Executive
Richard’s passions for social media and hockey were the two elements he built Five Hole for Food upon. With the giving experience such an alienating one, Five Hole for Food is the opportunity for people to come together, give back together, and make a difference together. A proud member of the Simon Fraser University family, Richard is an avid Canucks fan, technology enthusiast, and athlete. Involved in a range of philanthropic endeavours he is passionate, outside of the aforementioned, about academia, social media research, and youth related initiatives. He is founder and now adult mentor of YAHU, a Shelterbox Response Team member, and super hero by night.
When not cheering for the Canucks he can usually be found absorbed in music or hunting down obscure movies. His favourite movies include Snatch, Dead Snow, The Big Lebowski, Enemy of the State and Conquest of Paradise 1842, although not necessarily in that order.
Follow him on Twitter @mozy19
Dixon Tam manages communications and operations for Five Hole for Food. He has been with FHFF since 2010 and assisted with its inaugural campaign. Dixon is a veteran journalist who has worked for several Greater Vancouver newspapers and is currently a member of Simon Fraser University’s public affairs and media relations team.
On top of being an ardent Team USA supporter and Vancouver Canucks fan, Dixon can be found dedicating his Sunday’s to the Miami Dolphins and is a rare breed of baseball fan that will actually watch all 162 Seattle Mariners games just as a warm up to the playoffs.
As a gadget guy you’d be hard pressed to find him without some Apple product and we’ve lost him to the Apple Store on many an occasion (one reason FHFF’s route purposefully avoids any and all Apple Stores across the country). As a big fan of 80′s music there’s nothing more he wants than to be able to rock hair the way Europe did.
Follow him on Twitter @DixonTam
What better way to combine two loves? An automotive teacher in West Vancouver, Vic has been cheering steadily for the Canucks since the days Jim Sandlak wore number 25. The opportunity to travel across the country to play our national game while doing something worthwhile makes him very thankful for the sponsors who believe in us as well as the summers off. Looking forward to visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame, getting a Montreal smoked meat sandwhich, exploring the praries, and riling up some Flames and Oilers fans for a good cause!
Follow hiim on Twitter @moto_mayhem
Crystal manages public relations for Five Hole for Food and has volunteered with the organization since the Olympic Re-Live It event where she was given the task of putting together a full roster of influential players for two games…in eight days. She survived her first mission and has since expanded her scope to include all things PR. At times, she is also the FHFF voice of reason and self-appointed ambassador of colour-coded Excel spreadsheet which she relentlessly promotes during executive meetings.
During the day, Crystal works at the PR agency Citizen Relations and she also burns the midnight oil as the managing editor of Vancity Buzz. She most enjoys building plans and interacting with the FHFF team knowing that the end results will feed hungry families across Canada.
Follow her on Twitter @cwistal
A Montreal native (so naturellement a Habs fan), Samantha now calls Vancouver home after falling in love with the West coast years ago. Fueled by her passion for philanthropy and motivating others to give back, Samantha has been highly involved with the non-profit industry for the past seven years, working in cities like Montreal, Toronto, and now Vancouver for a range of inspirational organizations. Seeing the opportunity to shape the course of a major player in the non-profit scene, Samantha has been able to channel that passion into her role as Director of Sponsorship at Five Hole for Food.
Samantha is a complete corporate philanthropy geek, bringing that passion to the FHFF team, as well as her fierce devotion to Montreal foods and wicked cool dance moves. When not working or volunteering, Samantha can usually be found on an adventure with her Newfie-cross Max, listening to sports talk radio, shagging flies, cheering for Les Habitants and enjoying all that Vancouver has to offer!
Samantha is also secretly planning for an Expos comeback.
Follow her on Twitter @samanthalrogers
Partnerships
Jennifer has built an extensive career in sport working with 2010 Vancouver Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games, Own the Podium and the Vancouver Sport Network. She also specializes in non-profit development working in Community Investment and with Dress for Success Vancouver. Recently she recently joined the team at the Richmond Olympic Oval as their Sport Hosting Coordinator and focuses on building the legacy of the 2010 Olympics.
With a Master’s in Sport Sociology, Jennifer loves to talk about the politics of sport and is an awesome trivia partner. Jennifer is the slowest member of her running group which consist of her and her two dogs.
With a background in fundraising and donor relations, a passion for working with charitable causes, and a workspace dedicated to the Vancouver Canucks, Jennifer decided that Five Hole for Food was a perfect match for her and joined the team in 2011.
