Despite the chilly morning temperature, Kevin Krystik was warmed by the support of dozens of colleagues and Petro-Canada staff who joined him in CareMakers’ third annual Strides for Caregivers October 15 to support family caregivers and the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation.
“I am a caregiver to my 13-year-old son,” says Kevin, a senior account manager in Sales & Marketing at Suncor’s sales office in Winnipeg, Man. “Grayson has Angelman's Syndrome, a neurological disease that affects his ability to do many of the tasks we take for granted. Bathing, getting dressed and even going to the bathroom can't be done without assistance from mom or dad. We are blessed to have him in our lives, and we wouldn't have it any other way, but we can appreciate the toll caregiving takes on family caregivers. It can be tiring, isolating, and often done at the detriment of our own self-care.”
Kevin is one of more than 1,300 Suncor employees and Petro-Canada Associates and staff who took part in the week-long series of five-kilometre walks in 27 locations across Canada in support of family caregivers, which raised more than $150,000 in support of family caregivers from October 14 to 21. The record-setting amount includes sponsorships by RBC and Keller Construction.
Since it was first held in 2022, the event has raised more than $300,000 in total with proceeds going to annual grants CareMakers awards to charitable organizations to help them fund critical programs and resources for unpaid family caregivers.
“Take a moment to look around at each other — one in four Canadians is a caregiver,” noted Dave Oldreive, EVP of Downstream, in his remarks to close to 300 Calgary employees who walked in the fundraiser on October 17. “I am one of them. Earlier this year, my wife Joy and I spent 10 nights in the hospital in Nova Scotia helping my grandfather through his final days. We’ve also been supporting my parents as they age, including helping my dad navigate life changes from Parkinson’s as the disease progresses. These experiences have given me a new perspective on the millions of Canadians who care for loved ones, especially those providing long-term care for years.”
Since its launch in 2020, the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation has awarded more than $7.6 million to organizations changing the lives of Canadian caregivers, thanks to fundraising events, and donations from corporate and individual donors.
“Thank you to everyone who participated in the walk or made a donation,” says Leila Fenc Executive Director of CareMakers. “It's thanks to the generosity of our employees and Petro-Canada Associates that we have been able to fund meaningful family caregiver support programs at over 230 charities Canada-wide.”
The Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation™ is supported in part by Suncor, the proud owner of Petro-Canada. As the foundation’s profile grows among Canadians, CareMakers continues to complement Suncor’s community investment activities.