Giving back to the communities we serve is at the heart of how Crowe MacKay operates. This week, we celebrate our teammates who give their time to organizations across northern and western Canada.
This year's National Volunteer Week is April 19 to 25 and applauds Canada’s volunteers with the theme “cheers to volunteers.”
Nearly 13 million Canadians volunteer from coast-to-coast. Crowe MacKay joins Volunteer Canada in cheering for those dedicating their time and giving back.
Read more on how we are cheering for our professionals and their dedication to making a difference in the communities they live and work in.
Supporting the communities we work and live in
Jennifer Mendes volunteers with the Kelowna Special Olympics as a member of the Special Olympics Kelowna Golf tournament. With the golf tournament, she helps to raise funds and find sponsors and golfers.
Jennifer Mendes, Senior Manager, Kelowna
Ravinder Gill is an active member of the South Okanagan Punjabi Community. He is part of the organizing team for their Mela for Cancer event and has been doing so since its inception in 2017.
The Mela for Cancer event helps raise funds for the BC Cancer Foundation while also raising awareness of Punjabi culture. All money raised at the event is reinvested in the South Okanagan, helping the local community. In 2019, proceeds from the event went to the PET/CT scanner in Kelowna.
Since 2017, the event has raised over $60,000.
Ravinder Gill, Articling Student, Kelowna
Our Calgary office routinely contributes to the organization Evenstart. This Children's Foundation provides support and resources to kids ages three to five who may be facing severe poverty, who are 'at risk' because of the effects of neglect, abuse, domestic violence, and other forms of trauma.
In October, the Calgary team helped sort through donations as well as baked and helped the kids decorate cookies. They also supported three families in need during Christmas, purchasing everything from pots and pans, bedding, gift cards for groceries, and toys.
Since November 2019, Seraphina Kim has served on the board for the Dixon Transition Society, a non-profit supporting women and children fleeing domestic violence. She’s helped the organization in a number of ways including being involved with the fundraising committee and helping to create a wider strategic initiative.
Seraphina’s contributions have raised awareness of the work that Dixon does, and the issues of domestic violence in her community. She’s even received support from Crowe MacKay colleagues, who’ve attended the organization’s annual fundraising event in December.
Seraphina brings a different perspective to the Board as she’s supported domestic violence charities in New Zealand and Australia. In addition, she also brings risk management expertise. During their strategic planning session, she helped raise awareness of the wider risks that are inherent, emerging, and critical for the success of Dixon.
Seraphina Kim, Director, Advisory Services, Vancouver
Our Edmonton office participated in the annual World Partnership Walk, which supports development initiatives that help people in Africa and Asia break the cycle of poverty and improve the quality of life. Did you know the Edmonton office has been walking and raising funds for the event since 1991?
Our Kelowna office competed and sponsored in the Super Mega Ultimate Techathlon, hosted by the United Way of the Central and South Okanagan/Simikameen. The Super Mega Ultimate Techathlon raises money to give disadvantaged youth (ages 16 to 22) opportunities in the tech sector.
Annette Smith has been applauded by her colleagues for being an active performer and fundraiser for the Whitehorse All-City Band for many years. All three of her kids were also performers and volunteers and her daughter is still actively involved.
Rosemarie Murdoch volunteers for two organizations, the Special Olympics and the Elder Active.
She supports the Special Olympics by helping with their yearly silent auction. Rose aids in the set-up of the auction and has been offering her support for five years. For Elder Active, she has been assisting the organization for three years volunteering as a cashier for their bingos.
Rosemarie Murdoch, Administration, Whitehorse
Celestino Oh currently serves as the vice-president for the Rotary Club of Yellowknife. Previous to becoming vice-president, he’s been a member and a director for 13 years, first becoming involved with the organization in 2007.
Over the course of his involvement, he’s assisted with treasury functions including preparing project budgets, annual budgets, and reviewing the financial statements. From 2010 to 2014, he was the treasurer of the organization.
Celestino Oh, Associate, Yellowknife
Part of our Corporate Social Responsibility is taking care of our environment. Our Vancouver and Surrey team and their family members came together to participate in a local shoreline clean-up event.
There are two organizations Thomas Scoffin dedicates his time to, the Special Olympics Yukon (SOY) and the Whitehorse Curling Club (WCC).
Thomas has been a member of the Champions Network for three years. This network was developed by the SOY and consists of local athletes and prolific members of the community. The community members volunteer with the organization's athletes, holding various roles including coaching and mentoring.
Thomas has also been supporting the WCC for three years. He is the organization's treasurer and is on the board of directors.
