In a world where attractions are disappearing and prices are rising, we turn to our own for one of Canada’s signature international events is working hard to continue to provide a world-class Festival that is free to the public. The Canadian Tulip Festival is an outdoor event in 1.2 kilometers of parkland, which allows for a safe, strolling experience every spring. Jo Riding, Executive Director, points out that when the tulips first bloomed in 1946, founder Malak Karsh said tulips brought colour back to a very gray post-war world. Based in Commissioners Park in Ottawa, on the shores of Dow’s Lake and the UNESCO Heritage Site Rideau Canal, the Canadian Tulip Festival raises funds through sales of exclusive Rembrandt Blend tulip bulbs. Proceeds go directly to support the continuation and sustainability of the Canadian Tulip Festival. Growth begats growth.
On August 2, 2020, a 37-year-old Pole by the name of Marcin K was sitting on the beach at Julianadorp, northern Netherlands, and talking with his wife on the phone when he saw that a trio of children were in dire straits. “Something’s wrong with kids in the water, I need to hang up,” he told his wife Monika and rushed to the rescue bringing the children to the shore but ending up being pulled back by a wave into the sea. He gave his life to save all of the minors but orphaned three of his own in exchange. Later the sea cast his body ashore. Marcin’s family could hardly believe what happened as he was remembered as a great swimmer. “Marcin would have given his life for his three children [aged 2, 10 and 12] but now he did that for three stranger’s children,” Marcin’s mother-in-law told the Dutch “Algemeen Dagblad” daily. Marcin worked at a mining company in Poland and often did seasonal work in Germany to boost his salary and support a family of five. This year he opted for the Netherlands, where he enrolled with Callantsoog, a lightbulb-producing company. It was a profound choice.
Moved by his act of bravery, a Dutch lady from The Hague decided to organise a fundraiser to help Marcin’s family cope with the loss. Martina Jonasz, a Polish-born inhabitant of The Hague, decided to help Marcin’s wife and children by organising a charitable fundraiser. Given the fact that Marcin was the sole bread-winner, the family found it difficult to make ends meet. Mrs. Jonasz started the fundraiser with the help of the Gofundme web service. She set the benchmark to EUR 35,000, but the goal has already been doubled as internet users have already donated over EUR 119,000. The entire sum will be handed over to Monika and the children of heroic Marcin to help them put financial concerns aside for a while.
It may be cold, and remote, and dangerous, but the Antarctic isn’t without the need for charitable investment. The planet needs to protect precious Antarctic wildlife and ecosystem diversity for a balanced and sustainable environment. Antarctica is home to uniquely diverse and vulnerable wildlife — from the blue whale, the largest animal to ever live on our planet, to the microscopic plants and animals that are the foundation of the Southern Ocean food web. Many Antarctic species like penguins and seabirds are listed as vulnerable, endangered or near threatened as the result of natural and human impacts on their ecosystems and environment. Your support means we will grow our understanding of Antarctica’s iconic wildlife to inform conservation and management, using cutting-edge technology for the lightest impact. That’s where the Antarctic Science Foundation (ASF) comes in.
The Foundation seeks to understand and protect the planet through Antarctic science. They support world class scientific research that advances the understanding and protection of the Antarctic, Southern Ocean and subantarctic natural environments and its impact on the planet. The ASF breaks ground for public-private environmental and science philanthropy and are uniquely placed to bring together science, business, government, philanthropy and community.
Antarctica is the engine room of global climate, profoundly influencing the whole planet through its oceans and atmosphere. Climate change threatens the survival of all living things. By supporting climate science in Antarctica, you help us build the vital knowledge that will protect communities around the world from disasters like bushfires, floods, cyclones and storms which are happening at an unprecedented scale. Accurate predictions of global climate will support the survival of generations to come and inform the choices we need to make for a sustainable future. At the ends of the earth, the planet has a foundation looking out for all of us.
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