OF all the ways to celebrate Manitoba Blue Cross’s 50th anniversary, Benjamin Graham believes helping his staff build 50 beds for kids in need was the best — and most on-brand — thing to do.
The president and CEO recently joined dozens of his staff at the downtown Winnipeg baseball stadium that now bears the Blue Cross name to sand, drill, stain and otherwise assemble 50 beds. It was done in partnership with the local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a national non-profit organization which builds, assembles and delivers beds to children in need.
“That was an awesome day,” says Graham, who has led Manitoba Blue Cross for the last four years. ”That’s the proudest day I’ve had in my career.”
“We plan on doing it every year from now on. We’re really committed to that initiative. We had to turn away staff this year (because of the interest),” he says.
Those 50 beds have been delivered to children in our community but the work is far from over. Another 400 kids are currently on the waiting list.
“A good night’s sleep is a simple thing that many take for granted – these beds will have a profound impact on not just the physical well-being but also the mental well-being of children in our community,” he says.
Manitoba Blue Cross has given more than $30 million back to the community since its inception in 1974. That includes their investment in the Manitoba Blue Cross Mental Health Assessment Unit at the Victoria General Hospital, as well as their support of numerous local organizations, including United Way Winnipeg, Manitoba Possible and Harvest Manitoba, to name a few.
“I would like to think that we’re part of the fabric of this province. We’re very proud to be Manitoba Blue Cross. We’re not-for-profit and we put significant amounts of any potential earnings back into the community,” Graham says.