Algonquin College's Public Relations (ACPR) program has had an extensive community impact in the National Capital Region raising nearly $600,000 over 40 years of student fundraising for a range of community organizations, from the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and CHEO to the Ottawa Network for Education, the Ottawa Food Bank and the African-Canadian Association of Ottawa.
Fundraising with the Winter 2025 cohort is ongoing, with events running until April 3, 2025. The Hope on the Horizon campaign will benefit Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services.
The program's founder, the late Claudine Wilson, conceived of the idea of having students raise money and awareness for local charities as a way to practice their PR skills while giving back to the community. The ACPR charity campaign has been a highlight of the program ever since.
The Algonquin PR program welcomed its first students in September 1984 with the very first ACPR fundraiser held in February 1985 - a benefit pub held at the now-closed Bert's Bar that raised $318 for St. Brigid's Soup Kitchen. In December 1985, the PR program began a longstanding relationship with the Christmas Exchange of Ottawa-Carleton, raising funds through a teddy bear raffle every holiday season until 2007.
"While the communications channels and technology have evolved a great deal over the last 40 years, this fundraising project remains an integral part of the program because it is life-changing for a lot of students," says Lara Mills, Public Relations Program Coordinator. "They not only learn how to communicate with compassion and sensitivity around some very challenging issues, but by the end of the term, they understand how they can use their public relations skills to make a positive difference in their community."
For more information
1385 Woodroffe Avenue
Ottawa Ontario
Canada K2G 1V8
www.algonquincollege.com/
