Wakefern Food Corp.’s Post

It's no secret, I am passionate about ice hockey. Over the past couple months I have been volunteering with the local ice rink organizing a "Girls Try Hockey for Free" event. It was an absolute blast! We had a record-breaking turnout with 61 enthusiastic girls and women ready to hit the ice for the first time, and an amazing crew of 15 volunteers to support them. HUGE thank you to everyone that took part in the guerilla marketing campaign too! But the real win wasn't the saves I made (or the ones that got past me!), it was the smiles on those girls' faces. Let's talk about why volunteering is more than just a good deed: 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Seeing them experience the thrill of hockey for the first time was pure magic. Knowing we played a part in introducing them to a sport we love is a truly rewarding feeling. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐤:  The camaraderie among the volunteers was fantastic. We all came together with a common goal—sharing our passion for hockey. It reminded me that volunteering isn’t just about giving back; it’s also about connecting with like-minded people and building lasting relationships. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐲: Organizing and coordinating an event outside of my usual niche was a learning experience. From logistics to on-ice coaching, every aspect helped me grow personally and professionally. Plus, playing goalie against a bunch of excited first-timers kept me on my toes and reminded me why I call myself the #WorldsOkayestGoalie! 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐮𝐧: There's something undeniably special about being on the ice, surrounded by the energy of new players discovering a love for the game. It was infectious, and impossible not to have a blast. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠? If you've ever considered volunteering, but haven't taken the plunge, I urge you to do it! It's a fantastic way to give back to your community, meet like-minded people, and develop valuable skills. Whether it's sports, animal shelters, or a cause close to your heart, the joy and personal growth you get from volunteering are unmatched. #Volunteering #HockeyLife #GivingBack #WorldsOkayestGoalie #CommunicationsCoach

Do you play pickleball? ... enjoy giving back to your community? ... want to meet leaders across the CRE and AEC industries in DFW? ... suffer from a severe case of FOMO? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you'll be thrilled to hear that registration for teams to compete in ULI Dallas-Fort Worth's first annual charity pickleball tournament is live through the link below. FallBall: Pickleball Showdown for Scholarships is scheduled for afternoon of October 3rd at Chicken N Pickle's one of a kind facility located within the The Epic development in the City of Grand Prairie. The event will consist of 16 teams play a elimination style bracket, opportunities for limited open court play for attendees, and of course lots of time and space to breakout and network over drinks, yard games, and small bites while the tournament happens! Our team is super excited to share that the event is entirely dedicated to raising funds for scholarships in support of the Urban Land Institute's Building Industry Leaders (BIL) Program. BIL is an after-school initiative in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club that introduces high school students to career opportunities in commercial real estate, guiding them through Request for Proposal processes for a variety of project types. There's a number of ways that you can get involved in attending and supporting this event that I've outlined below: 1) Team Registration (4 players, rotating playing doubles matches) ($250 early, $350 starting August 22) 2) Individual Ticket (open play, networking, and yard games) (registration goes live on August 21) 3) Sponsorship ($1,500 court sponsorships and $5,000 event sponsorship) (reach out for more information) We hope to see lots of familiar faces across the industry playing, networking, and cheering on their peers in about six weeks! If you'd like to get involved with sponsorship or field any questions with the ULI orgnaizing team, please reach out to myself, Ann Halff, Jason Lehigh, Matthew Smith, or Christopher Hernandez! Event Link: https://lnkd.in/d9KntEKH Building Industry Leader's Program Information: https://lnkd.in/dHtiUmF9 #networking #uli #charity #buildingindustryleaders #AEC #CRE #pickleball #dfwrealestate #urbandesign #grandprairie #development #fomo

By year-end, you'll gain the power to tailor your registration forms and gather key information you need, whether it's for: ✅ Fundraisers ✅ Individual Camps & Clinics ✅ Team Camps ✅ Alumni Golf Outings ✅ Conventions ✅ Workshops ✅ Virtual Group Training Exciting updates coming your way! 🚀

🌍✊ Day 41 - Grant Number 40: Call for Applications Pushing Against Racism Fund 2024-25 ✊🌍 We're thrilled to announce the 3rd annual Pushing Against Racism Fund, dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion within the global social skateboarding community. This year, we're offering $15,000 in grants to impactful projects across six continents, championing a more inclusive and equitable skateboarding world. 🔹 Why This Fund? Access to funding remains a significant barrier for social skateboarding projects, especially in LMICs and underserved communities. Additionally, addressing institutional and structural racism within nonprofit leadership is crucial for meaningful change. Our fund aims to direct more resources towards diverse leadership and inclusive practices in social skateboarding. 🔹 About the Fund: - $15,000 USD in total grants - Projects led by people of color or from disenfranchised communities prioritized - Aims to support skate programs, events, or paid internships to combat racism - One project per continent will receive $2000; six smaller projects will receive $500 each 🔹 Apply Now! Are you part of a nonprofit within the social skateboarding community? Do you strive to make skateboarding more inclusive and diverse? If yes, we want to hear from you! 📅 Deadline: 27th March, 2024 For application details and to sign up for our Application Support Webinars, click here: https://lnkd.in/gP8C-MS5 Join us in pushing against racism and creating a more inclusive skateboarding community worldwide. Your project could be the next catalyst for change! #SkateboardingForChange #DiversityInSkateboarding #PushingAgainstRacism #SocialSkateboarding #InclusionMatters #NonProfitLeadership #SkateForGood #YouthEmpowerment #CommunitySkateProjects #GlobalSkateboarding #EquityInAction #SkateboardingCommunity #SocialImpactFunding #ApplyNow #GoodpushAlliance

