Meet your ClimbUp Champions, United Way BC cabinet members and Mark Goldberg and Feras Elkhalil.
Goldberg and Elkhalil first recognized and deeply connected with the United Way’s mission around eight years ago. “I couldn’t fathom young kids the same age as my own going to school hungry,” Elkhalil shares about his initial introduction to the United Way. Goldberg adds, “I’ve seen it with my own family and through personal experiences that we need to lean in and support vulnerable folks within our communities.”
From young children to seniors within BC, the United Way’s programs span the entire lifecycle and provide support to BC communities through programs that address each one’s unique challenges.
Seven years ago, with the goal of getting BC’s tech community involved in the United Way’s many impactful initiatives, Goldberg and Elkhalil teamed up to launch the first annual Tech Grind.
In the first year of the Tech Grind’s inception, Vancouver’s tech community raised around 20 thousand dollars for the United Way. Since then, the event has rebranded to ClimbUP and shifted to include participants beyond the tech sector, which has allowed its impact to grow. Last year, sponsors and participants raised approximately 80 thousand dollars.
Goldberg and Elkhalil are just as passionate today as they were on the Tech Grind’s launch day seven years ago, and hope you’ll join them in braving the Grouse Grind in support of the United Way once again on October 1st, 2022.