This is Who We Are!

Get a behind the scenes tour of EFL.

Heart of a Hero

EFL’s cover of Cathy Heller’s Heart of A Hero❤️.

Sing

The Joy of Community!

 
 
In less than a decade, Events for Life has established itself in the community. We’ve seen an outpouring of support through community donations, municipal government funding, and in participation and support of our volunteer efforts. We are grateful for all of our support!Most touching, though, has been our ability to witness the impact of our programs upon the lives of our participants. Their smiles say it all!

 
 
 
 
 Winter 2025 Newsletter

Summer - a time of fun, nature, friendship, performances, plays, exercise, silliness, High Tea, art, science, rest, music relaxation, 5 summer participants to bring more joy and so much more.

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Kevin J. WhyteChair

Before retiring in 2018, Kevin spent his work career managing large teams in the areas of technology and operations at TD and RBC banks and other financial institutions. This has provided him with great experiences that he brings to EFL and has been assisting in the implementation of risk, governance, and policies to a growing organization. His financial background also has been a key contribution to the overall financial management and sustainability of EFL. Kevin also ran the Disability program at TD in their Diversity Leadership Council with a mandate to embed diversity into business plans and drive enterprise wide initiatives which allows that background to help drive these changes in our community. Kevin also has spent over 20 years on not for profit boards where he had many roles including chairing 2 large boards. This experience is also incredibly helpful to EFL as we follow down a similar path starting as a very small organization to one that is growing significantly and the experiences that Kevin brings provides us with a strong base.Kevin is originally from Montreal and then spent over 25 years living in Oakville. He was a weekender at Lora Bay in Thornbury for many years and now he and his wife and son Kyle have lived there full time since 2020. He is an active supporter in his community with several charitable organizations. Kevin’s participation in the not-for-profit community has been inspired by his son Kyle, who has Down syndrome, which led to his committed involvement in the support of individuals with disabilities. He served as board member & President of the HDSA (Halton Down Syndrome Association) in Oakville for 10 years and served for 10 years as a Board member & Chair of the Board of the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS) before joining the Events For Life Board in 2017. He believes EFL is a unique and critical organization in our community as we not only support individuals in the community with our programs but also creates strong community awareness and supports our families with housing, employment, and many other key areas.

Anna Gordon
Vice Chairman

Anna and her family have lived in Thornbury for 10 years, where her partner is a local entrepreneur and their 2 children attend Beaver Valley Community School. They love taking advantage of the nature the Blue Mountains has to offer, as Anna is an avid hiker and her children are ski racers and mountain bikers.Currently, Anna is a People Consultants Director for People & Culture at the University Health Network and teaches part-time in the Human Resources Management program at Seneca College. With over a decade of experience in HR at large organizations and in private career coaching, Anna helps companies identify strategic human resources challenges and implement real improvements from the employee to the organizational level. Anna is a Certified Human Resources Leader in Ontario and holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations/Human Resources from University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from Saint Mary’s University.Anna is also committed to sustainable development in our region, and was the president of the Harbour West Residents Group for 4 years.

Cathy Butler
Past Chair

Cathy Butler and her family have lived in the Town of Blue Mountains for 14 years. Her son Thomas has been a part of Events for Life since its inception in 2013 with Shelley Higginson. After completing high school in Meaford, the ” bus stopped coming to pick Thomas up for his day” and ” we knew we needed to do something about that”
As the Board Chair, she has helped grow the organization through her many community connections of life long friends in the Thornbury area.
Cathy also volunteers as the Community Coordinator for Special Olympics in the Meaford/ Thornbury region. She coaches golf and skiing within the organization.

