Passionate for a Place of Positive Shared Experience
“What we like to do is find a way that is consistent with both of our values and find a way to share with our community the gifts that we’ve been given and our good fortune.” Donny Mulrain – Vivo Board Member and All In for Community donor.
Donny is All In!
He and his wife Linda have supported their community for many years through volunteerism and charitable giving. Donny is a compassionate, kind, caring, and active person. Donny’s journey with Vivo started 12 years ago when he and Linda bought Vivo memberships to use the gym during their retirement.
In the beginning, what they enjoyed about going to Vivo during the day was seeing the diverse group of people who use Vivo in various ways, from recreation and fitness to the community centre for gathering and connection. Later, Donny would learn much more about Vivo and the creative work done by the research and innovation team which works on projects and initiatives to support the community and promote healthy living.
Rendering of the new east lobby and social stair.
When asked why he and Linda donate to Vivo, he proudly declared that “We selected Vivo because it’s consistent with our values in what it’s trying to achieve.” They see their values reflected because “Vivo is a place where people from different backgrounds can have a positive shared experience and where families can play together.”
Donny and Linda take their charitable giving very seriously. They make a budget, consider each of their respective values, and consider what charities fit before making their gift. They like to support charities, both local and global, in their giving budget. For example, Donny and Linda give to Vivo because they can see that their donation makes a difference close to home in their community. They also donate to and volunteer at the Calgary Food Bank and Villages Calgary (formerly 10,000 Villages).
As much as Donny loved Vivo and the many ways it brings the community together, he was, at first, a self-declared cynic when it came to Vivo as a charity. It took him a while to understand why it was important for the operator of this north-central recreation centre to also be a charity.
After joining the board in 2015, Donny learned that Vivo has many ways that the organization works to achieve it’s mission of helping to raise healthier generations, in addition to its community and recreation centre.
His first big “ah-ha!” moment was when he discovered that Vivo offers a subsidy program (funded in part by donations from the community) that provides financial support to qualifying families for Vivo memberships and programs. He started to see the bigger picture. Learn more about Everybody Plays Subsidy.
Now Donny is All In for Community! He sees the many long-term benefits that Vivo offers the community and how being a charity helps to bring those to life. Vivo is a place for sharing with others and belonging. Donny is excited to follow Vivo’s unique research and innovation lab where unique ideas to raise healthier generations are born and then grow into outstanding programs driven by the community.
He and Linda love the community aspect of Vivo and love that it’s an environment for the entire family. Now, as grandparents, their passion for the importance of Vivo as an inclusive community hub for north-central Calgary has grown even deeper.
Vivo’s expansion will ensure that Donny’s family and community has even more space to enjoy fitness, recreation, innovation and gathering.
Click on the image to watch Donny’s video.
He is looking forward to seeing Vivo continue its charitable mission to raise healthier generations and to seeing what new programs and research will happen because of this expanded facility. The new Vivo includes a larger dedicated space to continue being a national leader in social research and innovation. These spaces will help community leaders identify common challenges, work together towards a solution, measure their success and, capture their learnings.
Donny has become a proud, passionate, and vocal Vivo Board member. Leading by example, he and Linda pledged to donate to the expansion over three years (2020-2022), and he is encouraging others to choose Vivo as a charity of choice.
Donny’s leadership in giving is working: his caring and generosity have already inspired other board members and volunteers to donate in support of the All In for Community Campaign.
Are you passionate about your community, too? Then, join Donny in becoming a donor today!
Donny is All In! Show your community that you, too, are All In by making your gift to the campaign to raise the final 10% of funds needed to complete Vivo’s expansion.
Click here to watch the video where Donny shares with us why he supports Vivo.