Courtney Van Erem’s Post

Help with one last push to raise much needed funds to help the Black Dog Institute do the great work it does in the mental health space. As you would know I put up a lot of posts to try and change attitudes to mental health especially in our workplaces. But this Sunday I am going to use my legs and not just my words to try and make a difference and raise some money for the Black Dog Institute at the same time. I am running in the Sydney Stadium Stomp. The full course event is a total of 7700 stairs covering both the Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium. But never being someone to do things by halves, and to encourage you to dig deep and donate to raise funds for the Black Dog Institute I am doing Stadium Stomp Unlimited. This means I will keep doing laps of the two stadiums (up and down every single stair) until I can't do anymore. I am aiming for at least two laps and hope fully three or more of each stadium, which would be more than 21,000 stairs. Now doesn't deserve a little bit of support and a bit of a donation to make the effort worthwhile. Donations are tax deductible in Australia. I have passed my initial fundraising target of $1000 to help Black Dog Institute. So please help me raise even more money by making a donation through my page and help me raise so much more. Hit the link below to donate Mental illness doesn’t discriminate – it affects 1 in 5 Australians every year with symptoms like depression and anxiety. The impact can be devastating, not only for those living with it, but for those around them. By making a donation you are helping Black Dog turn their world-class research into life-saving action for those who need it most. Your support helps to fund education programs, digital tools and apps, clinical services and community webinars. Thank you, I really appreciate your support.

Something I always tell my clients is to 'Celebrate the wins, and learn from the setbacks', so it's probably time I added this to LinkedIn. In October 2023, I completed the Goggins or 4x4x48 Challenge. I raised £871 for the Mid Cheshire Hospitals Charity, and really tested myself mentally and physically. The challenge involves running 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours. So 48 miles in total in two days, although being the Muppet I am, I added a few extras to make sure I covered 2 marathons in 2 days - 52.4 miles (but don't tell my wife I did extra). The toughest part was getting up at 1 and 5 in the morning to run in the dark on my own on exhausted legs. Down the line, I'll probably add a blog about the lessons learnt and odd (near hallucinogenic) thoughts that go through your head under that kind of stress. However, for now, the biggest win for me personally was a reminder of the importance of throwing yourself into challenging situations. It's easy to stay in your lane and keep your head down, but by throwing a stretch goal in there, your horizons are broadened in the day-to-day. We learn so much from challenging situations.

The activities we do beyond our careers often have an outsized impact on our lives and shape who we are in a way that often reverberates in our work. If you know me, you know that I am a passionate birder. This hobby fuels my curiosity, attenuates my senses, gets me out into nature, and has connected me to some of the most wonderful people I've ever met. I am a better human because of it, and I recommend birding to everybody. To raise money for the fantastic Shaver's Creek Environmental Center, I (along with some other brilliant birders) compete in the annual Birding Cup! Please consider donating at the link in the comments to support our team in our effort to bring home the cup (it would be our second win, NBD). Also, if you're curious about birding, let me know, and I'll be happy to share tips and tricks and maybe even take you out into the field sometime! Here's a fun bird fact for those who are curious: The chimney swift is a common, swallow-like bird seen in the skies of eastern North America. Once you learn to spot them, you'll see them flying around nearly every day during the warm months in Pittsburgh. What you won't see is one land. They are highly specialized for flight and have very reduced feet (they are part of the clade Apodiformes, which stands for footless forms and also includes the hummingbirds). They cannot land on horizontal surfaces, walk, or really do much terrestrial stuff other than cling to vertical surfaces like the chimneys and hollow trees that they nest in. In fact, when they aren't breeding, they can go MONTHS without landing at all!

A pure bred golden retriever behaves differently than a golden doodle. But they are both retrievers and can have a lot of overlap. A Bernese Mountain Dog is an entirely different thing all together. Throw a ball for my three dogs and Dakota, my Berner, will lose interest quickly. She prefers to lay in the shade than chase a ball. That's because she's a big dog with a very heavy coat! Knowing the difference between these dogs and their innate tendencies helps me understand how to best interact with them and meet their felt needs. Donor are similar. A hard-driving CEO is going to want bullet points, brevity and results all delivered in a 30 minute meeting. A retired octogenarian, may want 2-3 hours of your time, along with an update on how your kids are. A donor who is engaged deeply with politics that relate to your cause may want a deep dive how your organization is engaged with the relevant issues of the day. Take the wrong approach with the wrong donor and you are going to have an unhappy person! No two donors are the same, just like no two dogs are the same. An important part of #Majorgiftmastery is being a student of your donors in order to understand what their felt needs and innate tendencies are. This is going to allow you to give them a superior giving experience with your organization and encourage continued giving! #nonprofit #fundraising #leadership #majorgifts

