2009 Leadership Donor Thank You Event will feature keynote address by this celebrated Canadian and mental health advocate

Waterloo - On Thursday November 19 at 7 p.m., United Way of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area will welcome Margaret Trudeau as the guest speaker at its annual Leadership Thank You Event. This exclusive, invite-only engagement at the University of Waterloo’s Federation Hall is being held as a special thank you to United Way Leaders - those who annually donate $1000 or more.

“United Way Leadership Donors truly do lead the way - they are the backbone of our fundraising efforts,” says Jan Varner, CEO, United Way of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area. “The Leadership Thank You Event is our way of thanking them for their ongoing support and dedication to helping make Waterloo Region a great place to live for everyone.”

Last year, donations from United Way Leaders represented over 30% of the organization’s fundraising dollars, or approximately $1.7 million.

“Through their generous act of giving, United Way Leaders are a key source of inspiration to others,” explains Steven Parker of Manulife Financial, United Way of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area’s 2009 Leadership Chair. “The vast majority of these individuals give year after year after year. Their collective caring provides a solid foundation for positive change in this community.”

In her keynote address to approximately 300 United Way donors, Trudeau will share stories of her past mental health struggles and deliver a strong message on the importance of finding balance in life. It was her personal experience with bipolar disease that inspired her to become an advocate for mental health issues.

The author of two books, Beyond Reason and Consequences, Trudeau also made Canadian history as the youngest Prime Minister’s wife when she married Pierre Trudeau at the age of 22.

The United Way annual Leadership Thank You Event is sponsored by Manulife Financial, United Way of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area’s Leadership Sponsor since 2007. A strong example of corporate citizenship at work in our community, Manulife also runs an exceptionally strong United Way employee workplace campaign each year.