One thing we stress at Credit Canada is that life is about much more than material goods. It’s also largely about spirit and emotion. How you feel about yourself, your life, your accomplishments – especially your accomplishments. Because the more you accomplish, the more energy you have to realize your dreams.
Three years ago, we had a dream at Credit Canada. In a world obviously in need of financial literacy – where personal and public debt are reaching unprecedented proportions – our dream was to create an annual event around credit education. We wanted a national focus. We wanted speakers and events that would engage people. We wanted the news media to join in to get the word out. We also wanted, and needed, upstanding corporate sponsors to make the idea a reality. So we put our heads together with Capital One, and we set the foundation for an event called Credit Education Week Canada (CEWC).
As of November 2009, CEWC has not only been fully realized, it has surpassed expectations, steadily growing over three years in popularity and importance.
This month’s event attracted financial gurus and public policy makers alike, including Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Ontario Education Minister Kathryn Wynne, both offering great news about what government is doing in the interests of financial literacy. Meanwhile, along with host Alison Griffiths, a panel of financial experts brought all kinds of insights to the party. And members of the news media came out in droves.
Credit Canada and Capital One – along with the Credit Association of Greater Toronto and an array of other CEWC sponsors – also teamed up for a terrific dinner gala at mid-week, which included a presentation by Ontario’s Consumer Services Minister Ted McMeekin. During the gala, 17 winners of this year’s high school essay writing contest were presented with scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 for efforts in describing “the dumbest thing” they ever did with their money. At the same time, gala keynote speaker Mike Holmes – of HGTV’s Holmes on Homes – hammered home some money-related points of his own.
CEWC events concluded with a wildly entertaining RAP Summit. In an event titled “What’s Up with Your Loot?”, a variety of rappers brought messages of financial literacy to a gathering of 600 students at the Jamaican Canadian Association in Toronto’s Jane and Finch area.
I have to tell you, CEWC is bolstering our spirit at Credit Canada, and that’s very good news for the people we help, because if we don’t have the spirit for what we do, our clients certainly don’t stand to benefit much.
All told, a great time was had by all during the week – and much was learned – including the lesson that dreams really can come true.
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