Katie Sherk
Secretary

Katie has extensive sales and administrative experience with over 30 years in the hospitality and travel industry and most recently with Independent Schools, where she served as Director of Administration for one of Toronto’s top Independent schools for boys, aged 4 to 14. Her diverse areas of focus include: leadership, community growth, sales, organization and customer service. Her Board experience includes being the Secretary to the Board for 12 years in Toronto, as well as being a board member of the Georgian Peaks Club and Founding Board member of the Georgian Peaks Foundation. Katie has also volunteered for many organizations, including chairing her boys’ public school Parent Council.Katie has been coming to the Collingwood area all her life and recently moved to Clarksburg with her husband to become a valued member of the Town of Blue Mountains and to enjoy all that the area has to offer. Her love of helping others and making a difference is what drove her to join Events For Life in 2020.

Christa Carroll
Treasurer

Christa originally joined the EFL Board in 2016. Although taking a break from the Board in 2020 she has continued to volunteer with EFL in a financial capacity. Christa is excited to be rejoining the EFL board in 2025.Christa and husband Jim have run their own business for the last 30+ years. Prior to this Christa worked at Deloitte(Touche Ross) as a CPA, as well as Unilever Canada and Thomas J Lipton.Our family has been in the Town of Blue Mountain for over 25yrs as members of the Georgian Peaks Ski Club and have helped EFL in various ways since its inception. We all look forward to continuing to see EFL grow and enhance the lifestyle of so many special people!

Melanie Johns
Director

Melanie Johns retired from Georgian Bay Community School, Meaford in 2018. She taught secondary students the subject of Mathematics. She was a staff advisor for Students’ Council, Music Council and Link Crew. She coached various teams over her 30-year teaching career. Melanie also worked for the Ministry of Education creating on-line interactive educational tools for teachers and students. She enjoyed using technology in her classroom as much as possible including the use of a SmartBoard and posted her lessons to a website (even before COVID!). Melanie also had a variety of leadership roles within the school board including coaching other mathematics teachers.Melanie started volunteering with Events for Life (EFL) by assisting in an administrative position. She was a founding member of the Board of EFL and assisted in writing documents to attain charitable status for EFL. Interacting with EFL participants is her favourite activity. Melanie’s “Event for Life” is riding her bike across Canada, raising awareness of the need for programs such as EFL across the country and raising money for EFL. You can see the bike ride by following “Bike Canada Event 4 Life” on Facebook, Instagram or Strava.

Kelly Williams
Director

Kelly Williams is a wife and mother and spent 32 years in education as a classroom teacher and elementary school administrator. She has had many experiences working to support students and their families with diversity.Kelly recognizes the need for opportunities after high school for adults with special abilities to feel included. She is passionate about wellness and development of the whole person.Kelly recently retired and moved full time to her home in The Blue Mountains. She is invested in supporting equity and inclusion opportunities to help ensure all residents can feel like valued community members.Kelly is excited to be a part of the Events For Life team and work to support the participants to assist them in reaching their full potential.

Christine Lasky
Director

Christine Lasky is a retired resident of Thornbury and has been coming up to The Blue Mountains for over 40 years. She graduated from Schulich School of Business with her MBA and was the Gold Medal winner in marketing. She worked at Procter and Gamble out of University, then Nabisco and Weston’s. She moved into Financial Services with National Trust and SunLife Financial at Spectrum Investments. The last 13 years of her career were spent at The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation as the Chief Brand Officer and VP of Strategic Initiatives launching The Ride to Conquer Cancer, building their lottery program and other significant fundraising initiatives. She volunteers in the day program at EFL and joined the Board late in 2022. She also is on the board of the Blue Mountains Bruce Trail Club. She is passionate about using her skills to make a contribution to the community she lives in.

Kathy Dewling
Director

Kathy and her husband have lived in the Town of the Blue Mountains for 10 years. Kathy originally joined the EFL Board in 2015. After taking a break from the Board in 2020 to focus on travel and family, Kathy is excited to be rejoining the EFL board in 2024.Kathy spent many years of her career in the financial services industry, in both retail services and business analysis. She was a senior management consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers specializing in strategic management, marketing and customer relationship management prior to her retirement.
Since retiring, Kathy has focused her energy in governance work at several not-for-profit organizations at the municipal, provincial and national levels. She has held executive positions on several Boards including the Neighbour to Neighbour Centre in Hamilton and the Alzheimer Societies of Ontario and Canada.Kathy is extremely proud of the work that EFL does in the community and looks forward to contributing to the continues success of EFL into the future.