Did you know: Thomas is also an avid curler himself, and played in the 2020 Tim Horton’s Brier representing the Yukon.
Thomas Scoffin, Staff Accountant, Whitehorse
Across our firm, we participated in ExtraLife, raising funds for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Last year we were able to raise $3,500 and this year we almost DOUBLED that, raising a total of $6,256.22.
A big thank you to the leaders in each of the Crowe MacKay offices who organize this event for their teams.
Erik Hoenisch is an active volunteer with the Yukon Pickleball Association as well as the Whitehorse United Church.
The Yukon Pickleball Association was founded a year ago and Erik has taken on the responsibility of being the organization's first treasurer. He is also on the finance committee for the Whitehorse United Church and has been doing so for nearly eight years.
Erik Hoenisch, Partner, Whitehorse
Mark Pike volunteers his time with three (perhaps we can call it four) separate organizations and has been dedicated to these organizations for an impressive amount of time.
Mark is the chair of the Yukon Workers Compensation Health & Safety Board and has been committed to this role for 10 years. He’s also the director for the Whitehorse Oldtimers Hockey League, and has led the league for over 20 years, and has been the director of the Yukon CPA Board for longer than he can remember. Lastly, Mark is the team sponsor and token old guy for the Crowe MacKay Writeoffs Slo-Pitch team.
Mark exemplifies Crowe MacKay’s core values, leading his team as the Managing Director in the Whitehorse, as well as leading through his volunteerism in the community.
Mark Pike, Partner, Whitehorse
Our Kelowna office contributes many hours and dollars to their local Heart and Stroke Foundation. One event they took part in this year was the Heart & Stroke Big Bike. As a team, they helped raise $4,300.
The team also purchased tickets and volunteered at the organization’s Red Dress Gala, all with the goal of raising funds and awareness about heart disease and stroke as a leading cause of death for Canadian women, while celebrating breakthroughs in women’s heart health.
Over the past three years, our Kelowna office has raised approximately $15,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation through its fundraising initiatives.
Raji Dhaliwal has been a board member for the CPABC North Shore/Sunshine Coast Chapter since January 2017 and in 2019 became the organization's treasurer.
His volunteerism with the organization is a great opportunity for him to give back to the profession as well as to engage with professionals and students throughout the province. Raji’s chapter organizes events as well as creates opportunities for its members to professionally develop, get involved in their community, network, and provide mentorship.
Raji Dhaliwal, Manager, Vancouver
Candace Surette is involved with the Kelowna Art Gallery and is the treasurer of the board, volunteering with the group for five years. Her oversight in the gallery’s financial management helps to ensure donations and public funds are utilized in the most effective way possible. In turn, the gallery is able to better build a strong arts and culture community.
She is also a panel member of the Arts and Culture Grant Committee with the City of Kelowna. She’s been on the panel for two years and, over the last six months, Candace has been a part of CPA Canada's audit evidence advisory committee.
Candace Surette, Director, Quality, Kelowna
Our Surrey office participated in the Surrey Christmas Bureau's "Adopt-A-Family," which helps parents who face challenges in either providing basic necessities, a Christmas meal, or toys during the holidays.
Crowe MacKay’s Chief Finance Officer, Kieran Bowes, dedicated countless hours in training to prepare for his climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. He was part of an Edmonton team dedicated to raising $1 million dollars for the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation. Kieran not only summited the mountain but also surpassed his personal goal of raising $50,000, contributing to the total amount of $1,046,000 donated to the Stollery Children's Foundation.
Watch highlights from the group’s trek here.
Moe Rynard is part of the Fuzion Strata Council, a council created in her condo in July of 2019. The Strata Council volunteers ensure that the condo corporation runs smoothly, remains fiscally sound, and the building is always maintained for all owners.
Moe Rynard, HR Administrator, Kelowna
Hugh Livingstone sits on the Investment, Audit, and Finance Committee of the Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital Foundation. He is also a part of the BCCPA Investigation Committee.
Hugh Livingstone, Partner, Vancouver
Peter Woodruff, a Partner from Whitehorse, was applauded by his colleagues for getting all of his office to volunteer for the United Way plane pull.
Don Smith, one of our retired Partners, jumps feet first into volunteering year round. He participated in the McLennon Ross Junior Alberta Golf tour, attending multiple events, spotting, scoring, and offering “manpower” where ever needed. This year, he also volunteered at the McKenzie Tour, an Edmonton event, where he was a shuttle driver for five days, driving players and spectators around the course.
Don also volunteers on a regular basis at the Palm Springs Air Museum. He spends every Wednesday at the museum and also helps out when there are special events. Don is typically the docent guide providing information and background on the museum to improve visitors' experience.
