new hope for sick, injured and homeless animals in BC, the Victoria Humane Society (VHS) is committed to assisting animals in rural and remote communities. With no shelter of their own, VHS relies on over 50 foster families, along with staff and volunteers to socialize and exercise the animals. allows an animal’s true personality to shine through and ultimately makes the animal more adoptable.
In 2015, there have been so many dogs and their puppies needing care that the VHS is in need of more foster families. Also needed are volunteers to fundraise and to help pick up animals throughout BC. To become a volunteer, foster parent or to find out what animals are awaiting adoption, visit the VHS website.
For the Love of Animals
Chuck, Kristey and the entire staff are excited to be raising awareness – turning up the heat you might say – by asking their Tile Town customers to give a toonie in their 2015 GiveBack Campaign. Given the support from the community during last year’s campaign, Chuck and Kristey are confident that Tyler’s thermometer will reach the $1,000 mark for the VHS by Halloween!
To learn more about each of Tile Town’s GiveBack charities, follow our posts on Facebook and Twitter. We’ll give you a weekly update on how the thermometers are rising and and the excitement we share in the store with our customers about each charity.