It seems this time of year, journalists get even lazier than normal and run endless versions of Year in Review, Year in Photos, Year in Quotes, Year in Tweets, etc.
So as a casual blogger and wannabe scribe, am I going to hold myself to a higher bar? Heck no. My middle name is “Bandwagon,” so look out because I am jumping on. Continue reading “Not Another “Year in Review””
Riding the bus to Detroit this morning.
Big game at Joe Louis Arena today, playing the Trenton Cobras with a 4:30 puck drop. Wonder how big of a crowd we will get?
The Cobras are from Trenton, Michigan. We are the York Mills Minor Peewee Select Rangers. York Mills being the “skiers league” in Toronto. These Rangers in particular are my son’s team.
What the heck is a “skiers league”? In essence, it’s a hockey league populated by families that have other priorities. Schedule-wise, it looks like a normal hockey league, until the snow falls and then all games and practices are essentially held on weeknights. Weekends are held sacred for downhill pursuits.
So how will this would-be group of Crazy Canucks do against the Cobras? I have to admit to looking for some info about them online. Does that make me an overzealous, hockey-mad parent? Because I Googled a team of 11-year-olds playing tier-three select hockey? Continue reading “Hey, Bus Driver!”
Tonight marks the official end of Movember, at least in mo’ world, as I head off to the big Gala Parté at Kool Haus.
It’s been a record year. Last I heard, the Canadian fundraising total was over $32 million and I bet by the time you read this, the number will start with a three, and end above a five (Yes, I am predicting at least $35 million, if my bad word puzzle didn’t make sense).
With over 240,000 people supporting Movember, it has to be one of the largest fundraising events in the country, if not one of the greatest movements of our time.
I am very proud of our company team, MojanOne, chasing our $20,000 goal and our current ranking of number 87 in the ‘Top 100’ corporate teams nationally. Unreal. Super heartfelt thanks goes out to Jody Facchini, our MojanOne team captain. She was elected by her MojanOne teammates to lead our internal committee and knocked it out of the park… like with everything she tackles. She even got my family dog on board!
Also, a HUGE thanks to all of you who supported my own fundraising efforts. As of press time, I was at THREE-THOUSAND, THREE-HUNDRED AND SIXTY SMACKERS! Wowee! Thankee!
If you don’t read this until Saturday or later, by that time I will be clean-shaven. I am debating between drunkenly shaving it off myself tonight after the Parté, or waiting till the a.m. to go see Alfred, my trusty barber on Mount Pleasant Road. Any advice amigos?
So now what? It took me a while to get into the swing of things this year, despite my being on the Movember Toronto Committee (Big shout out to Jordan Vader & Casey Rovinelli for their leadership, not to mention Movember Canada national director Pete “Bomber” Bombaci!). In fact, I really didn’t start canvassing hard until mid-month.
Subconsciously, I think I needed to be emboldened by my ‘stache. Once it started to come in… it was almost like I was granted hairy super powers. Because strand by strand, I raised more and more money… to the point where I am now wondering whether this hairy lip was my personal long-lost elixir?
So what’s next? Once my lip turns from black (and grey) to itchy red, what do I do? Can you believe it? Movember has created a new side effect. A post-Movember mood, in the month of December.
What will now galvanize our company? What will dominate water cooler chat? What will we discuss for the first fifteen minutes of every meeting we are in? What will replace the office chirping the growth-challenged have faced?
Perhaps the holidays? Year-end budgets? Office parties? The first sign of snow? School breaks? The race towards NFL playoffs? Boxing Day shopping? New Year’s parties? Resolutions for 2012? All of the above?
Whatever it is… I hope we can all take a wee lesson from Movember. Our time on this earth is precious. Many people will face issues like prostate cancer. Serious, deadly issues. Let’s do our best to conquer these issues. Whether they are personal, physical, or professional.
But along the way, let’s have fun.
In honour of the Grey Cup and the Vanier Cup being played this weekend, I wanted to create a list of the some of the top sports mo’s in Canadian athletics history. Feel free to add or subtract from this list on your own.
But more importantly… support Movember! Click here to check out my own personal Mo Space page and make a donation! Continue reading “Mo’ Canada!”
I was called out Monday at our company-wide meeting – internally known as ChalkTalk – for not having raised enough money for our MojanOne Movember fundraising efforts. Ouch!
The other day someone said ‘How come you’re not blogging about Movember?’ Double ouch!
Then I looked online at my totals. Oh boy. Triple whammy.
So it’s time to rev up the engines and generate some Mo’ Money!
That’s where you come in. This is the one and only time I will hit you up all year for a direct pitch. But of course, if I want you to open your wallets and share your Front of the Line Amex or your Team Visa or your Priceless MasterCard numbers with me, I need to give you something in return… or at least provide valid reasons why you should donate to the cause.
So here goes… ten reasons for you to donate to my Movember Mo Space page on behalf of my company team. Continue reading “Mo’ Money”
It was a cruel irony for me to be in Pittsburgh on the weekend when the Penn State scandal erupted.
