Proctor & Gamble's Toronto office kicked off its annual fund-raising campaign for the United Way of Greater Toronto Tuesday with a superhero-themed employee luncheon for 800 people in the company's cafeteria. "Every year when Proctor & Gamble launches the United Way campaign we take the opportunity to gather all the employees together to do a corporate update and then we have fun for the second half of the meeting," said Brenda Prevado, executive assistant to P&G president Tim Penner. "We, in a fun way, unveil what the campaign goal is for the year, and the luncheon sets the tone for the two-week campaign."
Prevado worked with Helen Bukovec of Elevated Events to bring the superhero concept to life for the launch. "We brainstorm and throw out different ideas," Prevado said of the theme. "This year the United Way had gone with 'One City, One Heart,' and it just evolved. Superheroes worked because you need heroes in the city." Bukovec covered the walls in a series of murals meant to replicate comic strips, and company executives dressed as action stars such as Superman, Zoro, and the Incredible Hulk.
Prevado said the luncheon—organized by a volunteer committee and catered by Sarah Garland, the food service director in the company's cafeteria—is the first in a string of campaign events that includes a trivia challenge and a moustache challenge. (P&G executives have been growing moustaches in preparation for a catwalk competition.) Prevado noted that the events motivate staff to raise funds for the United Way. The company is aiming to raise more than $1 million for the charity this year.
