We are so excited to announce that long-time champion for kids Keystone Environmental Ltd. – BC’s go to environmental consulting firm and recently named Top Small & Medium Employer in Canada – has stepped up with a $15,000 gift to Team Cassie and Friends to help transform the lives of the 3 in 1000 children in BC who live, play and learn in pain because of juvenile arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Last week Keystone’s dedication to kids and families was featured in their local newspaper, the Burnaby Now, and this Sunday they will be joining Team Cassie and Friends in the Vancouver Scotiabank Charity Challenge 5K and Half Marathon!

Since the late 1990s, Keystone Environmental has worked closely with Cassie and Friends’ founder David Porte and his company Porte Communities, a realty and development company based in Vancouver. It was through this business relationship that Keystone learned about Cassie and Friends Society, which was founded by David Porte and his wife in honour of their daughter Cassie who was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at 20 months.

“We had Cassie and Friends come in and talk to our staff about what they do. David Porte came in and told the story about his daughter and just what juvenile arthritis is, and the challenges with the disease,” said Raminder Grewal, president of Keystone. “In our company there are a lot of young families with kids, and they couldn’t imagine their son or their daughter going through something similar.”

In 2016, Keystone Environmental made a three-year commitment of $15,000 to support Cassie and Friends, and in May 2018, Keystone hosted a lunch n’ learn about juvenile arthritis for their staff and announced they’d be increasing their 2018 gift to $15,000 in celebration of their 30th year of business and recent naming as a Top Small/Medium Employer in Canada.

As part of their 2018 gift and commitment to helping kids, Keystone staff – for the 3rd year in a row – will be joining Team Cassie and Friends in the Vancouver Scotiabank Charity Challenge 5K and Half Marathon as Team Keystone for Kids!

Not only will the Keystone for Kids team increase awareness about juvenile arthritis, but their gift will help support research into safe and more effective treatments for kids as well as a number of direct support program for children and families in BC, including an Educational Puppet Show, Parent to Parent Support Program and our annual Family Day conference.

Thank you so much, Keystone Environmental, for stepping up for kids and being a champion for juvenile arthritis awareness and support!

Join us! To support kids and families affected by juvenile arthritis and other rheumatic diseases, please consider making a gift to Keystone for Kids fundraising page for Cassie and Friends! Thanks to Philanthropist Yvette Porte your gift will be doubled until July 23rd, 2018, up to $50,000. Donate here.