News Article

Angels in the making


11/26/2008 2:27:39 PM


Ridge Road campus of College of the North Atlantic implemented two new initiatives in honour of the holiday season – the Jingle All The Way initiative and The Earn Your Wings campaign. From Left are Workplace Wellness Committee members Donna Meade, Janet Dwyer, Renée Winsor, Blair Wilkie, Andrea Scott, John Harnett, Mary Murphy, Mike Mackey or the Student Council, and Workplace Wellness Committee member Michelle Smart.

In the spirit of the holiday season, Ridge Road campus of College of the North Atlantic (CNA) is challenging staff, faculty and students to earn their wings.

The Earn Your Wings campaign was conceived in the spirit of Christmas giving and was developed by the Ridge Road Workplace Wellness Committee (WWC).

The WWC was formed in September of 2007 and consists of 11 volunteers from faculty and staff at Ridge Road. The goal of the group is to improve the overall wellness of employees but for the Christmas season they expanded their goal to encompass students.

“This year when the Ridge Road WWC reconvened after the summer we had a couple of open-discussion meetings. At one of those meetings we talked about our own students in need and we wondered if there was anything we could do to help out,” says Blair Wilkie, chair of the WWC.

The group discussed how an infusion of Christmas spirit could improve wellness, and two campaigns emerged from the meeting.

The first is the Jingle All The Way initiative.

“Decorated collection tins are located in the cafeteria and the main office of Learner Services. Contributions of change, which is where the jingle in the name comes from, will be collected and all proceeds will be turned into gift certificates from one of the major grocery chains. These certificates will be distributed to our own students in need.”

The main campaign, Earn Your Wings, runs from Nov. 3 until Dec. 5.

“To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time we have done anything like this at our campus. We have purchased a pre-lit, artificial Christmas tree that now resides in our main lobby. Whenever a donation of a small gift or money is made the donor receives an angel decoration to place on the tree – in effect, you earn your wings.”

Any money donated to the cause will be turned into gifts that will be distributed to children of students in need attending the Ridge Road campus.

According to Wilkie, a number of different groups have jumped in to help out.

“The Student Council has been extremely supportive and are making a donation, NAPE Local 7404, representing faculty at Ridge Road, will be making a $250 donation, and we also have had several individual donations from students, staff and faculty.”

He says anyone can donate small gifts or make a monetary donation.

“On Friday, Dec. 5 we will be wrapping the gifts and on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 6 we will distribute them, along with the grocery store certificates, to the students who have self-identified.”

Mike Mackey, secretary of the Student Council for Ridge Road campus, says they were happy to give their support to the initiative.

“I think this is a worthwhile cause. As a student of the college that is also raising a family, I know how challenging it can be to deal not only with the workload, but also the financial stress involved,” says Mackey.

“The Ridge Road Student Representative Council has taken the initiative to donate $250 towards this campaign. We are also helping the committee by promoting Earn Your Wings through student email and class representatives.”

The five-week campaign concludes on Dec. 5 and Wilkie says the WWC encourages everyone to be generous to help make this a special Christmas for families in need.

Finally, any Ridge Road students in need can self-identify through an e-mail address: EarnYourWings@cna.nl.ca

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For more information please contact:
Glenda McCarthy
Public Relations Assistant
College of the North Atlantic
(709) 643-6408
glenda.mccarthy@cna.nl.ca