Contest winners.
Sam Banks, 22, and Malinda DenBok, 26, won $10,000 through Ford’s Focus Global Test Drive contest. Contest winners created short videos on Facebook supporting charities of their choosing with all proceeds going towards the cause. Winners also get to drive a 2012 Ford Focus for six weeks.
Courtesy photo
Two post-graduate students from Humber College's Fundraising and Volunteer Management (FVM) program won $10,000 (USD) for an AIDS charity in Africa.
"We're so excited about it because it's $10,000 so what it translates to over into Kenyan shillings is phenomenal," said Malinda DenBok, 26, a post-grad student in Humber's FVM program.
DenBok worked alongside classmate Sam Banks, 22, to create a video for Ford Motor Company's Focus Global Test Drive campaign supporting the Living Positive Program (LPP), which is based in Kenya that runs school programs for children and women affected by HIV.
"The contest involved an online Facebook campaign where me and Malinda created a short video clip that needed to be 'liked'," said Banks.
Video submissions were posted on Ford's Facebook page and judged based on their creativity, quality of content, overall social media presence, and the total number of "likes" received for a given video on Facebook.
DenBok and Banks' video highlighted both their studies at Humber College and their desire to help Kenyan children and women attend school, educate them about HIV and AIDS and to help keep them nourished through daily meals.
Banks said their program teaches students about the different elements of fundraising and volunteer work, ranging from volunteer management to the projects promoted by non-profit organizations such as LPP.
"It promotes us to become involved, philanthropic individuals and support charities we are passionate for and care about that find a place in our heart," she said.
In addition to the prize package, DenBok and Banks won a trip to Spain where they were able to test drive the 2012 Ford Focus in Madrid, and met with other contest winners from 13 countries.
"It was incredible, we got to meet so many different people who have started their own charities and see how they're involved in different charities," said Banks.
On top of the $10,000, Banks and DenBok were given an additional US$3,000 they will use to increase awareness about LPP through an event they plan to hold in the near future.
"We're going to run a fundraiser but we're still hammering out the details," DenBok said.
She said the event will be held at a high-end venue in downtown Toronto for all the supporters of LPP, which will feature live music and Ford promotional items, while a portion of door sales will be donated in support of the charity.