Congratulations to our Office Interiors Rivercats Champions
April 7
Our team, the Office Interiors Rivercats, has won the Provincial Junior B Title for the second year in a row! We defeated the Moncton Vitos by a score of 4 to 1 on Sunday Afternoon at the Tri-County Complex in Fredericton Junction. This gives the Rivercats the series, winning four games to one and the Provincial Title for the second straight year. We couldn’t have achieved this without the two staff members from Office Interiors working with our team: Shawn Lean, President and General Manager, and Rob MacGregor, Head Coach.
Next up for the Rivercats is the Don Johnson Cup, which will be played in Montague PEI from April 26 to May 1. Last year, the team opted out of the Atlantic Tournament (The Don Johnson Cup) because our players were involved in UNB and Community Colleges exams. The timing is better this year, and we will be able to attend.
We appreciate the volunteer efforts these two individuals put forth and Office Interiors’ support to the Junior B River Cats Hockey Club. From all of us: Thank you very much!
I would also like to share two more stories about Office Interiors and the Rivercats being involved in our community.
The first story is about our sense of Community.
As you may have heard, we have a young member of this Community who has taken sick in the past week. Wyatt Palmer and his mother, Kelly, were airlifted to IWK Hospital in Halifax last weekend.
As always, the Community has banded together to support the Palmer Family.
Shawn Lean, President and General Manager of the River Cats, representing Office Interiors and Nick Boudreau and Brandon Dobblestyen from the Rivercats, presented a check of $500.00 to Wyatts Brothers, Jordan and Morgan.
And the second story -an article extracted from the New Brunswick Junior B Web Site- relates to educational activities involving Office Interiors and the Rivercats.
After the 2009-1010 season, the Office Interiors Rivercats held their year-end banquet. In addition to the plaques given out for the year-end winners, bursaries for their continued education were also presented.
Rivercats GM and President Shawn Lean said, “If possible, we would like to give every player a hand in furthering their education.” This league has gained popularity because it fills a void in the hockey programs that allow post-graduate students to play competitively without sacrificing academics.
Last season’s recipients were this year’s captain Mitch MacMinn, winning the Evan Underhill Award ($500.00). Scott McIsaac won the Fan Favorite Award, voted on by the Tri-County fans ($500.00) and Nick Boudreau with the Community Service Award ($500.00).
Once again, thank you.
Contributed by Al Boudreau,
Head of Hockey Operations,
Office Interiors Rivercats
Way to Go United Way
April 7
I hosted a closing reception for the Halifax 2011 United Way Campaign cabinet at The Carleton last week. Under the leadership of CEO Catherine Woodman, it is amazing to see the great work done by this organization in our communities. This year’s Campaign Co-Chairs, Joanne Keigan and Robert Chisholm, led the team to raise $6.3 Million. As a former Campaign Chair (2006), I know exactly how hard all the volunteers work to support the United Way.
It was clear at this event that they “Love the Way They Work.” And, of course, it speaks to the generosity of our wonderful little city’s public and private sectors. Bravo!
Jim Mills,
President & CEO
Thank You from an NSCC Student
May 13
Dear Mr. Keith Skiffington,
I want to express my appreciation for the recent assistance from you and your staff. By helping me fill the work experience requirement of my education with NSCC, your company has allowed me to complete my diploma. It has provided me with a valuable learning experience. Indeed, my time at Office Interiors was rewarding beyond my expectations.
Please extend my thanks to all your staff.
Sincerely,
Samuel Skiffington,
Electronic Engineering Technician Student,
Nova Scotia Community College
Volunteer of the Year Award
May 16
Congratulations to Sandra Batten for being selected as a Volunteer of the Year for the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce. Besides her countless overtime hours here at OI, Sandra still finds the time to be a dedicated volunteer at the Chamber (including a member of the Golf Committee), is the First Vice President of the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Greater Moncton (BPW) and still has time to spend with her son as a Cub Leader. You have raised the bar high.
Congratulations from the entire OI Team!
Gary Brown,
Director of Sales
From Brian Jamieson, the Past Chair of the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce
“Sandra Batten is a person who has demonstrated remarkable dedication to the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce in the past year.
As a member of the Golf Committee, she has provided excellent partnerships with the members and ensured the continued success of one of the Chamber’s major fundraisers.
Under her company banner Office Interiors, Sandra has provided endless hours in preparing for the tournament. In addition, – over and above volunteer time on the committee – she has dedicated many hours to supporting the growth of the Chamber.
In conclusion, for service above and beyond, we are delighted to recommend Sandra Batten as one of two candidates for Volunteer of the Year in the category: Tremendous amount of effective volunteer time spent on behalf of the Chamber.”
From Sandra Batten, Senior Account Manager, Office Interiors
“With so many dedicated volunteers, I was very surprised to be recognized with this award, as I am sure there must have been others more deserving than I. The golf tournament is the major fundraiser for the GMCC, and our committee works very hard to make each year’s tournament a huge success. Last year our golf committee was awarded the committee of the year. It is nice that our efforts were acknowledged again this year through my contribution to the cause.
We must give back to our community in whatever way we can. I have gained so much both professionally and personally from my participation on GMCC committees, through my involvement with BPW during my term as First Vice President, serving as Committee Co-Chair for Programs and Projects and as a member of several other committees and from the young Cub Scouts in my Scouting Group.”
