See the amazing celebrities who generously give their time and energy to support the movement here in Canada, and who raise awareness for the issues facing girls in the developing world - everywhere they go.


Jenn Heil

 
 
 
 
One of Canada's premier athletes and multiple Olympic medalist in freestyle mogul skiing, Jenn Heil is a woman whose approach to life consists of a dedication to hard work and a vibrant spirit. At the 2006 Turin Olympics Jenn won Canada's first medal of the games: gold. Four years later, she again delivered Canada’s first medal of the games: this time, silver. She is a four time World Champion and five time World Cup Champion.

 

Jenn's approach to life is illustrated through her charitable endeavours. She is the co-founder of B2ten, a group that is reshaping how Canadian Olympic athletes can attain their full potential and runs a girls only mogul ski camp. Jenn traveled to Burkina Faso with Plan in March of 2008 and was inspired by the potential message of the Because I am a Girl initiative, specifically women and girls’ empowerment and leadership. Following this experience, Jenn expressed her keen interest to join Plan in the mission to empower youth (especially girls) to become full global citizens. On February 25th, 2010, Jenn Heil publicly announced that she would be donating $25,000 of her own personal funds to Plan’s Because I am a Girlinitiative and launched her fundraising challenge to raise $1,000,000 for Plan Canada, challenging her own corporate sponsors and the Canadian public to join the movement.

 

Jenn volunteered her time tirelessly to support the Because I am a Girlinitiative, making it her signature cause of choice. Living in Montreal, Jenn continues to work on her business degree at McGill University with a diploma in mind for 2013.

 

Donate to my Fundraising Challenge

 

Sarah Taylor

From her on-camera beginnings as a music video extra, to becoming one of MuchMusic’s most popular VJs, Sarah Taylor has taken an amazing journey to get to where she is. Since joining Much in 2004, Sarah has been able to travel all over the world, meet amazing people, and interview hot Canadian and international artists like Beyoncé, Rihanna, U2, Nelly Furtado, The Killers, Katy Perry, Kardinal Offishall, Jay-Z, Tom Cruise and Oprah; and she knows not to take a moment for granted. Sarah combines her naturally compassionate and giving personality with her influence as a Much VJ to give back to the community, and help create awareness for key social issues facing youth today. There is no limit to what Sarah does to engage her audience and support-worthy causes including the Because I am a Girl movement. Sarah has travelled to El Salvador with Plan to visit projects benefitting girls and see firsthand the power of girls to change the world. Sarah showed her celebrity support for the Because I am a Girlmovement by helping Plan host one of the inaugural Pink LemonAid stands on September 22. Sarah also gave her time to the winner of our MuchMusic sponsored contest which asked girls in Canada to tell us their idea for how to make a difference for girls around the world for the chance to win $5000 towards putting their idea into action.

 

Sarah annually hosts La Fête à la Tête, a benefit for SickKids Hospital Brain Injury Critical Care Research Unit. This was an issue that really hit close to home as Sarah recovered from a life-threatening brain injury a few years ago. Her amazing life story of overcoming adversity has truly made an impact on viewers and those around her.

 

To read her blog entries, go to http://blog.muchmusic.com/, or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sarahmaytaylor.

Lisa LaFlamme

 
 
 
 
This year, CTV National Affairs Correspondent Lisa LaFlamme will succeed Lloyd Robertson as chief anchor and senior editor of CTV NATIONAL NEWS.

 

For the last decade, LaFlamme has been on the road, covering everything from wars and elections, to natural disasters, from some of the world’s most dangerous locations.

 

Since 9/11, she has covered every angle of its aftermath - from New York to Afghanistan, Iraq to Guantanamo Bay. LaFlamme was on the ground in New York City covering the immediate after effects of the 9/11 attacks on World Trade Centre. Since then she has been in and out of Iraq several times covering the American invasion, elections, the Saddam Hussein trial and the region's ongoing civil unrest. Over the years, LaFlamme has reported extensively on the Canadian mission in Afghanistan as well as the humanitarian crisis facing the Afghan people.

 

Never far from the heart of the story, LaFlamme was in Rome to report on the death of Pope John Paul II; has reported from Sri Lanka on the devastation from the Tsunami that hit South Asia; was in New Orleans to cover the impact Hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans; and was one of the first reporters on the ground in Haiti after the devastating floods and has returned several times over the years to cover the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake and political turmoil gripping the country. From the heart of the G20 riots that shook Toronto, the environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the World Cup in South Africa, the miracle of the Chilean miners, LaFlamme has had a front row seat to some of the most compelling stories of a generation.

