Investing in Tomorrow's Leaders: Sask Girls United and Sandbox Leading the Way
On Thursday, October 12th, 2023, Sandbox Mutual Insurance attended the annual Insurance Brokers Association of Saskatchewan (IBAS) Convention & AGM in Saskatoon. The IBAS convention is an annual two-day event where various vendors in the insurance industry set up trade show-style booths to promote new products and services, exhibit their brand, and network with others in the province.
Pictured left to right: Rob Wirt, Marketing Representative for Sandbox, and Trent Beatty, Manager of Broker Services for Sandbox at the 2023 IBAS Convention & AGM.
In 2021, IBAS created #BrokersCare, a philanthropic mission that aims to give back to charities and non-profits in the communities where their members operate. This year for #BrokersCare Day, they selected various charities to highlight, one being Sask Girls United (SGU). Sask Girls United was founded during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020 with the aspiration to bring women together and provide the grounds for female empowerment. SGU is a cause that offers online lessons to youth across Saskatchewan on the topics of leadership, goal-setting, mental wellness, and many others.
As part of our Care for our Community program, Sandbox is proud to support an organization that brings so much drive to the leaders of tomorrow. In recognition of the impact that Sask Girls United has made during times of isolation in the province and beyond, Sandbox was proud to present a cheque for $5,000 to Sask Girls United.
Pictured left to right: Amy Carruthers, Director of Finance and Operations of Sask Girls United, and Shelley Willick, President and CEO of Sandbox Mutual Insurance.
The IBAS committee matched Sandbox’s donation, totalling $10,000 toward Sask Girls United. The #BrokersCare team was proud to match the donation because Sask Girls United aligned with the four pillars of their foundation. Derek Lothian, President and CEO of IBAS, explains these symbolic four pillars:
1. Responding to the youth mental health crisis;
2. Enhancing equitable access to children’s learning and development opportunities;
3. Providing comfort, care, and hope to sick kids; and
4. Eliminating food insecurity for at-risk youth.
These donations didn’t just start here! Over the past two years, the #BrokersCare Community Fund has been making waves in the insurance industry of Saskatchewan, matching donations left, right, and center, already seeing positive results from each. When asked about the scale of #BrokersCare in terms of community-building, Lothian reflects:
Through the generosity of our members and partners, the #BrokersCare campaign has been able to raise and donate more than $200,000 to youth-focused not-for-profit organizations and projects province-wide. That’s real, meaningful impact.
When focusing a lens on Sask Girls United, they have seen major growth in a short period of time — and they don't stop here! SGU has exhibited vast expansion across the province, with more applicants registering, seeing a greater diversity of participants, and using social media as a tool to amplify their voice of reason and motivation. We are hopeful that our contribution to the #BrokersCare Community Fund for SGU will empower brokers and other industry members to shape change and spread awareness about valuable causes. As the demand for Sask Girls United ventures into new Saskatchewan areas, it is a true testament to the necessity of their work, illustrates what our province was potentially missing, and offers hope for future generations.
Learn more about our Giving Back campaign at Sandbox here.