Press Release: The Power Walk for Dress for Success 2013

THE NATION’S ONLY 5K WALK DEDICATED TO EMPOWERING WOMEN
ON THEIR QUEST FOR ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE
RETURNS

               2013 Walk Event Being Held in 35 Cities and 5 Countries
 

The Power Walk for Dress for Success to Take Place in
Vancouver on Mother’s Day Weekend

New York (April 2013): The nation’s only 5k walk dedicated to empowering women on their quest for economic independence is back! The Power Walk for Dress for Success will begin during Mother’s Day weekend on May 11th at 9:00am starting at Oakridge Mall.   

Each mile on this 3.1 mile walk will represent each of the three phases that the women of Dress for Success – 80% of whom are mothers themselves—experience as they journey along their path to professional success: from being unemployed and searching, to recently employed and adjusting, to gainfully employed and succeeding.
 
“Dress for Success is an organization founded on women helping women. At The Power Walk for Dress for Success, women will be able to literally help the woman next to them take her next step towards a healthier, more prosperous future,” said Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide. “This is
a time for the women we serve, our volunteers, friends and all Dress for Success supporters to come together to take the steps necessary to secure the financial future of disadvantaged women around the
world.”

The Power Walk for Dress for Success was launched in 2010 as a “walking testament” to the need for success driven women to become healthy in all aspects of their lives. Originally a single site event, The
Power Walk for Dress for Success is now taking place in more than 35 cities in five countries throughout the world.

This year’s Vancouver Power Walk for Dress for Success is made possible by the generous support of local sponsors: PwC Canada, Oakridge Mall, Oakwest Insurance, Safeway and HBC. Information about The Power Walk for Dress for Success, including registration, teams and fundraising can be found at: The Power Walk

About Dress for Success
Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 120 cities in 15 countries. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 650,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.

Contact:
Christina Florencio
Dress for Success Vancouver
(604) 408-7923 ext. 224
Christina@dfsvancouver.org

A Dress for Success Inspiration - Meet Aurea Lucas!

Aurea Lucas was introduced to Dress for Success Vancouver in 2006 by Aware Cloverdale. She became a member of the Professional Women’s Group (PWG) in 2007 and got the most out of each meeting by building friendships and being open to learn and discover new skills. 

Aurea connected with the Filipino community In Surrey and started hosting meetings to share all of the important lessons she had learnt at the PWG meetings.

Currently, Aurea is a Settlement Program Officer for SUCCESS, an organization which helps to serve immigrants living in Surrey. She is also utilizing her background in social work and sociology by serving as a Certified Career Development Practioneer in British Columbia.

Despite a schedule chalk full with work, family and volunteer work, Aurea is comitted to a healthy lifestyle.  Her path to fitness and nutrition was influenced by her friend Lucia, and The Active Choices program. It was also through this program where she had the opportintiy to meet many important people in her life like Trude Huber, Angela Sealy and Coach Karen.

Aurea continutes to play an improtant role at Dress for Success as a PWG Alumni. Come join us for the 2013 Power Walk on May 11^th to hear Aurea tell more of her story!

Fundraising Tips for Power Walkers!

The Dress for Success 2013 Power Walk is only a month away! We know you are all getting excited for the walk and we wanted to share a few tips on how to maximize your fundraising.

• Start now if you haven’t already! It’s best to let everyone know why you have committed to Dress for Success and the impact that the organization has on our community. You can let people know that Dress for Success Vancouver successfully helped over 2100 women in 2012!

• Set an individual or team fundraising goal and write it down. By writing your target on paper, you’ll hold yourself accountable to raising your set amount. You can then make a timeline on how much you would like to raise by what dates so that reaching your goal is attainable.

• Use internet marketing and social media to recruit teammates and raise funds. Sending out a group email can be an effective way to reach out to your network and encourage people to donate. Utilizing social media channels like Facebook and Twitter can also be a great way to raise money. You can use our Facebook cover photo to help create awareness for the Power Walk, which can be found on our Dress for Success Vancouver Facebook page. It’s also very important to tweet and update your Facebook status letting people know that you are fundraising for a great cause!

• Get people from work involved! Starting a team at work can help you and other employees meet corporate responsibility goals for an incredible local cause. You can then create a work display or plan a lunch event to spread the word within the workplace and raise money to reach your fundraising goals.

We know that each one of you can meet and even exceed your personal and team fundraising goals! Through all of your efforts, we can help Dress for Success empower women in Vancouver and make a positive impact in their lives!

We can’t wait to see you all at Oakridge on May 11^th for the 2013 Power Walk!

