A long-time volunteer of the Look Good, Feel Better program, Robyn has become a regular face at Princess Margaret Hospital where she has donated hundreds of hours of her time to help women going through cancer treatment to learn how to perk themselves up through make up, wig/hair and fun fashion tips. Her years of experience in the Fashion industry coupled by her fine artistic eye has lent itself well to turning an extremely difficult time for women of all ages, including teens, into an opportunity for self-love and motivation. For years, Robyn took on this volunteer position and rarely mentioned it. Only on occasion would she ask us for our opinion on an idea she would think of for the coming sessions or rally us to undertake a social media challenge to help raise awareness. She takes her role seriously, as if in a paid position, and never let these women down. During Covid, her charitable heart grew and began to touch women across the country.

As Covid loomed over this year, Look Good, Feel Better sessions went onto Zoom, and she took on an increased number of tutorials where women from across the country could now log onto. She didn’t get lazy with her time, nor has she become lazy with her enthusiasm to bring new ideas and fresh approaches. Even as the toll of Covid restrictions began taking a toll on her, she never gave excuses, and always showed up. She often appears in our backyard, face full of makeup or wig still on, to show my young daughters what she had done that day - a true inspiration and the best role model for my girls I could ever ask for. The Helper, I would tell them to seek out when they needed a hand.

Her efforts are not isolated to Look Good, Feel Better alone. Seeing how Covid began taking a toll on the people around her, she organized weekly, fun zoom sessions for me and my daughters, and the other neighbourhood friends to join and get creative. She’d buy supplies, invite special guests and put her heart and soul into each week to bring some renewed happiness into our homes. As we all sat stir crazy as the days went on, I found myself in constant awe of her energy and selfless efforts.

With school back in session this September, she put her creative skills to use again, and began making personalized fun mask chains for the kids on our street to ease the blow of having to wear a mask all day. She asked for nothing in exchange, and as they grew to become popular, she began supplying them for zero profit to the local store, to help the small business along.

Having grown up on Lake Simcoe, in Ontario, she spent many days of her childhood fishing and enjoying the endless beauty of Canada’s rich nature. Her city life has not allowed for the same, and I would love nothing more than to surprise her with a beautiful get-away, to Canada’s fishing north and to your gorgeous lodge for an unparalleled and much needed opportunity to give her back a little of what she deserves.

I have learned so much from Bob over the past 35 years about the importance of listening closely to people’s stories and about pouring into others. This is what Bob has done his entire life. Due to Covid-19, he missed his trip this past June. He probably doesn’t have many more opportunities to come as he turned 81 this year (although you would never know it!). I am hoping he will win this trip so he can bring three others with him to enjoy what he has experienced at your amazing lodge!

This past year as most of us hunkered down during the Covid-19 pandemic and worked from home, Bob continued to pour into the men at Man4Man Ministries every day as he has done for the past 20 years. Bob founded the ministry in 2000 to serve men who come out of incarceration and truly desire to turn their lives around. He does not take compensation (in fact he often uses his SS check to keep the ministry going), he does not ask for donations; he trusts the Lord to bring in what is needed and over the years he has learned how to s-t-r-e-t-c-h a dollar!

The men in the program come from a variety of backgrounds, but one of the most common threads running through each life was an absent father growing up. They have never known that particular kind of love and support. Bob has become a father figure to many men over these past two decades. They call him Pops, they bring in their children and grandchildren so they can get to know him; they love him. He shows them respect and undying support, and over time they learn to trust again and give respect to others.

When men come out of incarceration, one of the biggest hurdles is to find work. Bob thinks like an entrepreneur, so through the 501(C)(3) he has started a number of small “businesses” to provide employment, such as lawn and landscaping, moving services, construction/rehab, demolition and maintenance of properties, small engine repair, automotive services, a barber shop, and a thrift store, to name a few. The work standards are high and those who use their services give great reviews about their professionalism. During the pandemic, he continued to think creatively and find ways to provide employment opportunities for these men who have nowhere else to go. Through some contacts, he found a huge gym in Indianapolis that needed to be gutted and rehabbed while it was closed for business. This provided enough work to get them through the worst of the shutdown.

