NEWS, EVENTS & STORIES
A Huge “Thank-You!” to Some Very Special Canadian Corporate Partners
“It takes a village to raise a child”, it’s been said. However, in the world of charitable organizations, one could say, “it takes a caring community to elevate a Foundation”.
The Pay It Backward Foundation – CANADA has been spreading its message of love and community building through its support of in-need organizations and causes for over seven years already and we can say with confidence, that we wouldn’t have been able to realize our successes, had it not been for an incredible base of support from some very special and loyal corporate community friends. And we want to celebrate them this post-Canadian Thanksgiving!
From “year one” through to today, Birchwood Credit of the Birchwood Automotive Group has not only signed up as a Gold Level Sponsor for PIBF’s annual charity golf tournament but has also supported through additional golfer/player teams throughout the tournament years as well. Not only has this steady revenue contribution been of great reassurance to an organization such as ours seeking to responsibly establish itself in the community, the trust alone that comes along with the name, “Birchwood” is not lost on us. We thank them for having been there from the very beginning and never wavering. Their presence and confidence in us as an organization has been both a blessing and a responsibility. One that we don’t take lightly as we fulfill our community stewardship.
Birchwood has also, throughout our partnership together, gifted the Foundation many Manitoba Moose home game packages for us in turn to freely offer our in need community agencies and caregivers to share with those who would otherwise not have the opportunity to attend a fun-filled night out at a professional sports event.
A big thank-you, to all the leaders at Birchwood Credit for their support and belief in our organization and mission.
Another longstanding corporate community friend and supporter of the Foundation is Curt Enns and family with Kississing Lake Lodge in northern Manitoba. Kississing Lake Lodge, a 5-Star bucket list Canadian fishing lodge destination (just a 20-minute float plane flight from Flin Flon, Manitoba) is the outdoor summertime adventure home of guests from around the world!
As with the Birchwood Automotive Group, Curt and family have gifted the Foundation, annually, a coveted “4 days, 4 nights” fully guided fishing adventure for two at Kississing’s beautiful main lodge facilities on the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border. The retail value of this amazing corporate gift is currently almost $9,000.00 U.S. for two intrepid adventure seekers! But that’s never bothered Curt and family one bit. Curt, himself, is a natural born community builder and has always believed that giving back is not only a principle of gratitude but an important part of contributing to a greater whole. So much so, that Curt and family launched their own giving back initiative a number of years ago as well, appropriately calling it, “Cast it Forward”. Each year the family and lodge gifts twowo “4 days, 4 nights” fully guided fishing adventures for “2” to individuals who have been nominated from within their own community (U.S. or Canada) for selfless contributions to the greater good.
Our ultimate Canadian fishing adventure prize from Kississing Lake Lodge has become synonymous with our annual tournament’s post-dinner live auction event, creating a predictable buzz of excitement and anticipation as our live auctioneer lures our adventure seeker bidders into a fun and entertaining contest of one-upmanship. In July of 2025, our fundraising tournament fully transitioned into the technology world with our postdinner live auction event, however. Now, going live means “online” live, beginning two full weeks in advance of our annual tournament and closing, post-dinner, the evening of, at 8:00 PM. This has allowed for an even greater number of bidders from within our province and beyond to not only support our in-need causes and mission, but to potentially snag a bargain of a deal as well!)
A big thank-you to Curt Enns and family for being there for our Foundation from the very beginning.
If we said to you, think big, white, northern Manitoba, wintery wonderland tourism spectacle, it’s almost a certainty that an image of an ambling, sauntering, somewhat domesticated-looking and peaceable curiosity seeker would jump to mind. And for good reason. The majestic and migratory cohabiting souls we most reverently share our land with up north, more commonly known as the Canadian polar bear, are without a doubt, not only one of our country’s true national treasures, but one we are equally proud to be the keepers and guardians of, and one we are delighted to showcase to the world as well, in a manner becoming of the highest respect and veneration.
Enter another wonderful corporate supporter and friend of the Foundation, Lazy Bear Expeditions & Lodge and owner, Wally Daudrich. Wally has, for the past two years donated a full value “4 days, 5 nights” Ultimate Polar Bear Adventure package to the Pay It Backward Foundation for its annual online live auction and tournament event! In thinking “big”, you can only imagine how amazing and significant such a generous gift is for our growing organization and causes each year! With a full retail market value last year of over $20,000.00, we are beyond grateful to Wally for his charitable, community building spirit. In gifting us such an exclusive and sought-after, world class destination package, Wally and Lazy Bear are leading the way for like-minded corporations across our wonderful province to perhaps step up and connect with us in hopes of continuing to make a tangible difference in the lives of so many in need.
Thank you, Wally, for your big heart.
We would also like to share the love with a number of other longstanding loyal supporters of our Foundation. All these beautiful people and organizations have been a significant contributing factor to both the year over year growth of our Foundation, as well as the annual event successes we have been able to realize since our inaugural charity golf tournament event in 2019. We were genuinely excited to have each one of them jump on board in the beginning, but to have them sign up to support each year anew, is nothing short of a true community blessing.
