Eleven Years of Coming Together to Give Back – the travelbrands SickKids Walk

It was a beautiful day for a walk – and a beautiful reason for walking. More than two dozen travelbrands staff members set out from their west Toronto offices yesterday on a stroll to raise money for SickKids Foundation.

At the same time in Montreal, travelbrands staff went on a similar walk, bringing people together for a shared purpose that is close to the heart of the company.

travelbrands has supported SickKids for 11 years now, raising more than $3 million over that time for the world-renowned children’s hospital. As well as the annual walk, the company holds a popular annual golf tournament – set for September 9 this year – and also designates an annual day when 1% of sales is donated to the SickKids Foundation.

“Our commitment to SickKids is strong, and we’re going to continue to raise money for the SickKids Foundation,” said Sam Youssef, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Partnerships for travelbrands.

“It’s a great opportunity for everyone to come together, to give back to the kids and raise money for a good cause.”

Youssef said that when the SickKids relationship was conceived, staff wanted to have their own part of the fundraising effort, and the walk is the result. 

“Today, it’s a beautiful day … and we’re doing some fun activities for the staff. It’s really about appreciation for everyone to come out and be part of that.”

Following the hour-long walk, participants returned to the travelbrands offices for a pizza lunch and some games. With most of the staff working remote much of the time, it was a great opportunity for colleagues to catch up and share stories of their summer travels.

“When you go to the golf tournament, you hear the stories, and you hear the people whose lives have been touched by SickKids, it makes me proud to be part of a company that supports the wonderful work they do,” Youssef said.

He estimated that the walks in Toronto and Montreal will raise at least $10,000 for the SickKids Foundation.