08 Dec Pink Moustaches and Movember Goals
By Grant T. Smith
I presume you notice the picture above the headline and are wondering why I have a pink moustache. It is my natural colour because my mother was frightened by a clown while carrying me. I was also born capable of juggling and making balloon animals, so the next time you are in the office ask for a demonstration of either skill! Or should that be art?
This a newsletter for the season, so let me tell you the real story behind the stache. AJ Joshi, one of our newly “passed the wretched exam and soon to be a CPA” students, approached me late in October to see if I would be interested to support the Movember movement. I was delighted to partake and he recruited several more Clearline members to the team.
The team consisted of the following brave men of Clearline:
- Bilal Kathrada, CPA, CA
- Justin McLaughlin, CPA, CA
- Gurbir Rai, “passed the wretched exam and soon to be a CPA”
- AJ Joshi, “passed the wretched exam and soon to be a CPA”
- Viet Vu, “passed the wretched exam and soon to be a CPA”
- Aziz Ali, student
It was our first year working as a team and I am overwhelmed by the support we received. We managed, as of the time of writing, to raise $2,910 as a team.
As we were coming to the end of the month, I was falling somewhat short of my personal target of $1,000 and was brainstorming how to kick up the numbers a little. Someone raised the idea of dying my moustache the colour dictated by the highest bidder IF I made my target. That seemed like a good idea, since we were never going to reach the target, right? Horror of horrors, we made it and now my face looks like I have been drinking Pepto Bismal or strawberry milkshakes.
I want to do a shout out to two other Clearliners who were incredibly important in our fundraising mission:
1. Rebecca Davidson “passed the wretched exam and soon to be a CPA” who took up the cause and internally raised $245.00 from the staff, at our exam celebration.
2. Reese Wilson, who paid $113.00 to choose the colour of my moustache. Reese, it turns out, supports two important causes, the fight against bullying and the fight against breast cancer. Both of those use pink to emphasize their cause and I proudly wear my pink stache. Thank you Reese.
Now let me turn this message of good will and fundraising to my readers. For each of you, thank you for your efforts to help in your community. Thanks for the dollars you contribute but more importantly thank you for the time you give. And here is my personal list for the top five reason to volunteer or contribute:
- We have the tremendous good fortune to live in a safer part of the world than the vast majority of our fellow man, so we can share.
- The wealth of our nation, our province and our cities sets us above most of the world, so we can share.
- Children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way. I said that… We teach by leading, we lead by giving.
- We exist because others have given of themselves and built the world we now share, pay it forward.
- It feels great.
Have a great 2018.