Welcome Karen Flavelle – Power Walk 2013 Ambassador

We are honoured to have Karen Flavelle on board as one of our ambassador’s for the Dress for Success Vancouver Power Walk 2013! Karen is the Chief Executive officer of Purdys Chocolatier and has been monumental in the success of one of Vancouver’s most renowned companies. A leader in both the local and international community, Karen has proven to be an inspiration to many women across the globe. Karen encompasses everything that Dress for Success stands for and we are so excited to have her join the 2013 Power Walk!

Many different experiences have provided the tool box for Karen to successfully lead Purdys, the largest Chocolatier in Canada.....a B.Comm from Queen's, living in Japan and Asia for 2 years, speaking fluent French, being trained in classic packaged goods marketing at General Mills, developing innovative new products at Product Development Partnership in the UK, and growing a popular chain of 140 restaurants: Swiss Chalet.

Sport, particularly endurance sports like running, road biking, roller blading and skiing, give Karen the high energy she is known for.

At over 106 years old, Purdys is a delicate balance between tradition and innovation, giving customers their favourites while exciting them with new ideas and chocolates.

Giving back to Africa, where 70% of the world's cocoa comes from, is an integral part of Purdys. Currently Purdys is working to educate farmers in the Ivory Coast to help them increase their incomes through growing more productive farms with better quality beans, and helping the women be more successful in their businesses. In addition, Purdys contributes to many, many local Canadian organizations with a focus on helping children and their families. Karen is currently active on the International Council of Shopping Centres’ Board of Governors.

Karen’s past Board positions include: Retail Council of Canada, BC Business Council Board of Governors, BC Business Laureate Hall of Fame Board of Governors, Canadian Association of Family Enterprises (Personal Advisory Group Chair), Confectionary Manufacturing Association of Canada, International Council of Shopping Centres (Provincial Retail Chair), Retail Merchants Association of BC, Young Presidents’ Organization (BC Forum Chair, WIN Regional Chair, WIN GCC Chair).

Business awards received: Influential Women in Business Award, Centennial Recognition Award – International Council of Shopping Centres, Business Hall of Fame – Vancouver Board of Trade, #1 – Golden Plate Readers’ Choice Award, BC Hall of Fame for Excellence in Food Processing (Lifetime Achievement Award), One of the Biggest BC Businesses Owned by Women, “One of Top 50 Companies to Work for in Canada”, Henry Singer Award for Excellence in Retailing, and WXN Top 100 of the Most Powerful Women in Canada.

We can’t wait for you to meet Karen at the 2013 Power Walk on May 11^th! Register a team for the walk now!

Meet our Power Walk 2013 Ambassador - Elisabeth Walker-Young

We are so thrilled to have Elisabeth Walker-Young back as one of our ambassador’s for the Dress for Success Vancouver Power Walk 2013! As an active contributor to the community, Elisabeth Walker-Young is an inspiration to us all.

Elisabeth has made a huge impact in the Paralympic community and radiates commitment and determination. Recently, Elisabeth played a crucial role in the London 2012 Paralympic Games as Canada’s Assistant Chef de Mission. Bringing an athlete-centred perspective to this core leadership role, Elisabeth contributed to the planning and delivery of operations in London, proudly supporting all members of Team Canada both on and off the field of play.

Elisabeth has been monumental to the contribution of promoting the Paralympic Movement. In London, Walker-Young served as CTV’s English language commentator for the broadcasts of both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. This was a perfect platform for her to share her passion and expertise for parasport with Canadian audiences. In addition, Elisabeth acted as a liaison with the Canadian Paralympic Committee's (CPC) corporate and government partners during the Games. Elisabeth’s active social media presence allowed her to contribute to the influence and connection with Canadians and the sport community.

As a result of her role in the London Paralympic Games, the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport (CAAWS) named Elisabeth one of the Most Influential Women of 2012. Additionally, she was a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal, recognized as an athlete and builder.

Elisabeth was a 13-year member of the Canadian Paralympic Swim Team, having represented Canada at 4 Summer Paralympic Games from Barcelona 1992 through to Athens 2004. Throughout her swimming career, she broke numerous Canadian and World records, bringing home 6 Paralympic medals (3 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze) while having the opportunity to use her leadership skills as team captain for more than half of her career.

Following her athletics career, Elisabeth took everything she learned as a professional athlete and focused on a career path in sport management. From the development, management, and evaluation of program and events, Elisabeth continually challenges herself and others in raising the bar.

Elisabeth is an advocate for healthy living and enjoys teaching spin classes which allows her to share her love and knowledge of an active, healthy lifestyle with her class participants. A resident of Deep Cove, Elisabeth loves hiking, walking, running and snowshoeing in the trails with her husband, Ian and her dog, Joey.

We are so excited to partner with such an amazing and inspirational woman.  Join Elisabeth and Dress for Success Vancouver for The Power Walk 2013!