The Power of our Walk!

We held our 3rd annual Power Walk for Dress for Success Vancouver on Saturday, May 11th. Because of the support from all our walkers and sponsors, we raised over $25,000! This amount will allow us to support an additional 166 women through the Dress for Success programs: Dressing Services, Career Centre and the Professional Women's Group Program.

  

We were honoured to have our Power Walk speakers share their inspiring stories: Paralympian Elisabeth Walker-Young, Purdy's CEO Karen Flavelle and PWG Alumni Member Aurea Lucas.

Congratulations to Jen Newstead who was our top fundraiser this year! A big thank you to Paolo Kalaw and his team, The Frontier Dental Group who were the top fundraising team. Congrats to our best dressed team, UBC Sorority group Team Alpha Phi.   

Thank you to the most amazing Power Walk committee led by Jackie Powell and our gracious volunteers. All their hard work and efforts helped us make this walk the most successful one yet! 

A special thank you to our sponsors: PwC, Oakridge, Racinne and Oakwest Insurance.  Our in-kind sponsors: Safeway, HBC, Spud, Omega Nutrition, Cointreau, Skinny Girl, Aveda- Eco Chic Boutique, Jennifer Thomas Personal Training, Canadians Baseball Team, Seasons in the Park, Skinny Girl Wines, Purdys, Clearly Contacts, Chateau Fairmont Whistler, YYoga, The Keg Restaurant, Sidecut Restaurant, Tourism Whistler, Lia Sophia, Kind Bars, Vancouver Aquarium, Lady Sport, Blenz and David's Tea.

We'd like to thank all our participants for sharing their time with us on an early Saturday morning to help a worthy cause. Your positive energy made this year's Power Walk a great day to remember.

Check out our Power Walk photo gallery! 

Volunteer Spotlight: Catherine Palmer, Pink Room Princess

Name: Catherine Palmer
Before retirement: I had a career in administration - legal, small business, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada

Been volunteering since: 2010
What is your role? I am a stylist/sorter/merchandiser/Pink Room (sorting room) expert
The best thing about volunteering is: knowing that a job I love doing benefits women
What are some of your memorable moments?

• Dressing a reluctant client who had been sent by her agency, sending her away looking great, feeling surprised and happy
• Getting to the bottom of the Pink Room "mountain" - twice!
• Being interviewed with Trude for TELUS TV

When I'm not at Dress for Success Vancouver, I ...Volunteer with RVYC, make quilts, and spend time on our sailboat 
Who is your Style Icon? Any classically elegant woman
My dream vacation would be...To have enough time and funds to pack up and go wherever and whenever I like.
My motto is: "Princess Package"

Support Dress for Success Vancouver by shopping at Calvin Klein

Power Walk Yoga Instructor Anila Lacroix

We are so thrilled to have Anila Lacroix join us at the upcoming Power Walk on May 11^th. Anila will be sharing her love for yoga by teaching the yoga class before the walk at Oakridge Mall. 

Anila’s yoga practice began many years ago and it continues to challenge and open her to a freedom beyond her imagination. Her inspiration comes from her everyday experience whether it be witnessing a student breaking down the barriers, watching people dissolve into laughter or hearing someone take an awesome breath in and out.

During Anila’s classes, you can expect conscious clarity in language, alignment awareness, breath and movement. Her asana classes can range from quiet and reflective to wild and sweaty. During each class, the constant is attention to integrity of body, mind and breath. Much like her personal practice, Anila will encourage you to be the balance of power and play.

Practicing yoga is a perfect way to prepare your body ready for any walk or run. Yoga helps to loosen and strengthen your muscles in order to prevent tightness caused by walking or running. Incorporating a few deep yoga stretches before and after you walk can be a great way to relax your body and increase flexibility. It is also a great way to prevent any injuries or soreness. 

Anila is very excited to be partnering with Dress for Success and the Power Walk this year. Come meet Anila at the upcoming Power Walk on May 11^th at Oakridge mall. Reminder: No need to bring your yoga mats because they will be provided!

Register now if you haven't already!

Visit Anila's website for more information and for a detailed class schedule!

Sarah Ueland, Co-chair Y.E.S! Vancouver

Sarah shares with us about Y.E.S! Vancouver and their initiative to support Dress for Success Vancouver.

What is Y.E.S! Vancouver?

Y.E.S! Vancouver is a group of professional women who enjoy fun and stylish networking events all in support of Dress for Success Vancouver (DSFV). We host monthly events and donate 100% of the funds we raise to DFSV.

How did you come to be Co-chair?

