2019 Philanthropy Awards - Outstanding Youth: Jasmine de Pencier and Jett Jardeleza-Toole скачать в хорошем качестве

2019 Philanthropy Awards - Outstanding Youth: Jasmine de Pencier and Jett Jardeleza-Toole

With a shared love of animals and running, friends Jasmine de Pencier and Jett Jardeleza-Toole, at the young age of 10 years old, decided to give back to their community by organizing Kids’ Run for Nature – an annual run to raise funds for the World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada). Having both participated in other charity events, the girls decided to start their own after learning about different wildlife in school and being concerned about endangered species in Canada. Their concern touched their parents, who supported them in organizing the first-ever Kids’ Run for Nature event in their local neighbourhood. With WWF-Canada providing background support, Parents Kelly Szandter (Jasmine’s mother) and Julie Toole (Jett’s mother) helped bring the girls’ vision for the event to life by securing a local park permit, engaging local sponsors and helping them to get an event website up and running. The girls’ shared passion for the cause quickly inspired others in the community to get involved leading to their first event in 2015 selling out with over 200 runners participating, raising a total of over $6,000 for WWF-Canada. This success led to WWF-Canada officially adopting the event as one of its signature fundraising programs in 2017. Five years later, the event has grown to take place in over 25 locations across the country, engaging over 6,500 young runners and raising a total of $400,000 for WWF-Canada conservation programs. Jasmine and Jett are two environmentalists who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and fundraising skills, inspiring volunteerism and people of all ages across the country to make a difference.