NEWS RELEASE
THE YMCA OF SIMCOE/MUSKOKA
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The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka is pleased to announce they have received a donation from Orillia YMCA volunteer and former board member, Michael Bunn, through the Grant Thornton Foundation.
The donation will support midwifery training in Serra Leone through the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka’s international project.
Each year, Grant Thornton honours three employees who make significant volunteer contributions in their community with the CEO Community Service Award.
Recently being named a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario in recognition of his professional work and long-time community involvement, Michael Bunn was named one of the 2018 recipients of the Community Service Award.
As an award recipient, Bunn received the opportunity to designate a $2,500 donation from the Grant Thornton Foundation to the charity of his choice.
“We are very proud of Mike for receiving this well-deserved award and are so thankful that he chose to support our work with Sierra Leone,” said Rob Armstrong, CEO, YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka.
“The YMCA is a global network, with YMCAs located in 119 countries worldwide, united by the passion to build healthy communities. Since 2005, the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka has partnered with the YMCA of Sierra Leone to assist with improving the lives of its citizens through community-wide programs such as youth job training and children’s education."
This donation from the Grant Thornton Foundation, coupled with support from the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka and local Rotary clubs, will directly help families and children in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone has one of the highest child and maternal mortality rates in the world. According to the World Health Organization, there were 22,000 infant deaths and 3,100 maternal deaths in 2015 alone, compared to 2,000 infant and 27 maternal deaths in Canada that same year.
The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka has the opportunity to work with two experienced and highly skilled North American midwives, Sarilyn Zimmerman and Deborah Kaley, who will volunteer their time to provide training to the midwives in Sierra Leone.
Through knowledge and skills sharing, the midwives hope to improve child and maternal mortality rates in Sierra Leone.
“I was honoured to receive the Grant Thornton CEO Community Service Award and for being recognized for the volunteer work I do in the community, such as my time spent on the YMCA Board," said Bunn.
"It is my pleasure to name the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka as the designated charity to receive the award from the Grant Thornton Foundation. I am pleased to see this donation go towards an important program to help improve the child and maternal mortality rates in Sierra Leone,” Bunn added.
For more information and to make a donation to help support communities in Sierra Leone, please visit https://secure.ymcaofsimcoemuskoka.ca/sierraleone/.
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