Marla Simon
Director

In 2012 Marla and her husband Steve moved with their family to Thornbury where they embarked on a career in Real Estate and Lifestyles North Real Estate was born.Their son Michael was lucky to have had Shelley Higginson as an educational assistant in High School and was one of the “Original 5” participants when Shelley, seeing the need for a day program for individuals with special needs, started EFL during summers at her farm.Marla was born in NY and moved to Los Angeles with her family at an early age and is a graduate of UCLA. Prior to her career in Real Estate, Marla turned an internship at Columbia Records into a 20+ year career, rising to the position of Vice President of International Sales and Marketing for Sony Music in New York City.Marla has spent her entire career in marketing, often touring the world with some of the most recognizable artists in history – Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Hall & Oates, Michael Jackson, Gloria Estefan, Cyndi Lauper, among many others.
Currently, in addition to selling homes, Marla is in charge of the Lifestyles North Team’s marketing department. She has extensive marketing and management experience and also has experience managing special events.She is looking forward to using her skills to “give back” to EFL which has been such a huge part of her son’s life, as it moves into its exciting next phase.

Barb Weeden, Executive Director

Barb Weeden is the Executive Director for EFL and joined the leadership team in December of 2018. She is so honored to be a part of this amazing organization and community that brings joy and purpose into the lives of those that need it the most. Barb reports to a very committed Board of Directors who trust and believe in the work she does.Barb is from New Hamburg ON and spent most weekends growing up at her grandparent’s farm on top of Blue Mountain. She went to school for Outdoor Recreation and is certified with the Academy of Leadership Development. Before moving to Craigleith in 2016, Barb spent 22 years at Seneca College in King City where she developed her business and administration skills. She managed the Outdoor Leadership Centre and Community Recreation Programs at two campuses and spent her summers directing the outdoor adventure camp, KDC, that she founded in 1993. Barb has extensive leadership and team development experience which has taken her to Costa Rica, Guyana, California, and the West Coast of Canada.After Seneca Barb was recruited to be the General Manager for the Tim Horton’s Foundation Camp in St. George ON. As a NFP organization, fundraising was a large part of this role. She worked closely with the Tim Horton Restaurant Owners in the GTA to facilitate large fundraising events for the Foundation.Barb has always been involved in the community where she has lived. Since moving to the TBM’s Barb volunteered to help organize two large gala events for BVO and BBBS at Lora Bay and the Georgian Vineyards respectfully. In 2020, Barb sat on the TBM Leisure Activity Planning Committee and is currently a Director for the TBM Chamber of commerce. Barb is a 4th generation Blue girl and is so happy to be living, recreating and working in the Town of the Blue Mountains with her EFL family.

Chandler Perry
Program Director

Chandler calls Meaford home. Chandler is in her fourth year with Events for Life. She became our Program Director in January 2025.
Chandler graduated from Fleming College for Fish and Wildlife Management; she also holds a Property Management certificate.She is currently enrolled in the Crestcom Leadership course which she will finish in the spring of 2025. Chandler brings a diverse leadership background and a wealth of knowledge and love for the outdoors.Chandler’s positive energy is infectious, and she is a valuable member of the team."

Hope McNeil
Administration Coordinator

Hope McNeil grew up in Toronto but spent most winter weekends snowboarding at Blue Mountain. In 2023, she made the move to Collingwood, drawn by the area's natural beauty and a desire to be more engaged with local community initiatives.Hope comes to EFL with a background in Media Communications, she leverages her experience from various sectors such as account management, bookkeeping, and graphic design. Hope’s skill set spans both creative and technical domains, enabling her to bring a holistic approach to this role.In her spare time Hope enjoys spending time with family, crafting and hiking with her dog.