Sunday, some pals and I were indulging in being immersed in American football culture and lapping it up. It was a scene right out of a bad Tom Cruise movie. Me and the boys sitting in a greasy spoon/bar/hangout – aptly called Locals – on the South Side of the Steel City, quaffing beers and devouring all day breakfast.
The TVs were showing every afternoon game imaginable, with our attention focused on the Bills getting t-rexed by the Jets. Most of the bar was clad in black and yellow, in anticipation of the Steelers’ evening clash with the hated Browns… err, Ravens!
But between Cruise sightings (he was actually in town filming a movie, which I am pretty certain isn’t the sequel to All The Right Moves), and Ray Lewis -bashing, our talk turned solemn to the scandal erupting in not so ‘Happy Valley.’ I could not believe what I read online. No one could.
It has gotten even worse as the week has unfolded. I don’t need to rehash what has been said in a thousand places. But I do need to share my thoughts with you. Because they are sad ones. Continue reading “Game Over?”
By: Mo’Herschel Harrison
It’s been quite a year for us at TrojanOne in regards to Movember.
This past June, we had Mr. Movember – Adam Garone – bring down the house with his closing keynote at the Canadian Sponsorship Forum. If you didn’t see it, check out this link.
With all due respect to Derek Jeter, I think Adam truly deserves to be called Mr. November… Or maybe Mr. Movember.
This fall, I was asked to join the Movember Toronto Committee, aptly run by sharpshooters Jordan Vader of MLSE and Casey Rovinelli from the NHLPA. One of the initiatives we have created is a Movember Agency Challenge. For all of you in the sector who want to get involved with your own team of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas, check it out and get your team signed up. Andrew Gayle (Andrew.Gayle@mosaic.com) of Mosaic, Nick Karantjas (nkarantjas@boommarketing.ca) of BOOM! Marketing, and TrojanOne’s own Michelle Conte (michelle.conte@trojanone.com) have been doing all the heavy lifting on this one. Contact any one of them for mo’ information. Continue reading “One Mo’ Time!”
When was the last time you had the opportunity to really feel like your work was contributing to a better world?
Is it an everyday occurrence for you? Or hardly ever?
For those whose profession is more noble than mine, I would expect the odds are higher that this is an everyday feeling. At least I hope so.
How do we know if our work is benefiting society? If I were a doctor or a fireman, the results would be right before my eyes. If you work for a charity, you may also feel that way. I would hazard a guess your personal trainer, local politician and child’s teacher, also feel the same.
On Tuesday I met a woman who should never question her contribution to society when she closes her weary eyes at night.
Her name is Pauline Broomhead. Continue reading “Philanthropy in the UK”
We are pitching on a music program right now, perhaps against some of my loyal readers, and I was asked by my staff to provide a favourite music memory.
Mine was J. Giles Band-inspired. Yes, back in grade 10, some girl named Beth dumped my (then) skinny behind, for my best friend Bill. True story. I then proceeded to play the aforementioned “Love Stinks” on my SEARS brand stereo (yes, true story) about twenty times a day for nearly a month. My poor dad threatened to shut off the power if he heard that same beat one more time during his morning coffee.
Love doesn’t actually stink. But jealousy, in a grade 10 sort of way, certainly does.
Yesterday at the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada Breakfast Forum, I talked about some of my current jealousies. Specifically, sponsorship programs that I have seen recently, of which I had NO part in, but wish I did. Continue reading “12 Partnerships I Loved in 2011”
I think we need a law to ban idiotic parents from attending their kids’ sporting events.
My rant today is partially due to me being a recent victim of a parent’s heckling. So maybe I should just grow a tougher skin.
The back-story is this. 2011 will go down in my calendar as the proud time period when both my sons started playing tackle football. It’s been a riot. The first day of workouts. The first day in equipment. Their first games. Their first tackles (which took a little longer).
The kids have had a chance to play in Ivor Wynne Stadium and at the Rogers Centre. The former is the home of a professional football team. The latter is the burial ground for Jimmy Hoffa, Jimmy Key (after he was unearthed form Exhibition Stadium in 1985) and Cleo Lemon.
They play in an organization called the North York Grizzlies. It’s run by a very dedicated group of volunteers and has an enthusiastic bunch of smart coaches. Our organization isn’t as big or massive as Niagara, Burlington or Hamilton, which possess massive house league feeder systems – but we are competitive.
As a parent, I have questions for the coaches and the odd ‘complaint’ about playing time. They might have interpreted it as more than odd, but overall I try to go out of my way to thank, praise, motivate, and interact with the coaches. No one is paying them to teach my prodigies this amazing sport, so I am very grateful for their hours of volunteerism.
However, what I have discovered is that I may be in the minority. Actually, scratch that – I know I am in the majority, but boy does this organization have a very vocal minority who aren’t as grateful as I am. Continue reading “Sideline Act”