Thank you to Audrey Kuik and Hamiota Feedlot in Hamiota, Manitoba for not only signing up as a Gold Level Sponsor for our summer golf tournament event each and every year (seven years and counting!), but for gifting the tournament an additional foursome of golfers for tournament day also. You’re heart’s all in it indeed, as your company slogan suggests! Not only that, Hamiota Feedlot’s “10th Hole” tee box home has, for the past number of years, been one of our golfers’ favourite pit stops, as the traditional “beef skewer” station (tenderloin to die for!) and “Where’s the Beef?!” game have been the perfect fun reset for the foodie golfer.
Thank you so much to a newer, more recent corporate community friend, who has “chartered” his way into our hearts in an equally big way through these past two years! Derek Longley and his support staff at Prairie Helicopters Inc. were introduced to our Paying It Backward Foundation team prior to our 2023 annual summer tournament event and “WOW”, did they sign up in a big way! Gold Sponsorship support “and” additional helicopter tour giveaways in both Winnipeg and Churchill, Manitoba annually (in spite of being all-in supporting the firefighters throughout northern Manitoba this past summer), have helped take our online auction successes to new heights. Despite not even being able to personally attend our summer 2025 event due to his personal commitment to supporting the northern Manitoba firefighting efforts, Derek’s financial contributions to our causes continued unwavering this year, which genuinely humbled us all at the Foundation – our leadership team, as well as our many, many on the ground volunteers. Thank you, Derek!
Thank you to our good friends Jeromy and Jeff Peel at CLEAN LINE Plumbing, Heating & Electrical. From a casual gym connection, to a growing friendship, to an initial leap of faith, to an annual corporate commitment of support, Clean Line continues to be there year after year for the Foundation. Whether through Gold Level Sponsorship support at our annual summer charity event, all-in participation in our silent and online live auctions, or a set of Jets tickets for our in-need community friends, the answer is always, “yes, of course, just sign us up”. We love you guys! We can see why you are so well trusted by the Winnipeg Jets as their clutch service providers!
Thank you to David Kuik and Norima Consulting for supporting our summer golf tournament event with a Gold Level Sponsorship since year one. Never a question, simply, “let me know the date”, it’s as easy as that. And as one of Manitoba’s talented mid-amateur golfers, we’re equally thrilled to see David himself out there each year, leading his foursome for another low score run! Having been the low score tournament champions in 2022, it’s a little overdue for another serious bid at the top prize, we’re thinking!
Thank you to Cindy Rodych and Rodych Integrated Design Inc. for their faithful year after year Gold Level Sponsorship of our Foundation and summer tournament event also. We know Cindy supports the Winnipeg and Manitoba communities in many other philanthropic and charitable ways as well, so we feel genuinely privileged that she has chosen to count our Foundation and in-need community affiliations among those she trusts in and is confident to partner with. By the way, if you’re looking to recreate a corporate space, office environment or building interior of any kind, the talented, creative and passionate professionals at RIDI are the local, national and international experts.
Another community friend, turned Foundation and in-need causes supporter, is equally deserving of special recognition. Michael Anderson of 365 Technologies Inc. has taken his Winnipeg-based IT company to new markets and new heights within the city and province, but that hadn’t distracted him one bit from recognizing the special needs within our communities as well and jumping on board as a loyal founding supporter of our Foundation’s causes and mission right from the get-go. Thank you, Michael, for being a community partner we can count on each and every year and for showcasing your organization’s joie devivre each year as well on Hole #3 at our annual golf tourney!
And, of course, what would a wannabe successful event and fundraiser be, without an allstar promotional apparel, tchotchkes, and products company to back them up?! Enter one x-Promo, a proudly owned Canadian company, delivering high quality custom branded, embroidered and decorated workwear, safety wear, corporate clothing and promotional products solutions for the most discerning organizations and customers in Manitoba. Not only does x-Promo step up to support our tournament event with the exclusive “Promo Sponsorship” each year, they also jump through hoops for our Foundation organizers in providing the much-anticipated swag bag golfer appreciation gifts in time for the opening tee-off, tournament day! Naturally, this is more often than not, a last minute, “wait, let’s do this instead”, sort of thing! Thank you to the x-Promo leadership team for always being there for us.
A huge shout out as well to a few truly wonderful and loyal summer charity golf tournament “Silver Sponsors”. These genuine, caring local community builders come through for our Foundation and event each summer, even though they themselves are not really golfers or particularly into the sport! How’s that for showing the love?! Nonetheless, each annual event, all it takes is a simple heartfelt personal reach-out, and viola, we can once again bank on their support. Without the kind and generous hearts support of these beautiful people and their organizations, the Pay It Backward Foundation would be so much more limited in its community reach and effectiveness.
Thank you to…
- Anthony Reimer and Lakeview Insurance.
- Mike McClenehan and McClenehan & Associates
- Merit Contractors Association
