Committed To Making A Difference
As one of Canada's oldest legal practices, Macleod Dixon has grown alongside the communities in which we live, work and raise our families. Today, our people embrace the spirit of giving, volunteering time and financial resources in support of charities and community-based organizations around the globe.
Whether it's the Ride for Kids in Calgary in support of three Calgary charities; investing in a school science laboratory in one of the poorest areas of Caracas, Venezuela; raising funds and awareness in Toronto for Breast Cancer; championing an orphanage in Moscow; or supporting an addiction rehabilitation center in Almaty, Kazakhstan -- the people of Macleod Dixon are committed to making a difference in their communities.
Our Commitment to Youth
“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow." Anonymous
Macleod Dixon realizes that today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. Many members of the firm are involved in activities that benefit local youth.
One of the firm's pet projects is the annual Ride for Kids. Spearheaded in 2000 by Partner Steve Leitl, the Ride has grown exponentially in its fundraising ventures over the past nine years. In 2010, the Ride for Kids will raise money for Youth Central, formerly Child & Youth Friendly Calgary, YMCA Growing Strong Together Community Campaign and the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank's Macleod Dixon Milk for Teens Program. Riders seek pledges from friends, family and co-workers to participate in the ride, and the firm funds all expenses, meaning all pledge money goes to the charities.
Other youth-related initiatives Macleod Dixon has supported include raising money to send children to camp, supporting special education school programs, helping fund housing projects for troubled youth, sponsoring music and drama programs for children and supporting local Junior Achievement programs.
Our Commitment to the Arts
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." Michelangelo
Macleod Dixon realizes the importance the arts play in every society, both from an entertainment/cultural standpoint and from an educational standpoint. We are pleased to have a long-standing reputation for supporting the arts.
We have especially been involved in the arts community in Calgary as a sponsor of the of Theatre Calgary of which Partner Jim Maxwell is Chairman of the Board. Among other initiatives, Macleod Dixon is a long-time supporter of the Kiwanis Music Festival. In addition to the firm's major financial commitment to this festival, staff and lawyers volunteered many hours of their time to fundraising and providing logistical and advisory support for this event.
The firm also supports Youth Singers of Calgary, The Banff Centre, and recently became a member of the Honen's Corporate Laureate Circle.
Our Employee Initiatives
"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." Albert Einstein
Every Friday before a long weekend is Casual Friday at Macleod Dixon’s Calgary office. Staff and lawyers choose worthwhile charities they would like to support, and then pay for the option to dress casually, with the firm matching all money raised. Charities that have benefited from these staff-initiated, fundraising ventures include women's shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, and animal shelters.
Every October, Macleod Dixon holds a week-long campaign to raise funds for the Calgary United Way. From the donut and coffee kick-off through the casual Friday social, staff and lawyers participate enthusiastically in a variety of competitive and non-competitive team building and awareness heightening, fundraising activities.
Our Adopt-a-Family campaign began approximately 16 years ago as a personal effort undertaken by a Macleod Dixon employee. This quiet, small-scale campaign ran for several years as this lone employee quietly collected gifts from a small group to help out one family. This small campaign grew each year and what started as one employee helping out one family is now a team of 30 volunteers who now provide a Christmas to remember for five to ten families every year! Our aim is to make each family member experience a Christmas to remember and we strive to provide each family member with their special wish and more. Every family member receives a stocking stuffed with goodies; lots of personally wrapped gifts for each family member; a gift certificate for perishable food items; and enough non-perishable groceries to last each family a month. A thank-you card from one of our families reinforces the power of giving and why Macleod Dixon employees line up each year to help with this campaign:
"…words cannot begin to express our gratitude for this Christmas. We feared that this Christmas was going to be the bleakest ever and I cried at the thought of our children waking up to barely any Christmas at all…..but thanks to you we had a Christmas like kings do. The most precious gift of all was seeing the joy on all the kids' faces as they opened their gifts to find everything they wanted and more. I can't even come close to describing how you have affected our lives. You gave us food when we had none, gifts under an empty tree and hope to a family that had lost theirs. And for this we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts."
Our Investment in Health Care
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them." Dr. Denis Waitley
The world is seeing major advances in healthcare – a blessing for people suffering from the ever-increasing number of disease states being diagnosed. These advances, however, all require large amounts of funding for research, treatments, medical care facilities and patient and family support groups.
Macleod Dixon commits funds and provide volunteers resources to many healthcare-related events and organizations throughout the year.
Our People - The Spirit of Volunteerism
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. Nelson Henderson
It is one thing for an organization to throw money at a cause – it is entirely different when that organization’s people back monetary contributions with a commitment of their time. Macleod Dixon is proud to have so many of its lawyers and staff making major volunteer commitments of their time to benevolent causes in their communities.
An example of this spirit of volunteerism can be seen in Partner Tom Hirst’s work with the Calgary YMCA where he served as chairman of the board of directors; chairman of the Strong Kids annual fundraising campaign, chairman of the executive committee, and completed 12 years as a director. Clarke Hunter was then appointed to the board when Tom graduated. The YMCA has served Calgary for the last 100 years with more than 50 service locations throughout the city. Macleod Dixon is in a long term financial commitment with the YMCA's Growing Strong Together Campaign.
Then there's partner Don Tse, who has been volunteering with the Canadian Diabetes Association for over 15 years. He has served on boards and committees at local, provincial, regional and national levels and in May 2004 was awarded a National Distinguished Dedication Award. The Canadian Diabetes Association's stated mission is "to promote the health of Canadians through diabetes research, education, service and advocacy."
Those are just a couple of examples. Macleod Dixon boasts many other partners and associates who are actively involved with charitable and community organizations.
Commitment to Education
“No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings." William Blake
Macleod Dixon believes strongly in helping people maximize their potential through education. We do this, in part, through donating scholarships and bursaries to post-secondary educational institutions. In particular, we have made major, long-standing financial commitments to both the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta. As well, several Macleod Dixon lawyers lecture at these and other post-secondary institutions on a regular basis.
Where financial contributions and lecturing represent a traditional approach to supporting education, Macleod Dixon has taken a non-traditional approach as well by, in 1995, becoming a "Partner in Education” with Dr. Gordon Higgins Junior High School in Calgary. Part of our partnership involves donating money to the school for awards in academic excellence and continuing education in the arts. However, the more significant part of this partnership involves Macleod Dixon lawyers and staff volunteering their time to work with the students.
Macleod Dixon was pleased to work with Maxus Technology Corporation to provide refurbished PCs to the school. Maxus is a global pioneer in electronic Asset Recovery and eWaste Recycling. The work with a wide variety of companies, municipalities and other groups aiding them to maximize the value from their assets while recycling and disposing of end-of-life surplus electronic equipment in an environmentally sensitive manner.
Commitment to the Legal Profession and Pro Bono Work
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
Macleod Dixon is proud to be known as a firm that takes on the cases of people in need, free of charge. Macleod Dixon lawyers also give generously of their time and legal expertise to those less fortunate. Macleod Dixon lawyers have taken on a wide range of pro bono cases including representing unwed mothers unable to access child support payments, setting up charitable foundations and assisting church groups and charitable healthcare related organizations.
Macleod Dixon lawyers also regularly and generously give of their time to regulating and improving the legal profession. Over the years, numerous Macleod Dixon lawyers have served on the Executive and as Benchers for the Law Society of Alberta and on the Executive of the Calgary Bar Association. In addition, many firm members are involved in teaching law students as a part of their University curriculum and ongoing continuing education programs.
