Saskatchewan insurance broker Dave Nussbaumer of Farrell Agencies Ltd. is developing a reputation as a winning fundraiser for his local community.
Over the past two years, he has helped raise more than $200,000 for two separate community projects through the annual Aviva Community Fund competition.
Aviva Canada has provided $1 million in donations in each of the past four years to support community initiatives across the country. The contest involves brokers and communities using social media to vote for their favourite community initiatives. About 30 ‘finalists’ are then selected by a panel of judges.
The contest also recognizes broker efforts in support of their communities’ initiatives.
Last year, Nussbaumer’s brokerage was instrumental in winning $150,000 to establish a skateboard, bike and walking park in its community of Yorktown, Saskatchewan, home to about 100,000 residents. The park was part of a major downtown revitalization effort arising from damage caused by a catastrophic flood on July 1, 2010.
This year, Nussbaumer pulled off a repeat performance. He helped orchestrate a $90,000 donation from the Aviva Community Fund to establish the Chase Kraynick "Pay It Forward" Splash Park in Canora, Saskatchewan, a town of about 2,500 people.
Chase Kraynick is a six-year-old who died in a farm accident when a vehicle on which he was playing accidentally flipped over on top of him. Kraynick is remembered for enthusiastically participating in his school’s ‘Pay It Forward’ program, which called on students to perform random acts of kindness with no thought of compensation.
After the death of her son, Kraynick’s mother sought out Nussbaumer, hoping he could re-work his Aviva Community Fund magic of the year before.
“As much as the skate park for our [Yorktown] community was nice, and it came after a flood, it wasn’t a true tragedy – it was adversity,” Nussbaumer told Insurance Business. “This one [in Canora], the fact that a family lost their son in an accident, this was personal.”
Nussbaumer did not know Kraynick’s mother, who called the broker and met him in his Yorktown office, where she outlined her plan for the splash park. Her plan included a 3,400-square-foot concrete pad, with 18 splash components themed to reflect all the things Chase Kraynick loved (farming, sports and the great outdoors).
Nussbaumer’s brokerage went to work, drumming up online votes for the project. The campaign featured a ‘Pay It Forward’ theme after Kraynick – who shovelled snow for neighbours, among other good deeds – in addition to a blog and a radio spot created by members of the community.
In addition to gaining community support for the splash park, Farrell Agencies enlisted the support of brokerages Western Financial Group (Network), HUB International, Crawford & Danyluk Insurance Broker and Birkett-Hansard.
“Winning [the Aviva Community Fund competition] once is hard,” said Nussbaumer. “Winning it twice is quite the accomplishment. To win this thing twice, I’m proud of our office for being so involved and helping out the way we did. That’s my Pay it Forward for the community.”