 

LaFlamme is a trailblazer for women in Canadian news broadcasting. As one of Canada’s top journalists, she has been a familiar face on the anchor desk for Canada’s #1 national newscast since 2000. She played an integral part of CTV’s national broadcast team at Vancouver 2010 as co-host of OLYMPIC DAYTIME. A graduate of the University of Ottawa, LaFlamme began her broadcasting career in 1988 at CTV’s CKCO affiliate in Kitchener-Waterloo, her hometown.

 

LaFlamme has received five Gemini nominations in the Best News Anchor category and has won several RTNDA awards. She received an honourary Doctor of Laws degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario and was awarded the Distinguished Canadian Award from the University of Ottawa, along with Julie Payette, Rick Mercer and Michael Burgess.

 

LaFlamme is an avid supporter of Plan International traveling to remote areas to highlight child poverty around the world.

 

Career Summary:

 

  • 2010 - Appointed successor to Lloyd Robertson as full-time anchor of CTV NATIONAL NEWS
  • 2003-2010: National Affairs Correspondent, CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LLOYD ROBERTSON
  • 2001-2003: Co-Host of CANADA AM
  • 2000-2001: Parliamentary correspondent, CTV News
  • 1998-2000: Prime News Anchor for CTV Newsnet (now CTV News Channel)
  • 1997-1998: Consumer Reporter, CTV News
  • 1997-1998: Weekend Anchor/Reporter for CTV Newsnet
  • 1991-1997:Reporter and News Anchor for CKCO
  • 1989-199: Radio News Reporter for CFCA/AM109
  • 1988: Joined CKCO as copy writer and script assistant.

 


Ngozi Paul

Ngozi Paul is an award winning actor and producer who is committed to telling universal stories from an Afro-centric perspective. Ngozi is best known for her playing the wide-eyed beauty Starr on Global Television’s critically acclaimed and awarded-winning series, ‘da Kink in my Hair. She has also worked opposite Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor in Talk to Me and in the award-winning film Short Hymn Silent War. In theatre, Ngozi is one of the original cast members of the 2005 theatrical production, da’ Kink in my Hair- the first Canadian play to be produced at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. Ngozi was part of the original creative team for Canada’s first black sitcom, Lord Have Mercy! which was nominated for two Gemini Awards, including best comedic series. In 2004, she founded Ngozika Productions, that’s produced and co-produced such groundbreaking shows as the 2005 Canadian Urban Music Awards, a Women of Distinction Award piece on Deepa Metha and da’ Kink in my Hair- the first primetime series produced and created by women of colour to appear on a major Canadian network. Ngozi was also one of the show’s co-creators and executive producers. Ngozi made time in her busy schedule to visit Haiti on behalf of the Because I am a Girlmovement.

 


Rod Black

Rod Black’s knowledge, versatility and enthusiasm have earned him a reputation as one of the Canada’s most recognized and distinguished sportscasters. In his 25 years as a sports journalist, Black has been involved with a variety of different events and competitions, fitting into each role with ease. Black’s extensive sports resume includes play-by-play commentating on TSN for Blue Jays Baseball, CFL, the NHL playoffs, PGA Tour golf, World Championship boxing, International tennis and figure skating as well as hosting duties on TSN for the Toronto Raptors, the NBA Finals, the Masters, World Hockey Championships, the Canadian Open, the Queen’s Plate, and of course the Summer and Winter Olympics. A consummate professional who displays passion and excitement in all that he does, Black received the 2005 Sports Media Canada award for Most Outstanding Broadcaster. Rod also hosts a weekly radio show “Live from Gretzky’s” – syndicated on a number of sports radio stations around North America including XM Satellite Radio. The five-time Gemini Award nominee for Canada’s Best Sportscaster is also the host/narrator of a variety of prime time specials and the honorary spokesperson for Plan Canada for which he received the Queen’s medallion for volunteerism. Rod’s long-term dedication to Plan Canada has also extended to the Because I am a Girlinitiative, which he has supported through attending grassroots fundraising campaigns as a celebrity supporter such as slow-pitch tournaments and a Markham 5-km organized run. Rod also generously gave time from his busy schedule to host one of the inaugural Pink LemonAid stands.

 


Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau

A national television host and media personality; Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau gets to the heart of every story as eTalk's Quebec Correspondent. She provides comprehensive coverage of Quebec's cultural and entertainment scene.