Jennifer enjoys food, travelling, and watching the Canucks on the road during vacations. She thrives for opportunities to inject creativity into everything she does (ie. make things pretty), and is disillusioned into thinking she can actually play ice hockey because she has pink skates (much to the chagrin of people who actually know how to play hockey).
Marketing
As the newest member of FHFF’s social media team, Priscilla is excited to be working with a team who loves hockey (and food) as much as she does. With a strong background in social media marketing and event planning, she is looking forward to combining her powers and leveraging her experience to help raise food for food banks across Canada.
Priscilla also loves to travel and explore new cultures. Recently, she spent a full year living in SE Asia which gave her a whole new outlook and appreciation on life.
Follow her on Twitter @itspchan
Taralynn has a passion for sports (especially hockey) and how it can bring people together for the same common goal. She brings a wide range of experience to the FHFF team and currently works as the sales & marketing director for the Coquitlam Express Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club in the BCHL. Taralynn, a Victoria, BC native, has worked with several charities through her position with the Express and is a graduate of BCIT’s Broadcast & Media Communications program.
When not working, TL can be found at the local watering hole cheering on the Canucks or exploring the lower mainland by hiking, cycling and running. She loves music festivals and can be seen dancing the entire day/night away.
Sarah Jackson is a journalist based in New York City, who uses her journalism skills to improve public knowledge and give voice to important topics. Sarah recently graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s applied journalism degree program after four incredible years juggling work as an MSNBC intern, freelance reporter, website designer, research assistant and communications coordinator.
As a volunteer writer for FHFF, Sarah is excited to help get the word out about the opportunity to support food banks across Canada through fun community street hockey games.
Logistics and Operations
As FHFF’s food banks coordinator, she puts the ‘Food’ in Five Hole For Food. In her spare time she spends hours in the kitchen preparing treats for FHFF meetings and occasionally enjoys bothering Dixon Tam at their workplace, SFU. Denise is known for her incredible baked goods which can often be found at FHFF meetings diverting the conversation from actual planning. Although she isn’t currently on any hockey rosters, she was the star defenceWOman on her 7th grade lunchtime floor hockey team. Other interests: event planning, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, hiking, long walks on the beach, etc.
Follow her on Twitter @denise_luong
Darren is the newest member of the Logistics/Operations team with Five Hole, bringing his 8+ years of event production and 2010 Olympic logistics experience with him. Probably as a direct result of this experience, he was accused of being organised by his fellow Log/Ops team members; an accusation he vehemently denies.
Darren is a husband, a dad, a self proclaimed amature chef, BBQ nut, swing dancer, and a rabid hockey fan. During the hockey season he can be heard yelling “C’mon ref!” at the tv. His community minded nature and love of hockey made the decision to join the Five Hole For Food team an easy one when asked by CEO Richard Loat.
When he isn’t cooking for his family, spending time with his wife, engaging in fun activities, reading, or working, Darren spends his free time sleeping.
Phoenix Lam is a self proclaimed cat lady who loves to watch hockey. Having grown up in Vancouver, Phoenix is an avid Vancouver Canucks fans (though secretly in the 90s, she also loved the Colorado Avalanche). She rates Team Canada winning gold at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver as one of favourite memories. While she doesn’t play hockey, she does enjoy drinking a pint at the local watering hole and cheering on her team with fellow Vancouverites. She names Trevor Linden as her all time favourite Canuck.
Phoenix’s favourite movies include, Step Brothers, Anchorman, and anything to do with zombies. Her favourite zombie flick is a Norwegian film called Dead Snow. She once took a Facebook Zombie Apocalypse Survival quiz and scored 92%. Should a zombie apocalypse occur, the best way to reach her is through her twitter account.
Follow her on Twitter @PhoeLam
Aadil Jesani provides the financial direction and advice for Five Hole for Food. He recently joined FHFF in late 2011 and has since helped organize its financial aspects. Aadil is a recent Business Administration graduate in Accounting from Kwantlen Polytechnic University and will be working towards a Chartered Accountant designation with Deloitte & Touche LLP beginning this fall. Aadil has been heavily involved in volunteerism over the past few years, holding positions such as the President of the Accounting Society of Kwantlen, a member of the Vancouver Board of Trade Leaders of Tomorrow program, and a member of Kwantlen’s President’s Ambassadorial Team.
A die hard Vancouver Canucks fan, Aadil also enjoys the less stressful parts of life, such as running, cooking, and spending time with his family and friends. As he moves into the next chapter of his life, he hopes to travel to as many places as possible, learn how to play an instrument and speak a new language, and hopefully see the Canucks win the Stanley Cup in his lifetime!
