On November 14th, 2017, 100 Women Who Care Calgary celebrated their four year-anniversary.  I remember being at the first meeting four short years ago.  The concept was brand new, the room looked half empty, and we still managed to raise $5500 for a local charity in just ONE hour.  The recipient: the Boys & Girls Club of Calgary.  Since then, this innovative way of giving has exploded.  Not only are we raising more money at each meeting (more than $30,000 was raised for Wellspring Calgary in September), but we are raising awareness about some lesser-known local charities and drawing more new members at every meeting.  The concept has spread to 100 Kids Who Care, 100 Men Who Give a Damn, and many other regional chapters. 

The women in this group are special.  They take time out of their schedule to nominate and speak for charities they are passionate about.  They show up to meetings.  They write their $100 cheque to the winning charity each quarter.  They are making a huge difference to the people who need it the most in our very own city!  So, last year, when the meeting happened to land on Giving Tuesday, I decided to give complimentary headshots for everyone who wanted one.  It was so much fun, and a great way for me to meet other members.  So, I decided to make it an annual event!  This year, I invited members to pre-book their spot so they wouldn't have to wait in line.  Once again, Nadya Voloshenko from Makeup Arts (my longtime favourite hair and makeup artist) came to give makeup touch-ups to everyone right before I photographed them. 

It feels so good to do something nice for my fellow members, and the best part is learning some new names and making new connections to some amazing people who I hope see at future gatherings of 100 Women Who Care Calgary.  If you haven't joined yet, what are you waiting for?