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Blue Wave ripples through Oakville and beyond by Bob Mitchell Special to the Beaver 17 | Friday, November 13, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Today (Friday, Nov. 13) is World Kindness Day -- a day when people and businesses are encouraged to do an act of kindness. But for the Blue Wave team of Oakville, helping others has become a year-round event. "We're available wherever and whenever we're needed," said Mary De Sousa, who runs the Blue Wave volunteer program as vicepresident of marketing for First Ontario Credit Union. From helping clean up trash to coaching minor sports, and from lending a hand at charity events to helping shut-ins with grocery shopping, Blue Wave volunteers are ready and willing to make a difference. Since the program started in 2010, Blue Wave volunteers have logged more than 5,500 hours. Recently, the Oakville Blue Wave group sold beverage tickets at the second annual Kerr Fest in September. Last summer, they did the same at the Oakville Family Ribfest. In the past, the Oakville group has also cooked hamburgers and hot dogs during the holiday tree-lighting event at Kerr Village. "Because we're bonded, we're able to handle cash so selling beverage tickets for a threeday event like Ribfest works well," said Mike Marner, manager for First Ontario's branch on Kerr Street. serving communities in the Golden Horseshoe, from Halton to Niagara and the HamiltonBrantford-Woodstock area. More volunteers are expected to soon join the Oakville group once a 5,000-sq.-ft. flagship branch opens at Dundas Street and Neyagawa Boulevard, along with a mini-branch inside the new Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital when it opens next month. The branch at the hospital will be staffed by the first video teller in Ontario, De Sousa said. "We hope to develop a strong relationship with the Oakville Hospital Foundation once the new hospital is open," De Sousa said. see Volunteering on p.18 3 years in a row! Experience the difference yourself. Ranked "Highest in Investor Satisfaction with Full Service Brokerage Firms" Mike Marner, manager of First Ontario Credit Union's Kerr Street branch and a Blue Wave volunteer, pictured with Oakville Family Ribfest mascot Oakey. |submitted photo Edward Jones received the highest numerical score among full service brokerage firms in the proprietary J.D. Power 2013-2015 Canadian Full Service Investor Satisfaction StudiesSM 2015 study based on 4,827 total responses, includes 14 full service brokerage firms, and measures opinions of investors who use full-service investment institutions. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed May-June 2015. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com MKT-1924E-C-FL1 SEPT 2015 © 2015 EDWARD JONES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. "We all feel it's important to give back to the communities we serve. People make a community. We get behind family events and all of us feel great satisfaction from lending a hand." There are nearly 200 Blue Wave volunteers Marc Nutford Financial Advisor 2387 Trafalgar Road Unit E2 Oakville, ON L6H 6K7 905-844-4043 www.edwardjones.ca Member ­ Canadian Investor Protection Fund Warm and PAINT RED dry. THE TOWN Restaurant Challenge #584 and #566 The Winter in Rustic Brown and Black $229.95 Indulge in a good cause by visiting a participating restaurant on Friday Nov. 20th! uwoakville.org