Brenda Topham
Assistant Program Director

Brenda has a background in the education field as an Educational Assistant. Brenda is a calm and compassionate person and she brings these qualities to the EFL program. She has seen the need for programs like EFL in our community and jumped at the opportunity to be part of the program. She finds it to be one of the most rewarding experiences in her career of helping people with special needs.

Kelsey Wilding-Davies
Program Facilitator

Kelsey has called the Blue Mountains home since 2020. Originally pursuing costume design, she worked in the television industry for 5 years, contributing to many TV shows and movies. A competitive rider for her entire life, she transitioned into therapeutic riding and eventually found her passion in this line of work.
In between, she became a paralegal, making her a uniquely strong advocate for her clients. Currently, she is studying at the University of Cape Town, focusing on disability, inclusion, and education. In the past, she served on the board of Barrie Integrated Baseball Association for four years. She is also NCCP certified and has traveled to games with the Special Olympics, in addition to being a certified Equine Canada coach. She now competes on the show jumping circuit and has two horses at home on a small family farm with an array of other animals. Kelsey brings her diverse experience, compassion, and dedication to helping others achieve their personal best to our team at EFL.

Laura Harpell
Program Facilitator

Laura grew up in a small town just outside of Barrie and moved to the Blue Mountain area with her husband in 2020. She studied Psychology and Child and Youth Mental Health, which, combined with her empathetic approach, enables her to connect deeply with individuals and tailor methods to meet their unique needs. When not at work, Laura enjoys exploring local farmer's markets, hiking with her family, and reading a good book. Laura is passionate about helping others unlock their potential and excel at EFL.

Clara Pretli
Support Staff

Clara was raised in Meaford. She graduated from Western University with an Honours Specialization in Psychology (BA) and a minor in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. Clara volunteers for multiple organizations, including the Canadian Mental Health Association, where she has been a mentor and volunteer for almost 2 years. Clara is currently enrolled in various online courses, including ASL, with the goal to apply for a Master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology.

Clare Hopkins
Support Staff

Clare is a graduate of the Massage Therapy program at Georgian College, and she will be attending university in Ireland 2025-26 to complete her 4th year of a Bachelor of Science program in Health Sciences. She is a lifelong competitive athlete and a certified personal trainer. She is a marathon runner, and she has played competitive hockey for 15+ years. Clare resides in Collingwood She is an upbeat, responsible and hard-working individual who has actively volunteered with a number of organizations including Special Olympics. Upon her return from Ireland, she plans to complete teacher's college so she can pursue a teaching career.

Kait Mcinnes
Support Staff

Kait is from the Markdale area and has been with EFL since April 2022. Kait has supported people from Children to Seniors. She has also been a Personal Support Worker for over 10 years. Kait brings her experience in care, compassion and helping others achieve their personal best to our team at EFL.
She enjoys camping, sports and spending as much as she can with her nieces and nephews.

Abbey Dunlop
Support Staff and EFL Arena Cafe Manager

After spending the spring and summer months as a Support Staff at Events for Life, Abbey is rolling into her second year as the Manager of the EFL Arena Cafe. We are so fortunate to have Abbey returning!!! Abbey oversees the Cafe operation during the week ensuring the EFL participants are well supported for the lunch time program. On weekends, Abbey runs the busy cafe for the newly established local hockey team "The Thornbury Applekings" while supervising the many part-time staff and volunteers.Abbey graduated from the University of Guelph with a BA in Psychology. During her time at University Abbey gained exceptional leadership problem solving skills as the Senior Residence Assistant managing 60 students in their new university environment. During her weekends Abbey continues to mentor youth as a Competitive Alpine Downhill Ski Coach. Abbey is taking her Masters of Arts for Counselling Psychology from the Yorkville University based in New Brunswick. We are so pleased to support Abbey as she studies remotely this year. Look for Abbey's big smile when you come by the EFL Arena Cafe!