SIGN OF HOPE: In 2003, he was chair of the Edmonton Catholic Social Services' "Sign of Hope" successful $1.84 million fund-raising campaign. Edmonton Catholic Social Services is Alberta's biggest non-profit social services agencies, delivering some 120 programs to over 60,000 clients on a yearly basis, in a dignified, respective and always optimistic way.

EDMONTON CHRISTMAS BUREAU: Graham and his "Hicks on Six" column has been tied in with the Edmonton Christmas Bureau for many years, usually through a major "phone-in" auction which over the years has raised more than $500,000 for the bureau. The Christmas Bureau has a simple mandate: To ensure ALL Edmontonians have a special Christmas dinner. Some 17,000 underprivileged families plus singles and shut-ins, receive an IGA gift certificate worth about $80 for a family of four during the Christmas season.

ADOPT-A-TEEN: He has been involved with under-privileged young teens since 1997, as the founder of Edmonton's "Adopt-A-Teen" Christmas gift program. As currently structured, Adopt-A-Teen purchases $50 Wal-Mart gift cards as a gift for teens aged 13 to 16 from underprivileged families. This is an age group that receives no Christmas goodies from any other social agency.
The money is raised through an Edmonton Sun/Hicks on Six public appeal at Christmas, with the cards distributed to families with teens in the age bracket, families that have been "means tested" through the Edmonton Christmas Bureau and Salvation Army. The Salvation Army coordinates the distribution of the gift cards. In 2003, 2,300 gift cards were distributed.

YOUTH EMERGENCY SHELTER: Realizing that young teens are A) the most difficult age group to connect with, B) if you n turn around a kid at that age, chances are you save the kid from a very tough life and C) the age group is one of the most neglected in our society, Graham hopes to continue to direct his charitable efforts in that direction. One agency he urges everyone to support is Edmonton's Youth Emergency Shelter, dedicated to helping teens in crisis.

If you'd like to be involved on a volunteer basis with any of the above groups, or wish to make a donation, please don't hesitate to contact Graham through this web site.

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