Football Nova Scotia
July 7
Dear Sponsor,
On behalf of myself, Football Nova Scotia, the players, and the coaches, I would like to thank you for your support of the Provincial Football team this year. Your contribution and sponsorship to our provincial program are well recognized by all and greatly appreciated by our players and staff. Without your help and support this year we would not have the funds to help our players.
The media guides turned out very well this year, and we thank you again for your continuing support.
Sincerely,
Richard MacLean,
President of Football Nova Scotia
Phoenix- Helping Youth Rise Above
July 7
Dear Mr. Mills,
On behalf of the youth we serve, the volunteer organizing committee and Phoenix, we sincerely thank you for your generous donation to Celebrity Dreamscape – Rock Around the Clock.
We hope you feel pride in the direct impact your support has on the lives of our youth. Thanks to your generosity, we are pleased to share that a record-breaking $108,000 was raised in support of Phoenix!
For many guests, a highlight of the event was listening to the story of our youth speaker Nick.
We are so proud of his accomplishments and having the courage to share his journey with us:
“Such a wealth of spirit and such an opportunity for positive change is provided to our entire society by charitable organizations such as Phoenix and philanthropists such as yourselves.
How could anything be valued more highly, affect society in such a broad way, or be raised to a higher moral pedestal than rescuing youth from a life on par with that of a hungry, abandoned, stray dog?
I would just like to thank this beyond wonderful organization for giving me what I needed to make like a Phoenix, and from the ashes rise again.” – Nick, Phoenix Youth.
Your contribution will help ensure that Phoenix can continue to provide essential support to our community’s at-risk and homeless youth.
Thank you for your commitment to our youth and your gift of hope for a brighter future.
Warm regards,
Ken Power, Chair, Celebrity Dreamscape 2011,
Kim Morvan, Event Manager, Phoenix
Dragon Boat Festival 2011
July 14
Dear Jim,
I am writing to express our sincere thanks and appreciation for your support of our Dragon Boat Team fundraising initiatives for 2011. With your help, we raised over $10,000 and achieved the honour of being the top corporate fund-raiser for the fifth consecutive year.
As you know, all proceeds raised go to encourage amateur sports in Nova Scotia. For more information on the event and the cause, please visit www.dragonboat.halifax.ns.ca. Support from organizations like yours plays a massive part in our ability to contribute meaningfully to this event.
Again, thank you.
Warmest regards,
Diane C. Norris,
Executive Director,
Boyne Clarke, LLP
Bowl-Network-Win/ Junior Achievement
November 26
Attention: Dana Hayes – Office Interiors
Dear Dana,
On behalf of Junior Achievement of Fredericton, a division of Junior Achievement of New Brunswick, I thank you for investing in our Bowl-Network-Win Bowlathon held at Kingswood on November 25th. It was a tremendous success!
Junior Achievement relies on our business community’s continued financial support and the volunteers who work countless hours with our young people. We sincerely believe that Junior Achievement programs foster the spirit of free enterprise and instill in our youth the value of education. Your assistance in accomplishing our goals is sincerely appreciated.
Again, thank you for supporting Junior Achievement and the youth of the greater Fredericton
area. Investing in our youth is investing in our future!
Warmest regards,
Connie Woodside,
President & CEO,
Junior Achievement New Brunswick.
NSCAD: Jewellery Department
November 26
Dear Jim Mills,
We, in the Jewellery Department of NSCAD University, would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the generous donation of chairs.
You will be pleased to know that they are now in place and very much appreciated by our students, staff and faculty. Your generosity has helped us offer a special workshop class beginning next year.
Jewellery workshop, Ceramic techniques for jewelers will begin next fall and will introduce a new material and process to the choice of classes presently offered by the jewellery department. By freeing up our budget with the donation of the chairs, we could purchase a small kiln that would fire small-scale fine porcelain for this class. We are always searching for innovative jewellery practices and believe this new offering will be a positive addition to our research. It is important that our department maintains a cutting edge and continues to warrant our reputation for excellence. Your assistance has helped us in our mandate to achieve these goals.
Nevertheless, the stools fill a very basic need in the department that many may take for granted. Comfortable, safe and adjustable seats for our students are necessary for everyday activities at the bench or design workstations. We have well over one hundred students using the chairs weekly, and I assure you that they will be appreciated for some time.
With sincere thanks,
Pamela Ritchie,
Chair, Craft Division,
Professor of Jewellery Design and Metalsmithing,
NSCAD University
Giving Back
December 13
We say thanks to all of you who braved the weather on November 23rd and joined us for our 20th Anniversary Celebration. It was fun to share this occasion with many people (despite the nasty conditions outside). For those who couldn’t make it, we certainly understand; and we also appreciate the many well wishes that were sent along.
Last night we were excited to announce a very special project to commemorate our 20 Years in business, designed to help emerging entrepreneurs. In January, we will officially launch this project for ALL our customers. We will invite Maritime start-up businesses to apply to receive one of the 20 packages we will award in 2012. Each winner will receive office furniture, equipment, and senior-level mentoring from our Partners. Each package will have a value in excess of $10,000.
Anyone who has started a business knows that passion is key. But it takes a lot to succeed and getting started’s tough. Our goal is to help these entrepreneurs find success and “Love the Way They Work.” It is our way to express our gratitude to our customers who have supported us for 20 years.
I am pleased to announce that the following Partners have already joined us in this venture:
RBC
Grant Thornton
McInnes Cooper
NSCC
Progress Media
Haworth
Ricoh
Humanscale
Thanks, and Happy Holidays!
Jim Mills