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Chat for Charity
Chat for Charity
Give to Ukraine, get a conversation you'll never forget.
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Our amazing time donors
Irene Mackenzie
- Local artist and proud to call Niagara-on-the-Lake home. I run a home gallery and have developed a thriving wholesale business for my art across Niagara and the U.S.
- Proudly Ukrainian, I’m excited to be part of Chat for Charity, connecting with others and sharing experiences through conversation.
Perry Hartwick
- Geologist, community leader, and lifelong explorer of the natural world.
- Husband to Shari, dad to three grown kids, grandpa to two, and human to a dog named Porter. As a geologist and co-owner of Upper Canada Stone Co., I’ve spent my career working with the land, studying its history, and supporting responsible use of natural resources in our region.
Jackie Kevill
- Entrepreneur, adventurer, and proud Niagara resident. Founder of Ontario’s first dollar store chain with 27 locations, recognized as Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year, and listed among Canada’s Top 100 Companies with a 143% growth rate. Honoured as University of Toronto Entrepreneur of the Year and invited to join the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Women Entrepreneurs.
- Beyond business, I’ve grown a stevia crop at Vineland Research Station, navigated family challenges with autism, dyslexia, and ADHD, jumped off the Matterhorn, and even hitched a ride with two dolphins. Addicted to line dancing, travel, and Frank’s Hot Sauce — ask me about my favourite recipe!
Lynne Gaetz
- Artist, author, and traveller originally from Calgary.
- I spent over 25 years in the Montreal region after becoming immersed in French in Quebec City, where I also learned Spanish. My travels have taken me to India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Chile, Mexico, most of Europe, the Canary Islands, and Kenya.
Brandon Agnew
- Local creative and community builder.
- For over 20 years, I’ve worked alongside poverty-affected communities across Ottawa, Gatineau, London, Hamilton, and now Niagara — where I live in St. Catharines with my partner, Jess, and our orange cat, Gemelli.
Joe Oswald
- New resident to Niagara-on-the-Lake and an Executive Coach with more than two decades of senior leadership experience.
- Before moving into coaching, I built my career as a senior executive in Toronto, leading global teams through transformation, crisis, and rapid growth — always keeping people, trust, and development at the heart of success.
Valentyna Zavhorodnia
- Local newcomer. No stranger to setbacks — within my first 25 years lived through 3 revolutions, 2 military invasions, and forced migration. Nothing scares me anymore — not even talking to strangers.
- From running a varenyky (pierogi) business to organizing an art exhibition and educating about networking at Brock University, I’ve treated every challenge as an opportunity.
Dan Bordenave
- Innovator, entrepreneur, and community builder based in the Niagara region.
- With a background in kinesiology and a Master of Science in Applied Health Science from Brock University, I began my career as a registered kinesiologist in long-term care and rehabilitation. Seeing the gaps in mobility training led me to create solutions that could truly make a difference.
Douglas Kiefer
- Cinematographer, storyteller, and global observer behind the camera for over 40 years.
- As a Canadian Society of Cinematographers Director of Photography, I’ve filmed more than 200 documentary and fiction projects around the world for the National Film Board of Canada and many independent producers. I spent years collaborating with legendary Canadian filmmaker Donald Brittain, and my work has appeared on CBC, BBC, PBS, and ABC.
Grazyna Bergman
- Artist, advocate, and lifelong champion of culture and community.
- Born in wartime Poland and arriving in Canada at the end of World War II, I grew up shaped by resilience and possibility. I studied at the University of Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music and later at Boston University, which led to one of the most formative chapters of my life — working for eight years as Assistant to Maestro Leonard Bernstein at Amberson Productions and during his Norton Lecture Series at Harvard University.
Kelly Buckley
- Musician, adventurer, and lifelong storyteller living life full-tilt.
- I picked up the bagpipes as a teenager and never looked back — teaching, performing, and competing across Canada, the U.S., Scotland, and Brazil, including four trips to the World Pipe Band Championships. Along the way, I’ve piped for high-profile guests, performed with a Juno Award winner, played at Roy Thomson Hall and Hamilton Place, and joined the Celtic-folk band McPherson’s Rant on Irish whistles and electronic pipes.
Gordon Young
- Glaciologist, hydrologist, and lifelong student of the planet’s coldest places.
- Born and raised in England, educated at grammar school and Cambridge University, I began my career teaching high school before immigrating to Canada in 1967. I completed my PhD in Glaciology at McGill University, which launched a career spent studying some of the world’s most remarkable ice landscapes.
Donald Ziraldo
- Pioneer, entrepreneur, and one of the most influential figures in Canadian wine history.
- Born in St. Catharines to an Italian-Canadian fruit-farming family. Co-founder of Inniskillin Winery with Karl Kaiser — the first winery licensed in Canada after Prohibition and the catalyst for a new era of Canadian winemaking.
Ron Clavier
- Neuroscientist, artist, educator, and long-time community advocate.
- With a Ph.D. in Experimental and Physiological Psychology, I served on the medical faculties of three major North American universities, published over 30 peer-reviewed articles, and was elected to the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society. My clinical work focused on adolescents and young adults, with consulting roles for Trinity College School, Sears Canada, and the RCMP.
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