As the Holiday season is quickly approaching, we are called to express more love and stand together in solidarity more than any other time of the year. What better way to foster more unity within our community than hosting a charity pitch event where university students and charitable organizations are able to connect with one another?! That is precisely what McMaster MBA students did. A couple of weeks ago on November 24th, we had the privilege of being selected for DeGroote’s annual Pitching for Charity event where MBA students stood in front of a panel of judges and pitched for a charity selected for them, aiming to take home the grand prize of $5,000. Each group of MBA students addressed the charity’s biggest challenges with a tangible solution discussed in their pitch. The group of 5 students that were selected to pitch for DTBY were inspired by our mission after attending this year’s Youth Inspire CommUNITY Day and delivered a professional, beautifully structured, and eloquently communicated presentation. It was clear that they are passionate about our cause and put forth their very best effort. Although our group was not awarded the grand prize, they won our generosity and pride for excelling in representing and supporting our organization. Working with the MBA Students from DeGroote’s School of Business-McMaster University has granted us unique and creative solutions and insights into the challenges we face, helping us transform these into impactful opportunities for the future. It was so beautiful to see them stepping into their roles as leaders and being so dedicated to investing in the success of our youth. The value of this experience was indescribable. Once again, we would like to give a big thank you to our team for your stellar presentation!

Congratulations to the winners, Woodland Cultural Center, (1st place), Wellwood Cancer Support Centre (2nd place) and Alzheimer Society of Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk, Hamilton & Halton (3rd place), and your dedicated team of students, whose pitches secured the prizes. There were many wins that came from this event!

Written by: Martyn Trela, DTBY Community Youth Council Member (CYC)

About the author – Martyna Trela is an 18 year old Community Youth Council member (CYC) for Dare To Be Youth Charity.

Her role at DTBY has empowered her to be a mentor for Hamilton and Halton youth, aspiring to help them recognize their potential and step into their role of leadership in the community.  Trela is pursuing an Honours Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology at York University next fall. She is passionate about positive mental well-being, music, youth empowerment, and community development.