Don Smith, Retired Partner, Edmonton
Crowe MacKay’s Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Picton, was actively involved with the CPA Education Foundation. He just completed his time as a former board member and the chairperson. The CPA Education Foundation’s mission is to strengthen the future of the accounting profession in Alberta through partnerships by supporting business education and students, and the incubation of innovative ideas.
Bruce Picton, CEO
Angela Bailey is on the board for the Rotary as well as for her church, Christ Lutheran, and is the treasurer for both organizations. She is also a member of the Okanagan College Program Advisory Committee for the business program.
In addition to her board duties with the Rotary, she helps with their annual Lobster Dinner and Dance as the head of the Food Committee. The Food Committee prepares, serves, and cleans up dinner and brings in 320 guests and volunteers. Her duties with the committee also include packaging leftover food and donating it to local Kelowna charities such as the Gospel Mission or Inn from the Cold. This varies years to year as they consider who needs it most.
Angela Bailey, Partner, Kelowna
Brian Sanders, a Partner from our Kelowna office, was applauded by a team member for his volunteerism:
“Brian Sanders does not talk about his volunteer work but he has supported our community through a number of different ways including being the chair of the board of the Central Okanagan Foundation and director for 8 years."
Rebecca Randall is an Elder on the board for her church. She facilitates and is a mentor for their leadership course – Vantage Point Three. This is a three year course with weekly meetings starting in September, ending in May. Its goal is to help individuals become the best leader they can be in their sphere of influence. This year, Rebecca’s group consists of eight participants.
Rebecca Randall, Manager, Kelowna
Ken Laloge is currently the treasurer of Rotary District 5060. He is also the current treasurer of the Rotary Club of Kelowna Foundation. Through his dedication to the Rotary, he has was awarded the Rotary Club of Kelowna Vocational Service Award.
Ken Laloge, Partner, Kelowna
Our Sunshine Coast office volunteered at this past year’s Children’s festival. Staff members attended the event all day, setting up and running a jelly bean counting booth, selling raffle tickets, helping with the Duck Pluck event, and helped with the set-up and tear-down of the event.
Kristine Toynbee is the treasurer of the Sechelt Downtown Business Association (SDBA), joining the Association in 2015. She was also on the committee for the Ladies Red Surge Gala in 2019.
The SDBA board represents businesses and organizations in downtown Sechelt. They meet once a month to discuss local issues and concerns, as well as organize and plan for events and networking opportunities. As the treasurer, Kristine’s role is to provide support with financial matters.
Kristine Toynbee, Partner, Sunshine Coast
Lindsay volunteers with Calgary’s Young Women in Business (YWiB). She has been involved with YWiB for a year now as the Director of Finance. Lindsay’s role is to support the YWiB Chapters with any questions, approvals with budgets, and year-end financial statements. She ensures the organization is in compliance and maintains a positive cash flow to continue to hold events for the community.
Lindsay Renneberg, Senior Accountant, Calgary
Our Edmonton team volunteered with 630 CHED Santas Anonymous sorting teddy bears and toys to be gifted to children in Edmonton and the surrounding area during Christmas time.
Our team in Whitehorse participated in the 3rd annual United Way Yukon Plane Pull, raising $2,655. The team retained the crown for most funds raised and has for three years running.
Peter Woodruff, a Partner from Whitehorse, was applauded by his colleagues for getting all of his office to volunteer for the United Way plane pull.
About Crowe MacKay LLP
Serving Northern and Western Canada for over 50 years, Crowe MacKay LLP is one of the leading accounting and advisory firms in the country. With a team of 400 across eight offices, we are a vibrant team of trusted advisors. We believe strong relationships are the cornerstone to success and strive to create innovative solutions for our clients in both private and public sectors. We have a passion for quality in the services we deliver to our community and clients from a wide range of industries. A firm focused on people first, Crowe MacKay’s corporate culture is built on maximizing potential for clients and staff. Our belief is that we are truly our best when we invest in our people and communities. Committed to showing we care about the people we serve through our work and actions, we strive to make a difference in the regions we serve.
About Crowe Global
Ranked the eighth largest accounting network in the world, Crowe Global has over 200 independent accounting and advisory firms in 130 countries. For over 100 years, Crowe has made smart decisions for multinational clients working across borders. Our leaders work with governments, regulatory bodies, and industry groups to shape the future of the profession worldwide. Their exceptional knowledge of business, local laws, and customs provide lasting value to clients undertaking international projects. At Crowe, the professionals all share one commitment, to deliver excellence.
