National Philanthropy Day 2021

National Philanthropy Day is an annual day in honour of those who donate their time, skills and financial support to non-profit organizations in our community.

The Zebra Child Protection Centre is proud to recognize and honour four nominees from our Zebra Herd for National Philanthropy Day 2021! Read about each of them below.

Sergeant Manuel Illner

Sergeant Manuel Illner is a Sergeant with the Edmonton Police Service in the Child Protection Section. He works with the Zebra Centre through our partnership with Edmonton Police Service. 

Sgt. Illner works with the Zebra Centre every day in his professional role, and he always goes above and beyond with his time, passion, and commitment to the Zebra Centre mission. He is always the first one to step up and help when someone needs assistance or to help at fundraising events or initiatives. Sgt. Illner is a Zebra Centre champion and has demonstrated this many times as he shares our message with everyone he meets – and most recently – he coordinated the production and distribution of a specialty collectors coin made with our logo and other partner’s logos to fundraise for our Centre. This initiative has been a fantastic fundraising activity for our Centre and has generated more awareness about our Centre, the partners we work with, and the critical support we are providing to children and youth who have experienced abuse. 

Sgt. Illner is always ready to rally the team together and encourage others to make a bigger impact. He continuously looks for additional ways to provide support and even gets his family involved: his son volunteered hours to our Centre to help out our staff, help organize and complete tasks that needed to be done.

The Zebra Centre is incredibly grateful to have Sgt. Illner as part of our herd as we work to support children and youth who have experienced abuse.

“I support the Zebra Child Protection Centre because without it and the amazing individuals that work there, countless kids would suffer in silence and possibly never have an opportunity to heal from the trauma that they have endured. Working at the Zebra Centre for the last four and a half years, I have seen firsthand the passion and commitment by people from every agency and organization that is part of the multidisciplinary team. The difference these individuals are making in the lives of some of our society’s most vulnerable kids is absolutely incredible. The Zebra Centre gives these kids a voice and allows them to tell their story.”

- Sergeant Manuel Illner

TAHK Projects Ltd.

TAHK Projects Ltd. has been an advocate and champion for the Zebra Centre for the past seven years and we could not continue to advocate for the rights of children and youth if it wasn’t for their incredible support. 

Each year the company hosts a TAHK Charity Golf Tournament that raises funds for our Centre while increasing awareness about our mission and vision, cause, and the prevalence of child abuse in our community. Their tournament gathers business professionals from companies across the Sherwood Park and Edmonton area. By doing so, they have created a platform for the Zebra Centre to continue to spark the conversation around child abuse and to work towards creating a community where every child is heard, respected, and child abuse is not tolerated. 

At their most recent golf tournament, TAHK raised $90,000 for our Centre! 

TAHK’s contributions over the past seven years have made a significant impact on the services and support we can provide, ensuring children and youth are set up for success, despite the circumstances that they have endured. As a result, children and youth have the resources and support they need to heal from their traumatic experiences. 

Having community members and businesses like TAHK Projects Ltd. in our community is the reason we can keep moving forward and making an impact in the lives of children and youth. As we like to say at the Zebra Centre, “it takes a herd”, and we are so grateful to have them as part of ours.

“TAHK Projects Ltd. is honoured to be able to support the Zebra Centre. We have remained faithfully committed to the Centre as we have heavy hearts for the children who go through its doors. We have witnessed firsthand the talented multi-disciplinary teams who work together to help these kids. We will continue to support the Zebra Centre from the business community side. TAHK Projects Ltd prides itself on giving back to the community and the Zebra Centre is one of our favourite organizations.”

- TAHK Projects Ltd.

Leading Edge Physiotherapy

Leading Edge Physiotherapy is a local Edmonton business that demonstrates a commitment to their community wholeheartedly.

Through their annual Run Wild event, they have raised funds and awareness for our Centre and other local charities in the Edmonton community. Each year, Leading Edge asks the community to show their stripes in support of the Zebra Centre and the children and youth that we serve. Leading Edge is always ready to do more for our communities and this was thoroughly demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic as they continued to feature the Zebra Centre and spark the conversation around child abuse. 

As Leading Edge planned and looked forward to 2021, they adjusted Run Wild to a virtually formatted event in order to be able to continue to fundraise for our Centre during the pandemic. To make an even bigger impact, they even expanded their reach across Alberta to encompass additional Child Advocacy Centre’s. 