Follow him on Twitter @ajesani
Veronica became a hockey fan at an early age when her dad put in front of the TV in her highchair and gave her a slice of pizza. Combining hockey and food just makes sense and that’s what FHFF does best. She works at SFU in the public affairs and media relations office with Dixon and is super excited to be a student there in 2013.
Veronica likes listening to music (even when Dixon plays 80′s tunes at the office), laughing, traveling and watching movies and episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Her hero is Steve Nash.
Follow her on Twitter @vaarstad
Community Relations
As a Vancouver native, Belinda has always grown up around hockey, so it only seem like a natural transition to combine both her love for the game and giving back to the community. With her background in fundraising & community relations, she will be gearing up to support Five Hole for Food in surpassing their previous goals.
In her time off, Belinda is competing in co-ed ball hockey, softball, ultimate and curling. You will probably also find her at most live music events pushing her way towards the front of the stage or catching her next flight to who knows where.
Follow her on Twitter @bwong09
Anita knows first hand how the passion and enthusiasm of sports fans can bring together a community having worked in events for Vancouver’s professional soccer club during their Championship season. As an avid Vancouver Canucks fan, Anita is excited to leverage the power of hockey and engage local communities across Canada to give back to a great cause. Anita currently works as the Marketing Manager for a business-to-business global software company with previous experience working in health and wellness.
Follow her on Twitter @anitabhatti
Rashpal is a proud volunteer, part of the FHFF Community Relations team, facilitating engagement between grocery partners coast to coast. For the past seven years, Rashpal has been working for Western Canada’s leading food and consumer goods organization as a Business Systems Analyst. He is passionate about giving back to the community, so when presented with the opportunity to be a part of the FHFF team he jumped into it… head first!
In his spare time Rashpal has been known to follow the Canucks on a road trip… or two…. or three and enjoys practicing yoga, playing and coaching soccer and training for his first marathon (this October!).
Follow him on Twitter @rsahluwalia
Communications
Follow her on Twitter @why_yy
Gina brings energy, creativity and a high degree of organization to FHFF. With a wealth of experience in the PR world she’s been involved in everything from Communities Against Preventable Injuries to work with the Olympics. She’s worked with various TV outlets and the Campell River native is a proud graduate of BCIT’s Broadcast Journalism Program as well as a member of the Canadian Public Relations Society.
When not working (it’s true, this does happen from time to time), Gina enjoys spending time with her pug Leo walking along the beaches of Kitsilano. Gina is also an avid world traveler with a passion for languages and immersing herself in new cultures.
Follow her on Twitter @ginavesnaver
Roxanne recently joined Five Hole For Food’s media relations team. Born and raised in Quebec, she moved out West in 2009 to work for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. She was part of the Olympic Torch Relay team and traveled from coast to coast with the Olympic flame.
Roxanne is an award-winning communications specialist with over 10 years of experience. Her career has taken her on an epic journey, working for several major events and concerts back East. She currently works at the Vancouver Aquarium and teaches Public Relations at the Vancouver Art Institute.
Roxanne is known to be involved in a zillion activities, and has contagious enthusiasm and energy. When not working or volunteering for local charities, Roxanne can be found on her bike-she’s an avid cyclist and wannabe triathlete (one day… one day!).
She has brought her French accent to Vancouver, considers cheese and baguette to be the best food on earth and still cheers for the Montreal Canadiens!
Follow her on Twitter @roxannestp
Road Crew
A life-long lover of adventure and philanthropy, Tierney has jumped into the FHFF world to provide social media support from the road this summer. After starting off in the Event Production realm, Tierney recently graduated from UBC Psychology and now looks forward to continuing her freelance Graphic Design and Illustration career through Capilano U’s IDEA Program.
When not working, volunteering, or tweeting, she can be found preparing for her next marathon (Victoria 2012), doing yoga, or just generally pushing new creative boundaries.
Follow her on Twitter @tierneymilne
This is Jon’s second year supporting the team on the road via video documentation, technical support, and maybe a touch of humor. Whether it’s on ice skates, roller-blades, sneakers or a console, if it’s hockey ‐‐ he’s game!
Jon currently works as a Lead Developer at Reinvent and if he’s not working or playing hockey, chances are you won’t see him at a gym. As a movie connoisseur, most likely he’ll be in front of a big screen.
Follow him on Twitter @jonathanbuyco