The Summer Continues - And So Do Our Good Times for Great Causes!

Has it only been a month? Back in June we talked about some of the exciting activities we were undertaking, all for good causes. And, here were are already with July winding down -- and there’s still so much excitement that we hope you’ll join us in being a part of.

First off, tonight kicks off the Home County Music & Art Festival in Victoria Park. Home County is a three-day festival that celebrates singer-songwriters, artisans, and amazing food. This is our second year as a sponsor, but many Echidnas have been attending and volunteering at this festival for years, so we’re happy to play a part in its ongoing success.

This year marks the 45th edition of the festival and there’s a stellar lineup -- on a totally personal level, I’m going to tell you that you absolutely do not want to miss Irish Mythen on Sunday’s main stage -- but there’s so many amazing acts to see (Blue Rodeo fans note: the Jim Cuddy Band headlines tonight) and curated vendors to explore that you can’t go wrong any day you attend.

Yesterday, the Pride London Festival kicked off its 10 days of promoting unity, inclusion, and awareness of sexual and gender diversity. We’ve often talked about how important diversity in all its forms is at Echidna (here, for example, and here). That’s why we’re thrilled to be participating in this year’s parade.

On Sunday, July 29th, Echidnas will be marching with the community, celebrating and handing out some pretty fun swag to the crowd. Again, many of us have participated in past parades or attended, so it’s going to be exciting to be a part of this one as we celebrate London’s diversity.

And last, but most certainly not least, we’re happy to lend our support to youth in need in our community by, once again, participating in a pop-up breakfast in support of LUSO. What I’m happiest about with this event is that it’s been spearheaded by the company’s United Way GenNext team. We’ve got a lot of talented, compassionate people in this company who are looking for ways to give back -- and GenNext is a great way to encourage that next generation of leaders to step up, take the reigns, and make a difference.

It’s really a wonderful experience to be part of a company that walks the walk when it comes to community support. In addition to our event participation, we’ve got a number of people who sit on various boards, or volunteer with various causes all throughout the year. We’re proud to be part of this community and we feel fortunate that we can give of our time, resources, and skills to help other organizations and causes succeed.

Though we often feel uncomfortable talking about our involvement, every once in a while it doesn’t hurt to share -- mainly because we want people and businesses to know how easy it is to make a difference. We hope you’ll join us at some of these events -- and we look forward to supporting you at yours in the future, as we all come together to make this a stronger, more inclusive, and supportive community.