NEWS RELEASE
OAK TREE PROJECT
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From a list of 11 Semi-Finalists, the 2018 Oak Tree Project has announced the five organizations that have made it to the final $25,000 Grand Prize round. Each of the 11 organizations pitched their idea to a panel of mentors in late June, using facts, figures, video and in-person testimonials hoping to make it to the next round.
“It was really hard to pick our top five,” reflected Oak Tree Project mentor and Vital Signs report co-author, Dominique O’Rourke. “There were a lot of great ideas that covered a wide range of needs. It was exciting to see how these organizations tied their good work back to the information in the Vital Signs report and developed practical ways to make an impact on our community. We challenged the semi-finalists to look for ways to #MoveTheNeedle and they really succeeded!”
Celebrating its fifth anniversary, in 2018 The Oak Tree Project has changed its format and increased the number and size of prizes to be won. Over the summer, each of the five finalists will have a video made of their project by the team at Ward 1 Studios. Starting in September, the five organizations will be encouraging their supporters to vote for their idea to win the $25,000 grand prize at TheOakTreeProject.ca.
The winner will be announced in October and will have until May 2019 to complete their project. The five finalists are:
- Food4Kids
- Hope House
- Shelldale Better Beginnings Better Futures
- St John Bosco Secondary School
- Women in Crisis
New this year (and as a result of strong feedback by the mentor panel) the Oak Tree Project and the mentor group will be leveraging their collective network to find support for those six semi-finalists that didn’t make it through to the final round.
Over the next month, Oak Tree is committing to finding these six organizations some level of in-kind support or cash to encourage their projects to continue. This is new additional funding and not included as part of the original prize total.
“The quality of the submissions this year was exceptional. The ideas we heard were really creative and each one was an opportunity to make significant impact on issues outlined in the Vital Signs report,” commented Curt Hammond from Pearl Street Communications, a mentor and a longtime supporter of the Oak Tree Project. “As a mentor panel, we knew that everyone couldn’t make it through AND we wanted to support these organizations with their important efforts to #MoveTheNeedle. It is a sign of our community strength that between the Oak Tree organizers and those of us mentoring, we will be able to find some cash or in-kind support to encourage these ideas to take hold. It is thrilling to know that we can give these organizations a little Oak Tree love to keep them moving forward.”
The Oak Tree Grand Prize Winner will be announced on Oct. 19, 2018. The Oak Tree Finale will be held in June of 2019 where the winner will present their findings and other prizes will be awarded.
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