Helping those that have committed their lives to charitable work has always been important to Miles Weperom. Miles has typically always just written a check or donated items to charities, but now, with him being a new face in a new country he decided to give his personal time and also get to know his community. Miles loves animals and it only made sense that he found a local animal shelter to volunteer his time on a Saturday morning. He first walked in to a very warm welcome. It's not every day a star athlete walks through the door here. Miles spent the next few hours cleaning dog kennels, scooping cat poop, washing dishes, walking dogs, playing with cats, among other tasks. Miles ended up getting to know a few of the locals as well as the founder of the shelter. On his way out for the day he handed two checks to the founder. One for the shelter and one for personal use. Miles was touched by the contributions of the shelter's founder and knows that not for profit organizations don't generate much personal cash flow. Miles wanted to ensure the shelter didn't close due to personal financial struggles. Just a little bit to help out. And Miles continued to volunteer on a monthly basis.
As cliché as it sounds, one of the few regrets Mo has, is that he never took the opportunity to finish his education. Or rather that he has never finished his degree. As his name rose in stock in the ISFL, so did his financial and political pull. In truth, it’s unclear which side initiated talks, but the end result was the establishment of the Magic Non-Profit Fund Group, an initiative partnered with the University of British Columbia to ‘make impactful difference in youth communities’. The Group will be headed by former Colorado Yeti General Manager, Michael Magic, with brother Mo set to play an advisory role on the board.
Complicated politics aside, what this looks like is practical is that Mo spends much of their off-season (in-between workouts) in Vancouver, doing work in the community. His summer bootcamps are the stuff of legends, no matter what sport you play – and for no charge. Mo has also become a bit of a well known public speaker, willing to speak at a variety of workshops, often in impoverished communities, at no cost. While Mo focuses on the philanthropic endeavors, Michael handles the financial technicalities. With both brothers making a sizable income in their time with the ISFL, and smart investment, the two have managed to form a sizable finance pool to work with. Finances that are being used to fund the construction of community centres around the burgeoning city of Vancouver. Finances that are also being used to fund subsidy programs that assist with providing equal sporting opportunities to youth impacted by low-income living situations. To date, the Group has built 3 new Community Centres, as well as provided over $50,000 in funding towards paying registration and club fees for youths. Code: 227 words Being an avid gamer and the child of former federal agents who served in the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, it's no surprise that Zack DiNozzo chooses to work with StackUp. StackUp is a charity that seeks to help veterans by promoting positive mental health and combating veteran suicide through gaming and geek culture. StackUp has four pillar programs: Supply Crates, Air Assaults, The Stacks, and the Overwatch Program. Supply Crates are video game packages full of the latest games and consoles that are delivered to deployed units and veterans. Air Assaults are all expense paid trips for veterans to attend events like E3, PAX, etc. The Stacks help bring comfort and friendship to veterans coping with PTSD or transitioning back to civilian life. The Overwatch Program is a 24/7 crisis intervention and peer to peer mental health support program for veterans and civilians alike. DiNozzo spends a lot of his off-time volunteering to spend time with veterans via the Overwatch Program or by being a guide for veterans on Air Assaults as he enjoys being at E3, PAX, BlizzCon, and all the other geeky events you can think of. He also records videos that are played for veterans who receive Supply Crate, and sends autographed merchandise inside the crates, hoping to put a smile on the faces of those who serve in the United States military. |
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