50th Anniversary Community Champions Touchdown Dinner an Unprecedented Success

Our 2018 Campaign Touchdown Dinner Event was our most successful yet. This year we were able to secure some incredible silent auction prizes and event sponsors to come away with over $5,000.00! Our guest speaker Denise Hepburn, retired 8-Wing Master Corporal, was an inspiration to all as she told her story of the incredible battle she has faced after suffering a C2 spinal injury in a training exercise: an injury with a 5% survival rate. She overcame the physical challenges and continues to deal with the mental health side of a life-long injury. Her fortitude helped drive her to compete in the 2017 Invictus Games in rowing, seated volleyball and swimming. She won four bronze medals in swimming. Denise spoke about the importance of having support systems like United Way in place for people who are suffering from mental health issues. She is proud to be able to bring awareness to mental health initiatives and hopes sharing her journey will encourage others to reach out for help, especially those dealing with PTSD.

We wish to sincerely thank our sponsors for this event, along with the VCCS Employment team for their incredible support of this event. Without you, there would be no way. Read more about the Touchdown event and our upcoming projects, as well as new volunteer opportunities in our Spring Newsletter!