Grant Fedoruk, President of Leading Edge Physiotherapy, took on an additional task of raising $10,000 for the Zebra Centre through Twitter with his followers. Within a week, Grant and his followers raised $10,254.16 to see a big-time fan of the New England Patriots, Jeff Tetz, run down Jasper Avenue in a Santa outfit, Kansas City Chiefs jersey and Green Bay Packers jersey. Zander the Zebra, the Run Wild mascot even joined in for the run! This initiative caught the attention of CTV News and created an opportunity for our message to be shared and spark the conversation about child abuse. 

Grant, Heidi and Leading Edge Physiotherapy go above and beyond for the Zebra Centre and we are so grateful to have them advocating for our Centre and the children and youth that we support.

“We were introduced to the work of the Zebra Child Protection Centre by a dear friend over 12 years ago and since then, have been honoured to fundraise and be an ambassador for the valuable work that Zebra performs. In my role as Race Director for the Leading Edge WildOnes Run Wild event for 4–12 year-olds, I have had the opportunity to spread the message of healthy living and community giving, and to tell the story of the Zebra Centre, to over 20,000 students in the Capital Region through RunWild pep rallies. To know that little ones can find the hope and the help that they need in their time of distress brings a tear to my eye every time. It has been my honour to be involved with the Zebra Centre and support their critical work.”

-Leading Edge Physiotherapy

Child Advocate Volunteer Group – Gil Espejo, Shauna McNally, & Heather Rampling

From offering to stay beyond their volunteer hours in order for our staff to attend team-building events, thinking outside of the box for a family that was struggling to fund their child’s desire to play hockey, to their daily roles as court and crisis support volunteers – this volunteer team never fails to go above and beyond their volunteer tasks to ensure that the children, youth, and families of the Zebra Child Protection Centre receive the care and support that they require.

Gil and Shauna volunteer their time as Court Accompaniment advocates. This means they are providing support to children, youth and their families leading up to court through our Court Preparation course and at the Edmonton Courthouse when needed to testify. Heather is a Child Advocate who welcomes children, youth and their families to our Centre. She provides support to them the entire time they are at our Centre as well as connecting with them after they have been to our Centre to provide additional support and resources they may need as they move through their healing journey.

Combined, Shauna, Gil, and Heather have provided the Centre with nearly two decades of consistent volunteering and it is because of such dedicated volunteers that the Zebra Centre is able to provide consistent, customized, and genuine support for all the children and youth that come through our doors.

“As an educator for over 30 years, I witnessed first-hand the effects of abuse and trauma that too many children must endure, and what’s worse, how they were treated by the general community in an “adult world” as they attempted to move through and heal from their time of difficulty.  This is why, shortly after my retirement, I decided to volunteer with the Zebra Centre as a court accompaniment advocate, to provide support to children and their families as they testify in court against their abusers. It is incredibly rewarding to behold the transformation of a child who receives the impressive continuum of assistance the Zebra Centre and partners provide; from reporting their experience, to court procedure preparation, to testifying in court, and care calls, these children receive the support and resources they need to develop self-confidence and rebuild their faith in adults.  Zebra Centre makes the world seem a little brighter, friendlier, and safer for these children, giving them the hope and support they need to flourish, and I am privileged to have a small part in such an outstanding organization.”

-Gil Espejo

“I was made aware of and introduced to the Zebra Centre by former swim coach and mentor Maureen Mora who at the time was a Detective in the Child Protection Unit. Volunteering at Zebra is important to me because it allows me the opportunity to bring smiles and laughter to children and their families during emotionally challenging court experiences. Zebra has given me additional insight into child abuse and legal issues which have helped me guide abused children and their families through the court process.  I am honoured to volunteer and help children at the Zebra Centre for the past eight plus years.”

-Shauna McNally

“I support the Zebra Centre because I whole heartedly believe in their mission and see that mission in action every time I am at the centre. The Zebra Centre is making a difference in the community by increasing support and education while also decreasing stigma and creating a safe space for kids to tell their story. Volunteering and being a part of the Zebra multidisciplinary team is incredibly fulfilling and has allowed me to meet many incredible, resilient children and families. I am constantly grateful for the trust that they place in me and the Zebra Centre to be a part of their journey. Whether it be listening to a story about a beloved pet or grabbing them that much needed extra packet of cookies, I know that I am making their experience with the Zebra Centre more positive and contributing to their healing process. Volunteering with the Zebra Centre also means I am a part of team of likeminded individuals, and I greatly value all the relationships I have formed.”

-Heather Rampling

We are incredibly thankful to have all of these wonderful and thoughtful people as members of our herd!