Finalists for Aviva Community Fund chosen

After casting more than 2.8 million votes, Canadians have chosen the top 30 finalist ideas for this year’s Aviva Community Fund competition. 

Created by home and auto insurer Aviva Canada and now in its fourth year, the Aviva Community Fund provides $1 million in donations for community initiatives across the country.

The 30 finalist ideas are now in the hands of a panel of impartial judges. Winners will be announced Jan. 29, 2013 on CTV’s Canada AM.

All finalists (or an associated registered charity) that are not selected for full funding by the judges will receive $5,000 in funding. Within the $1 million in funding, is a specific prize of up to $150,000 for Canadian community groups or charities that support homeless and at-risk youth programs, part of Aviva’s global street to school initiative.

While voting is over, supporters can still contribute monetarily to their favourite Aviva Community Fund causes. Starting today, ideas with associated charities will have their “vote now” button replaced with a “donate now” button. These ideas are encouraged to leverage to collect donations from supporters.

The Aviva Community Fund 2012 finalists from across Canada are listed below:

National

• The Drawing Hope Project

British Columbia

• Exoskeleton for Trevor Greene Canadian Veteran (Nanaimo)
• Gladstone Secondary Greenhouse for Science and Foods Programs (Vancouver)

Northwest Territories

• The Children First Playground: Where Arctic Kids Can Dream (Inuvik)

Alberta

• Vera M. Welsh and the community of Lac La Biche need a new play (Lac La Biche)
• Rescue for Life – Spay/Neuter Initiatives (Spruce Grove)

Saskatchewan

• Chase Kraynick “Pay It Forward” Splash Park (Canora)

Ontario

• Riehl skate park (Fonthill)
• Silver Lake Camp “A small camp with a big impact” (Kinloss)
• E.T. Crowle P.S. READy Set Read Library Revitalization Project (Markham)
• 40 hours and beyond (Markham/ Scarborough)
• Stay Strong Nick Roma (Niagara Falls)
• Georgian Bay Turtle Hospital (Orillia)
• Kaiden’s Care Kits (Russell)
• Fill the Pool! A community comes together to re-open their pool (Smiths Falls)
• Promoting Human/Bear Coexistence through Education and Action (Sprucedale)
• Harder-4-Carter: The Carter Antila Memorial SkatePark (Temiskaming Shores)
• Excellence for Us! (Toronto)

Quebec

• Une vraie cour d’école pour ados! (Bois-des-Filion)
• Nouveau gymnase pour notre club de gymnastique les Hirondelles (Granby)
• Help Build the Animal Rescue Network’s Purrfect Shelter (Montreal)
• REACH OUT TO STREET YOUTH!! REJOIGNEZ LES JEUNES DE LA RUE!!! (Montreal)
• La robotique contre le décrochage scolaire (Rimouski)

New Brunswick

• Never Enough Room…..Help Us Help Even More (Moncton)
• The Compassion Project (Quispamsis)

Nova Scotia

• A Shelter for H.A.R.T. (Aylesford)
• Undercurrent Youth Centre (Glace Bay)
• Fighting for Healthy Affordable Food in North End Halifax (Halifax)
• Hope for Wildlife- Marine Wildlife Rescue Centre (Seaforth)

Newfoundland and Labrador

• Happy Valley Goose Bay SPCA (Happy Valley Goose Bay)