Aboard their rowing boat the team had millions of calories worth of specially formulated dehydrated meals that would give them maximum calories. But for Rod, it was a simple pack of Tesco noodles that did it for him. 🍜 • A meal he referred to as 'pure heaven'. 😇 • And whilst we now need to go and recalibrate what heaven looks like - it does highlight an important point; food aboard the boat is really important from an energy perspective - but it's also really important from a psychological perspective. 🧠 • Sure, Tesco noodles are not as calorie dense as the other meals aboard - but it was a little bowl of happiness for Rod, and as he sat there, with his heavenly meal, watching the sun go down, with this three friends...that boat was a very happy place to be in deed. ☺️ • One of the reasons for sharing some of these insights is to remind everyone that the team are still raising money for Get A-Head Charitable Trust and Meningitis Now - if you enjoyed following the team and didn't have a chance to donate - now is the time! Make your donation at https://lnkd.in/ewFcK9Vg or use the text messaging service: TEXT ROW1 to 70191 to DONATE £10 TEXT ROW3 to 70191 to DONATE £30 • Lodders Solicitors LLP Bromwich Hardy • #thebrightsides #brightsides #oceanrowing #rannoch #atlanticocean #atlanticrow #oceanrow #oceanlife #rowing #rowinglife #atlanticdash #getahead #meningitisnow

We’re a few hours away from D-day! We are so excited to see you at the EyeRide start line at 7:15 am tomorrow morning! Your incredible efforts have led to $43,767 in donations (and counting) for our 2024 benefactors, @balanceforblindadults and the @trailblazerstcc The weather forecast is cloudy and 25°C for the morning 65 km, Vaughn to Alliston leg. Mother Nature is testing our resilience and flexibility. The forecast for the Alliston to Collingwood leg of EyeRide is thunderstorms with heavy rain. For the safety of those riders, we are canceling the Alliston to Collingwood leg of the ride. This means EyeRide will conclude at Alliston for all riders. For those of you who were riding the 130 km ride, we understand your disappointment, but your safety is our priority. We’ll be celebrating and enjoying lunch at Alliston as EyeRide’s end point. Upon arrival at PPG Park, all riders will leave their bikes with our Bike Valets to be loaded for transport back to the start line. The bus will accommodate all riders. The bike truck and bus will depart Alliston at 1:00 pm sharp. In case of a sudden thunderstorm while cycling: 1. Seek temporary shelter. 2. Avoid taking shelter under an isolated, lone, tall object like a tree. 3. Avoid grouping together in case of a strike. 4. Cover up to stay as dry as possible. 5. Monitor changing conditions and get moving again quickly to get to safety and generate body heat. If you require assistance, contact our Route Assistance Contact: April Watts at 647-291-2211. We will continue to monitor the forecast. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. You can still donate and support EyeRide here: https://lnkd.in/dmnfKrPu #EyeRide2024 #OutOfSight #Volunteering #Fundraising

What are some of the tax troubles that can be encountered by a college athlete? 🏈 In our new webinar, “Philanthropy and Athletes: Impact Off the Field,” Matt Petroski and Rob Abramowitz reveal that even though a young competitor may be doing charity work for a nonprofit, his or her earnings from that endeavor is taxable. 💸 What else do athletes need to know – especially if they’re planning to go pro? Watch our webinar to find out… 👀 https://ow.ly/28tr30sEmlv #Taxes #Sports #Philanthropy #Webinar

Sports for #charity Together, we're not just playing our favorite sports, but also creating smiles, hope, and a brighter future for an underprivileged family. 🌈❤️ By joining our initiative, you're not only fulfilling your love for the game but also becoming a beacon of generosity and kindness. 🌟✨ #SportsForCharity #MakingADifference #GameChangers #CompassionInAction"

Check out how #PowerClient Golden Chick is making a positive impact on local schools and teachers through its first systemwide philanthropic event! Click the link below to learn more. #GoldenChick #Philanthropy