My Story

Manasvi’s Story

It all started with me becoming a part of dream team of Tour de Nortel in 2006. My experience on Dream Team taught me it takes many people, their positive energy, generosity, commitment and hard work to raise money but the impact it makes on kid’s lives cannot be quantified. I can say so, as I have been to both places. Seeing the impact of organizations which help kids fighting life threatening diseases changed something deep inside me. Participating in public functions and being on TV and radio shows was very awkward for me at first, but my speaking up did make people stop and think. In 2006 dream team raised more than half a million dollars. Through that experience I found my voice and my passion.

I was now inspired to continue, and I started raising funds for Sickkids and Candlelighters as soon as I could. To me life is a gift itself so in 2007, on my birthday I declined gifts and instead my birthday party was my first private fundraiser. I raised small amounts compared to what we did in Tour de Nortel but the pleasure of fundraising was no less, I enjoyed collecting money and giving it.

In 2008, I started collected money throughout the year and I organized three fundraisers with my friends in Ottawa, Canada and with my friends and family in Charlotte, North Carolina. My truly generous social groups in both the countries joined my cause and helped me raise total of 1121 dollars for Sickkids and more than 500 dollars for Candlelighters. The three events were organized in the months of October, November and December. We had dance and dinner and I had a lot of fun partying with my friends. To me the success of these fundraisers is not the money alone, but the real success is participation of young people in my cause, which is the real change at a community level. Candlelighters had such a presence in my life in most difficult time of my life. This is a very small way in which I can say THANK YOU.

Sincerely,
Manasvi Koul