Activism, social engagement, volunteering and the big picture.

You don’t have to be a millionaire to become a philanthropist in the lives of others: you simply have to be open to the needs of those around you and those whose paths you cross, and see what you can do to help them. Very often it will cost you nothing and you will be rewarded with a simple thanks and a smile. For more than twenty years I have helped people come back to the game or discover the magic of our national sport, hockey. Move and shake off the old self before it sets in, in order to take advantage of the life and freedom that we enjoy in this part of the world. It’s the kind of activism that I perhaps enjoy the most, as my actions and those that I support through various fund raisings make the world go round instead of watching it go by.

In a different but related area, I was heavily involved for some time for the preservation of our collective heritage through my actions and letters in order to safeguard a building that deserved to be saved from the proposed plans of a municipal administration which did not respect either the law nor the voice of its citizens. I refer to the Eric Sharp arena in St-Lambert. A sacred place for some, this “sporting cathedral” was at the mercy of unimaginative individuals and threatened by bulldozers, as they intended to replace this architectural masterpiece with a bland arena similar to so many others. You don’t need to love hockey but simply to be sensitive to beauty, the warm ambiance and the unique character of this place to realize that the proposal of the elected officials hided a personal agenda that had nothing to do with the well-being of the community. To destroy instead of preserving and show casing an architectural gem that elevates the spirit. A group of citizen and I were eventually abble to save the arena from distruction.

Having volunteered with kids for more than ten years in another life and having raised funds for Leucan, The Montreal Canadiens Children Foundation and Sun youth to name a few, I believe that all beneficiaries, students and those who abuse the system should give back to society through different programs set up to help children as well as seniors, immigrants, single parents, handicapped persons, municipalities and schools subject to budgetary cuts etc. In fact the most effective way to destroy a person’s individuality is to give him or her money to do nothing. That’s why moving, helping, doing something for others would benefit them in return and who knows would perhaps inspire them to contribute to the collective effort instead of sitting in the middle of the boat while watching the others row. To be socially engaged does not mean being part of the parade while hitting pots and pans, but rather it means carrying out actions that will have a tangible result on the life of others and on our own. Forgetting the ME by concentrating on the US, realising that respect and empathy for those around us are just as important, if not more, as the goal to reach, thereby stimulating something other than the economy but rather the people who are part of it.

JFD