No football this weekend for my team, as the other team cancelled and look like folding 😔. I know that this is a work platform and many won't care much about grass roots and the results. But without sponsorship teams fold and kids lose out on playing sports, keeping fit, learning team work, empathy, communication, resilience, problem solving and many other skills needed for a successful work force. If a grass roots team reaches out and asks for sponsorship or volunteers, please step forward. I was never planning on coaching a team, but knowing so many would miss out if I didn't step up wasn't an option. #grassrootsfootball #stepup #volunteers #sponsorshipopportunity #kids #businessskills

Finished my second 5K this year yesterday. Woo hoo! The Waldwick 5K supports more than two dozen nonprofits each year and attracts hundreds of people. I was delighted to be a part of it! My goal is to complete 3-4 5Ks this year in my attempt to rebuild a habit of jogging, connect with my local community and have fun. Yesterday, I wanted to best my first 5K time and really enjoy the race. I beat my first time by 3 min and smiled the entire race (vs grimmacing and grinding my teeth like the first one). Have you been pondering a goal and aren’t sure how to get started? If I can restart jogging after being away from it for a decade, you can, too! 💡1. Start small - choose a microstep to get going, something that you are totally capable of doing. I started with less than a mile and only 1-2 times a week so I wouldn’t get hurt or burn out. 👋 2. Tell a friend - get support from those around you. I told family and friends and their cheering helped me stay motivated. 🎉 3. Celebrate the wins - a pat on the back goes a long way towards reinforcing a habit. Choose something that feels great to you. For me, it’s as simple as watching a favorite show, a small treat or a massage after each race. What are some of your goals and what are you doing to stay the course? #2024goals #stayingmotivated #celebratethewins #habitbuilding #havingfun

Giving Tuesday We have had Black Friday, which seemed to last a whole month, everywhere you looked there were messages telling you how much you could save. And still they go on. It’s Time to flip that on its head. Life is enriched not by having but giving. For me, Happiness and a meaning to life comes from giving to others, especially those less fortunate than oneself. This is the point of Giving Tuesday. Many charities need you. You can always find one that sparks a real meaning for you. They come in all shapes and sizes, for a huge range of causes. Giving doesn’t just mean money. You can give your time, your energy, or simply your voice to spread awareness. Your support is what they need. One charity I support is Ride For Freedom – A charity that supports survivors of modern slavery. Follow the link here to find out more. https://lnkd.in/eMUEtXpG The weekend of Friday December 1st to Sunday December 3rd is their annual Cycle Revolution event. Lots of people around the country are doing various events to raise funds for their Freewheel programme. The programme supplies cycles to survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery. The aim for the weekend is to supply 200 bikes for the programme. The event page is here https://lnkd.in/e6bDefE5 I am doing my bit for the cause by giving my time and energy over the weekend. On Saturday 2nd December I will be attempting to complete the vEveresting challenge. Riding on Zwift for repeats of the virtual Alpe D’Zwift climb until I reach the equivalent of the height of Mount Everest, 8848 metres of climbing, approximately 9 ascents of the Alpe. On Sunday morning 9am, I will be leading a one hour social ride around a flat course in virtual London on Zwift with Gordon Miller, CEO of Ride For Freedom. This ride is a great opportunity to ride at a social pace and chat on Discord with fellow Zwifters. With Zwift’s magic band function keeping everyone together regardless of power, its the perfect club ride. Opportunities to join me on Saturday exist throughout the day. If you use Zwift and want to ride even a small section of the Alp with me, I would be very grateful of the company. To join, first make sure you are following me on Zwift. My Zwift name is F rosty the snowbear (just search for Snowbear and you should find me). Then use the Ride with a Zwifter option on your home screen and select my name. It will take me at least 12 hours to do this so plenty of opportunity to find me whatever time you are free, your support on the day will be very welcome. Donation page for Ride For Freedom Cycle Event is here https://lnkd.in/eCKCATvQ Please give whatever you can, time, energy, voice or money. Please share this post to add your voice to the cause. #RideForFreedom #Charity #GivingTuesday #ZWIFT #vEveresting #CycleRevolution #EndModernSlavery #Freewheel #ShowARedCard #donatenow #pedalforchange #abolitionofslavery #socialimpact

Key Insights from my favourite session of the day at RDK Sports International Global Elite Sports Conference - Adrienne Scherenzel (Curry) VP of Community Engagement Chicago Bulls and Executive Director of CHICAGO BULLS CHARITIES on Rethinking Professional Sports Teams Community Impact. ⚡ Purpose Beyond Sports: The Bulls use their brand for social good, extending beyond the court to impact communities authentically. ⚡ Strategic Focus Areas: They align efforts around strategic pillars to maximise their impact and foster long-term community engagement. This structured approach ensures sustainable support whilst addressing diverse community needs. ⚡ Measuring Impact: Focus on genuine community impact and trust-building, not just numbers, to ensure meaningful outcomes. Use qualitative insights and stakeholder feedback to assess program effectiveness, ensuring initiatives lead to meaningful outcomes and lasting relationships. ⚡ Authenticity Matters: Building trust through consistent, community-focused actions that resonate with local needs and values. These insights resonate with our approach at She Hoops, highlighting valuable strategies to apply and integrate into our brand development. So many actionable takeaways! #CommunityEngagement #SocialImpact #SportsForGood #Leadership #Inspiration #ChicagoBulls City of Gold Coast Lauren Jackson AO OLY Samantha Groves