A Stampede Breakfast Built on Community Conscientiousness
Let us explain…
This year we incorporated certain elements to our breakfast to enhance the cultural, educational and wellness experience for all attendees! In real terms?
As part of our commitment to truth and reconciliation and climate action, we had a "Wheel of Wisdom" which is an interactive art tool designed to help participants explore the profound connections between the 7 Grandfather and Medicine Wheel Teachings, while addressing modern climate change issues and solutions.
It also highlights how Traditional Indigenous Knowing and Learning can guide contemporary action, fostering a holistic understanding of environmental stewardship that honours both Indigenous heritage and the urgent need for climate action through Land-based teachings
The Calgary Fire Department brought a truck by and shared important fire prevention and safety information for community members to protect themselves and their families.
We also invited community organizations focused on wellness: Ears to You, VCC (Vibrant Communities Calgary), Calgary Dollars, and Accessible Housing to share with the community about their unique and special services that support wellbeing.
Truly, NHA’s Stampede Breakfast has gone from a few free pancakes to a really special community event and we’re extremely proud of this evolution - and all of you, for supporting us to make it happen.
We’re really proud that so many of you have come to see the NHA breakfast as representative of our community spirit - a shared experience with all of us!
Our staff work really hard to bring this event to you every year in a new, exciting, and better way. They’re tireless!
And even still, we know that it would never be the same without alllll the support we receive from so many other corners. Volunteers, donations, visits, incredible music - it all adds up to create the fantastic event we all look forward to each year!
Accessible Housing’s Bridge to Home team have been our rock solid volunteers for many years - we know we can depend on them and that is a big gift. They show up early every year to help us set up, know what needs to happen, bring huge smiles, and stay until every last plate has been cleared and butter packet sweeped up. We are so thankful to them!
This year we also had help from the Vibrant Communities Calgary team, Youth Central, and several of our residents (ML and MJ - thank you!) - such a treat to have so any capable hands helping us!
A huge and heartfelt thank you to the Stampede Promotions Committee and the Batter Boys. They show up every year and we can’t begin to think what we would do without them. This year they flipped an incredible 1500+ pancakes! Thank you!!
This year, and for many years, but especially this year, The Enablers have rocked our socks off! Their music is the most fun, it always gets everyone dancing, and we’d be lost without them. Thank you for bringing the vibes and keeping us happy all breakfast long!
A huge thank you to MLA Kathleen Ganley and Councillor Terry Wong (Ward 7) for joining us and supporting our work - they’re true champions of community!
We were also fortunate enough to receive a grant from the City of Calgary (Arts and Culture Microgrant) AND another one from the Federation of Calgary Communities (ClimateReadyYYC grant) which helped us make this year’s breakfast better than ever and together, allowed for some extra educational pieces. Thank you!
Our friends at Kensington BIA showed up to help and support and bring their wonderful energy, Kensington Pub sooo generously helps us every year by letting us use their power supply and storing frozen sausages in their freezers, Righteous Gelato supplied yummy treats, and Aggudo Coffee have been pouring up coffee to our hundreds of guests for the last few years - we can’t imagine serving pancakes without their delicious brew right alongside! Thank you to all of you!
Harry the Horse joined us again this year - he really does know how to make us all smile and brings so much light to our breakfast! He was joined this year by the very talented and gracious Calgary Stampede Princess, Breanna Correia and we were delighted to have them!
Amazing artists Fancy Faces came out and painted many a very happy kid (and the occasional adult!) which made for some pretty cute photos and an extra special time.
We also received just an OUTPOURING of donations from our extremely generous community businesses that we were able to use for some raffles and increase engagement with the broader community.
A HUGE thank you to these generous businesses for making some community members very happy!
MYo Lab Health & Wellness
Myodetox Kensington
Ridley’s Bicycle
Safeway
Osteria Chef's Table
ACME Pizza & Pasta co.
Vine Styles
Canary Refillery & Zero Waste. Market
Ingear Store Ltd
Red’s Diner Kensington
Kensington Wine Market
Staff share that some of their favourite moments from the breakfast this year was seeing the lineup 20 minutes before the breakfast even started - that people are that excited to join us! Also, seeing the joy in people and hearing them share how they have been looking forward to the breakfast all year, the support from community members, and seeing how excited the kids got to go into the firetruck was the cutest :)
We can’t wait to do it all again next year. See you there!
