Spa Utopia: True beauty lies in the spirit of giving...

Giving back to the community has always been a priority for Spa Utopia. Employees, spa guests, shareholders and owners alike believe in the spirit of giving and reaching out to help others in their time of need. Just knowing that their contribution provides a better life for another person or persons in some small way is not to be overlooked. To this end, in 2006, we established The Utopia Foundation which to date has raised over $250,000 for global and local charities

Last week, the Utopia Foundation presented $6,500 to each of three local Charities—Canuck Place Children's Hospice, BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre, and the Rick Hansen Foundation. 

Money is raised by volunteer staff who provide services outside of regular spa hours during our Days of Giving. Our staff and students volunteer their time, and Spa Utopia and Utopia Academy donate 100 percent of the proceeds from services and retail purchases. More funds are raised by staff organizing activities such as potluck lunches, bake sales, lunchroom "snack shacks" and donation boxes.

The owners of Spa Utopia and Utopia Academy would like to thank all involved for so generously volunteering their time and expertise to make these donations possible. This—and you—are truly appreciated.

More about Canuck Place Children's Hospice: Canuck Place encourages each child to ‘embrace life’ and believes in enhancing the quality of whatever time a child may have left by empowering them to live fully and joyfully.

At the moment, there are about 400 children and families from across British Columbia in the Canuck Place program. Their current budget allows them to provide in-hospice care for up to nine children and four families.

In addition to their core services in the Hospice, they provide consultation and education services to care providers and families. Because of the generosity of donors and volunteers, all of their services are provided free of charge.

More about BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre: BC Women's focuses its research, teaching and care on women's health and the health of their families, including their emotional, mental, social, spiritual and physical well-being.

The direct focus on women has allowed BC Women's to pioneer the creation of specialized programs designed to meet the health needs of women and their families. Donations enable them to give vital and appropriate care through: •Advanced diagnostic and other essential equipment  •Primary women's wellness initiatives throughout the province  •New and innovative preventative health programs  •Research that will inform all their programs and treatments •Recruitment of the brightest lights in women's health care.

More about the Rick Hansen Foundation:  Twenty five years following his legendary Man In Motion World Tour, Rick Hansen’s journey to realize his dream of a world inclusive and accessible to all, continues. Building on a lifetime of extraordinary accomplishments, Rick believes his best work is still in front of him; challenging us to dream extraordinary dreams, to focus attention on accessibility and to remind everyone that when we remove barriers, anything is possible.
 
The Foundation is dedicated to finding the cure for spinal cord injury and making communities fully accessible and inclusive.