I joined the membership team in 2008, just a few months after the launch of the organization, and I was hooked. It has been an amazing experience guiding Y.E.S! over the past five years. I became co-chair in 2010 and the best part of being in the role is working with the enthusiastic, dedicated women on the committee who make the magic happen month after month.

How did Y.E.S! and DFSV come to be connected? 

Y.E.S! came to life in Vancouver in 2007 thanks to the hard work of Louise Kozier and Katrina Carrol-Foster, but we are actually one of seven chapters in North America. Y.E.S! Vancouver was launched as an initiative to engage a younger generation in the great work of Dress for Success – and it worked. Our members know that every time they attend an event or make a financial contribution that 100% of their contributions are going to an extremely good cause.

What makes the YES and DFSV collaboration successful?

There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s the people. Y.E.S! could not function without the support of the volunteers and staff at DFSV. There’s a real sense of team in everything we do, and we support each other in every way possible. I love being part of the broader DFSV team, and I know the rest of the Y.E.S! team feels the same.

How has the Y.E.S! network responded to the upcoming Power walk, will you have the biggest team & win the 'best dressed' prize?

I certainly hope that Y.E.S! will have the biggest team and we always love winning prizes! I have been participating in the Power Walk since it started a few years ago, and it’s a really fun event. I bring my mom, and this year I’m also bringing my mother and father in-law and my new puppy, Asha. The team and event grows every year and I’m looking forward to it.

How can interested networkers join Y.E.S!?

It’s easy to get involved. Visit www.yesvancouver.org to find all the information you need and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Membership is $100 a year and we make it easy with quarterly payments of only $25. As per everything we do, 100% of your membership fee goes directly to DFSV.

You can also plan to join us at our next event. Details are coming soon, but for now all you need to know is that it’s our Signature spring event and it will be fabulous. We can’t wait to meet you!

Big THANK YOU to Sarah, and Y.E.S! Vancouver for all their support, we greatly appreciate all you do! 

Don't forget to sign up for the upcoming Power Walk on May 11th, and join us at the after-party in the Oakridge Mall Auditorium. 

Power Walk Tips from Personal Trainer Jennifer Thomas

Jennifer Thomas is a Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Coach in Vancouver who is a strong supporter of the Dress for Success Power Walk. Check out Jennifer’s tips for all of the Power Walkers on May 11^th. 

1. Use good posture by walking tall. The perfect walking posture includes:

• Holding your head high
• Keeping your eyes forward and not directed to the ground
• Moving your shoulders freely and keeping your chin parallel to the ground
• Keeping your back straight while gently tightening your stomach muscles
• Swinging your arms freely and maintaining a slight bend in your elbows
• Walking smoothly while rolling your foot from heel to toe

2. Stay hydrated and healthy. The three most important reasons to drink water include:
It prevents you from consuming empty calories: Drinking water makes you feel full for longer, keeping your body hydrated and preventing you from consuming empty calories from drinking other beverages.

Contributes to a healthier you: Drinking water helps to improve your overall health. It helps to flush toxins from the body that may harm you and aids in your digestion/food absorption process.

Keeps Your Body Hydrated: When your thirst mechanism kicks in, your body is telling you that you are already dehydrated. Chronic dehydration can cause many medical complications such as migraine headaches, allergies, asthma and hypertension. Water helps to cushion your joints and aids in protecting your vital organs and tissues.

3. A personalized strength-training program combined with regular walking will ensure optimal health. Three key benefits of strength-training include:
Increases your metabolism which means your body burns more calories even while it’s resting
Improves bone density and decreases the risk of osteoporosis
Develops strength around the joints to help prevent injuries like ankle sprains.

4. Finding the right shoe for you!

Having a running or walking shoe that fits you correctly is essential in preventing injuries and is also very important to your overall training enjoyment. I always recommend taking the time to get properly fitted for the right shoe and stores such as the Running Room are a great place to get started. They will take the time to listen to what you are looking for, conduct a foot examination, help with the selection process and let you know when it’s time to buy a new pair.

5. It’s always important to stretch both before and after your run.

For a more detailed stretch program email Jennifer at jt.training@live.com

Jennifer has a dynamic and functional training style and helps her clients achieve the best results by applying a holistic approach to health and fitness. She has generously donated a one-hour consultation & four one-hour personal training sessions to the 2013 Power Walk! 

For a chance to win this amazing prize, register for the upcoming Power Walk on May 11th and join us at the after-party in the Oakridge Mall Auditorium. 

Learn more about Jennifer Thomas Personal Training and Lifestyle Coaching here!