Social Capital: Andrew Stephenson
Meet the Londoners working to make a meaningful difference in our community
Andrew Stephenson, CEO, Bolt Canada
Passion: Fight to End Homelessness
“Last year, my friend Brett Lucier asked me to help with an event he and Adam Malamis were planning called Fight to End Homelessness, hosted by the non-profit organization Fight to End. We had everyday people register, not boxers. Since it’s considered a sanctioned boxing event, they had to pass a medical and we had to match them based on factors such as height, weight and reach.
We ended up with 32 fighters, and with the fighters doing their own fundraising, along with sponsorships and ticket sales for the event at RBC Place London, we raised $78,000. We donated all of it to Youth Opportunities Unlimited for the emergency shelter being built for homeless youth. We were told that would cover the cost of a bed, bedside table, lamp and in-room safe for every bedroom, plus the upkeep of the rooms for a year. I think that is amazing; it’s not a huge number of dollars, but it will have a huge impact on people’s lives.
I work downtown and see homelessness firsthand every day. It’s sad to see teenagers — you know have a short window of time to get them off the street, otherwise they might be in the system for the rest of their lives.
I’m currently on the board for of Fight to End, and we are starting to register people next month for our second Fight to End Homelessness event in November. I might even get in the ring this year.
It’s so important that we all do our part to help those in need. At the end of the day, we at Bolt Canada want to create the most impact we can with our time and money, and we feel we can do that with this event.”
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