The donor: Michelle August
The gift: Raising $350,000 and climbing
The cause: Several charities across Canada
Michelle August has always been passionate about sports, so when she finished university a few years ago, she wanted to do something related to athletics.
She started an indoor cycling centre four years ago called Spinco in her hometown of Kelowna, B.C., and she’s now taken it across the country with 12 locations. Ms. August, 27, also has a keen commitment to philanthropy. She launched a family foundation with her brother that supports the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides accommodation for families with sick children, and she’s made sure that Spinco has a charity focus as well. Each Spinco outlet holds a weekly Spin It Forward event to raise money for a variety of causes, including the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Canadian Breast Cancer Society and Canadian Feed the Children. The company also holds annual fundraising events and so far all of the efforts have raised more than $350,000 in total.
Ms. August said she often gets to meet the people the foundation and the company have helped over the years. “Seeing the faces of the people you are helping one-on-one is extremely special to me,” she said. “You can’t put a price on that.”
Paul Waldie