The Greatest Gift of All

by Harrish Thirukumaran
Season???s Greetings and Happy Holidays to all!!

As we joyously enter this holiday season, let???s ensure we seize every opportunity to engage in the greatest gift of all: devoting ourselves to those less fortunate. This was something I managed to partake in during my busy second to last fall semester at Brock University this past November. I had volunteered for the Brock Trivia night event, which is an annual fundraiser put together by Brock in partnership with the amazing non-profit organization, United Way. With its Niagara chapter, the organization helps finance a multitude of separate local initiatives that promote meaningful social and economic development of disadvantaged groups in the Niagara community.

Held at Club Roma, a well-established banquet hall in Thorold, Ontario, the night entailed a tasty pasta dinner, yummy desserts, warm company, and, of course, trivia! Some of the diverse question categories included geography, Canadian politics, movies and science that really tested the knowledge of the attendees. Simultaneously, there was a silent auction for great items ranging from Brock apparel, to spa certifications, to wine gift baskets. It attracted a generous amount of enthusiastic individuals chipping in cash to participate. Additionally, attendees had the chance to join in the 50/50 ticket contest, purchasing tickets with the hope of getting lucky to win the proceeds from the contest.


The night turned out to be a tremendous success for both trivia lovers and the United Way Campaign. It raised a total of $4,528.86, positively contributing to United Way???s targets in its 2015 campaign to better the livelihoods of Niagarans.
No matter how big or small, this is a reminder that we should make it a priority to donate our time to ensure everyone has a wonderful holiday season.