He continually models for these men, as a father would, how to give back to others. When the economy shut down this past spring, many in Bob’s Indiana community were hit very hard. It didn’t take long before food became scarce and they were really struggling. Bob connected with the local food bank and organized some of his men to serve their community by passing out bags of groceries to a line of 700 cars for families in need. At 81 years old when others his age were terrified to be out and about, he just said “they need me,” and he went.

Every August, Bob runs a golf tournament to raise funds to support the ministry. In 2020 it looked a bit different as they couldn’t serve food or shake hands and all the men had to be masked, but one story really stood out to me.

He has one of the men in the program “host” each hole and as the teams come through, his job is to thank them for supporting the ministry and share a 30 second snippet of his life story. Bob had been pouring into a young man named George* (not his real name to protect privacy). George was hosting hole #4 at the tournament. He had on a hat and a mask so the golfers couldn’t really see his face. After one team played through, a shaken George came to Bob and said, “One of those men was my father! I haven’t seen him in over 20 years.” Over the course of a few months, the man was reunited with his parents who welcomed him back home, and they are getting to know one another again. George said, “Pops I could have never experienced this without your love and guidance.”

It’s really impossible to put into words what Bob does. He quietly, without fanfare, loves on and pours into those the rest of us would rather not see; those society has given up on. The program he founded provides the structure within which these men’s lives are changed, which in turn changes the community for the better.

The “mission statement” pictured here has been and continues to be seen over and over again through this ministry. There are too many stories to share, but another quick one happened this past Saturday. Bob was out with his wife (who the men call Momma Blume) and while he was waiting on her he went to put money in a Salvation Army Red Kettle. The man ringing the bell said, “Thank you, Pops!” Under that Santa beard was one of the men who had come through the program and is doing well. They were able to reconnect and Bob heard all about his new life. Change a man…

I don’t feel like my words have adequately conveyed how deserving Bob is. I could write pages and pages and share story after story of just what a difference maker he is, but I’m sure you don’t have time to read all of that. I hope I have conveyed enough of a glimpse into who Bob is that you will choose him for this trip for four to the beautiful Kississing Lodge!

He is a youth mentor for fishing on and off the ice. He has his own boat and would rather see you catch than himself. He is a mentor for the Brandon Gun club where he teaches young marksmen to safely shoot and respect shotguns and rifles. He is also an official scorer for all antlers that come into the Brandon Big Game Night. This includes Deer, Elk, Moose, Bear and Caribou.

The most impressive story was on June 28, 2020, when Brandon was blessed with 16 inches of rain in two days. Chris was home and was asked by all six households in his neighborhood to be in charge of insuring that the homes did not get any water in their basements. Most of the homeowners were away for the weekend.

The torrential rain was just too much for the land to absorb. Ditches overflowed. Highways washed out; basements were flooding all around! Chris continued to monitor everyone’s basements and septic pumps. All was going well; then the power went out! Chris had access to a big portable generator he knew how to hook it up to all the houses at the same time so sump pumps could continue to run! All was good again. Time to relax…

NOT! Someone’s sump pump quit but the rain kept coming down harder now than before. Chris had a spare pump and fired it up, but it wasn’t fast enough to catch back up to the water coming into that basement. So, he used a big cooler to manually haul water from the basement and dump it outside. When the homeowner arrived the next morning to see Chris bailing the basement with a 20-gallon cooler; he was speechless and oh so grateful.

In past years she used the church basement to stuff the stockings with volunteer help from her church lady friends. This year due to Covid19, she did it in the house with a few friends. She divides everything into groups such as "girls 1 to 5 years, “boys 8-12,” etc. It is very hard work and she smiles every minute she is doing it. The kids look forward to what they call "the best stockings ever.” Today, one of the women told me something I never thought of. This year, some of these stockings might go to the children of the children she made happy over 20 years ago.

I asked her when she would quit and relax. Her answer was "never, because it is so fulfilling."

Besides all that work, she also makes Christmas very special for our children and grandchildren.

She is indeed my hero!