My First WE Day Experience

I had the honour of attending WE Day Alberta with Telus and Yummy Mummy Club and as my first WE Day experience, it was an amazing, emotional and without a doubt, inspirational day. WE Day, in case you’re not familiar, is an event that celebrates the WE Movement that “brings people together and gives them the tools to change the world locally and globally”. At it’s core, the WE Movement is about making a difference every single day. Volunteer, create a charity, support anti-bullying, big or small, just one thing, every day.

Each year WE Day events are held across Canada, the USA and the UK. These live concerts make youth activists the rock stars of the show, right along side celebrity rock stars like astronaut, Chris Hadfield, singer/dancer, Paula Abdul and author, Margaret Trudeau.

In Calgary 16,000+ students were bussed across Alberta from Fort McMurray to Lethbridge to the Saddledome for this (over) 4 hour celebration. My 2 tween/teen daughters joined me for the day and all the wonderful behind the scenes perks that Telus treated us to. We got to sit in on an exclusive press conference with co-founder, Craig Kielburger and country music star, Brett Kissel, personal meet and greets with Craig Kielburger, Chris Hadfield and rapper Classified, an all access back stage tour around the entire Saddledome and the floor area where the 13 year old in me was freaking out as Paula Abdul took the stage! I was straight up dying inside! (see what I did there?)

As I sat in my seat composing tweets and adding to my snapchat story, I looked up to realize that my 2 daughters were completely engaged in the speakers. They were listening, they were absorbing and they were inspired. The young man who talked about his triumph over drug abuse and the girl who overcame the darkness of bullying, these were the people my girls were glued to. Hanging on every word, why? Because it was relatable. Even tho they were standing on a stage across an arena, it was like a friend was telling them a story.  Normal kids, in the same grade as they are, doing extraordinary things despite because of the adversity they survived. Nothing drives home all the lessons I try to teach them about understanding, inclusiveness and acceptance more than hearing the worst stories and how these young peers overcame.

Want a ticket to attend WE Day next year? You can’t buy a ticket to WE, you have to earn it and it’s free! Check out WE.org and take the pledge, but don’t stop there. Find a way that you, your family, your children and your students can make a difference today.

Join the WE Movement!

See you at WE Day Alberta 2017!

Special thanks to Telus and Yummy Mummy Club for giving Brigette, Stella and me this amazing day. I’m truly grateful.