I was so pleased that we could gather on December 14 – at long last – at our outdoor Niagara College Holiday Celebration. It was wonderful to reconnect with so many of you in person during such a special time of year.
As a remarkable year at NC comes to a close, I want to give thanks for your incredible work and dedication and offer a video message with warm wishes for a safe, happy and restful holiday season.
NC in the community this festive season
As we often reflect upon what we are grateful for doing the holiday season, and at a time when community support is critical, I want to celebrate the spirit of giving that defines Niagara College.
As announced on Tuesday, our NC Cares United Way Workplace Campaign generated over $50,000 for agencies across Niagara, setting a new record for NC. Thank you to campaign co-chairs Michele O’Keefe and Shelley Panetta and the planning committee, as well as everyone who participated in United Way events or contributed to the campaign.
ncLibraries and Learning Commons and NCSAC have been working to spread joy this holiday season, collecting toy and food donations for a variety of Niagara organizations. Families across Niagara will have a merrier holiday season thanks to the generosity of our employees and students.
A group of third-year Broadcasting: Radio, Television and Film (BRTF) students hosted a 12-hour radiothon on Dec. 10, livestreamed on the College radio station and on Facebook to raise funds for NCSAC’s Nourishing Minds Fund. The fundraiser to help battle food insecurity on campus heated up with the Spice Gauntlet challenge in which the student who raised the most funds was challenged to eat the spiciest food on offer.
The spirit of giving has been in full force at NC’s Learning Enterprises. A portion of all sales from NC-made products support student learning, and a portion of poinsettia sales added to NC’s record-breaking United Way Campaign grand total. About 200 student-grown poinsettias and an assortment of fresh produce grown on campus will be donated to various community organizations during the holiday season.
A group of chef professors and Culinary Management students in the CFWI have been busy volunteering their time to keep bellies full through the Feed the Community initiative. Since early fall, they have cooked over 3,000 meals to feed those in need via community agencies in Niagara. Ahead of the holiday season, they’ve prepared more than 250 Christmas dinners and cakes to be donated to Project Share in Niagara Falls, Start Me Up Niagara in St. Catharines, the Ronald McDonald House in Hamilton, and The Hospital for Sick Children (lounge) in Toronto.
These are just a few examples of the ways in which Niagara College has continued to support our community this holiday season, a tribute to the commitment from staff, faculty, and students to make a positive impact in the region. I hope you share in my pride for the resilience, commitment, and passion of our NC community. All of you have worked so hard to support students and to make Niagara College an incredibly special place to learn and work. I hope you will have a chance to relax and reflect over the term break before we head into the new year and Winter Term in January.
I wish you all the best as we head into 2022.