 

Fully trilingual, Sophie studied at McGill University, Université de Montréal and ProMedia television and radio school before working in sales and advertising. She then made the jump into a news room as a journalist for LCN. Since then, she has hosted and contributed to a variety of television shows as Coup de Pouce on Radio-Canada, Bec et Museau and Salut-Bonjour Weekend on TVA as well as Z tv!s Teksho and TSX, a series on the technology of extreme sports. She also co-hosted radio morning shows on CKMF Radio, CKAC and was a special guest host on CBC Radio One.

 

A true inspiration to community volunteers everywhere, Sophie has been the spokesperson and guest speaker for many causes and mostly those related to women and children. She has lent her voice to organizations such as
Because I am a Girl, BACA, Girls for the Cure, the Weekend to End Breast Cancer, the Women!s Heart and Stroke Association, BANA, the Looking Glass Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Association, the Dove Pay Beauty Forward program, The Vagina Monologues, WaterCan and the Canadian Mental Health Association.

 

Grégoire-Trudeau was part of an expedition to the Arctic with “Students on Ice” and she recently attended the 2010 Governor General's Women's Conference. Sophie is also a devoted mother of two. Her free time is spent practicing a wide array of extreme sports, yoga, painting, playing guitar, singing and exploring the world's great outdoors!

Marnie McBean

 
 
 
 
Canadians are still feeling the ripple effect in the enormous wake of Marnie McBean and Kathleen Heddle's success. These two scullers dominated the world rowing scene in the 1990's, becoming the first Canadians to win three Summer Olympic gold medals. At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, McBean and Heddle claimed gold in both the eights and the pairs. Proving to be a truly unstoppable team, they rowed their way to gold once again in the double scull event at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. To top off their medal collections, McBean and Heddle claimed bronze in the quadruple scull event, making them the nation's most successful Olympians. In addition to her Olympic triumphs, McBean also held three World Cup, eight U.S., and three Canadian titles.

 

An extremely versatile oarswoman, McBean was the first woman to claim a medal in every boat class at World and Olympic events. She hoped to win a fourth gold medal at the 2000 Olympics but was forced to withdraw because of a back injury. McBean, however, put sportsmanship, national pride, and the love for her sport above her disappointment, and lent enormous support to the Canadian team during those games. McBean continues to support Olympic Athletes as a Specialist in Athlete Preparation and Mentoring the Canadian Olympic Committee. In 2009 she used her mentoring skills to support Girl Impact as she worked with and accompanied a group of girls from Scarborough, Ontario as they discovered the power of education and girls championing and support other girls in Kenya and Tanzania. Marnie believes in the power of girls and is delighted to be a Celebrity Supporter for the Because I am a Girlinitiative. Marnie most recently showed her support for the cause by hosting one of our inaugural Pink LemonAid stands on September 22.

 

Amanda Martinez

A distinctive Latin / Jazz artist, Amanda Martinez brings flair and variety to each and every one of her songs. Her sound is a blend of musical influences, including flamenco inspired rhythms, Afro-Cuban beats and Mexican folk music. The Toronto based singer - songwriter records her albums almost entirely in Spanish, but most of her fan base is English speaking, her first language. In June 2010, Martinez traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa to perform as part of the FIFA fan fests during the World Cup Celebrations. It was Martinez’ first time in her Mother’s homeland, where she performed her new song Sueños Posibles (Dreams Realized) written in honor of the opening game at the World cup (Mexico vs. South Africa) in tribute to her South African mother and Mexican father. Martinez’s brought her family and fellow band mates on the voyage, which will be captured on film in anticipation for release as a documentary. Martinez’ sophomore album Amor, which was released in 2009, is a collection of songs she wrote while pregnant with her son Leo. The album hit number one on the iTunes World Music Chart in 2009, and has been consistently included as one of the Top 10 albums on the iTunes World Music Charts throughout 2010. Born in Canada to a Mexican father and South African mother, Martinez grew up in a house that loved music. Although she spent her early years immersed in music, studying classical piano and ballet, Martinez obtained an undergraduate degree in biology and later completed her master’s degree in international business. However, it was after only one year as an associate director of finance at one of Canada’s leading banks that she made the decision to leave her career in business to pursue music full time and professionally. Amanda most recently showed her support for the Because I am a Girl initiative by donating her time to host one of our inaugural Pink LemonAid stands in Toronto.

Lisa Ray

Canadian-born, internationally acclaimed actress and model Lisa Ray landed her first big break at the age of 16 after being discovered by one of India’s leading fashion magazines. Known for her vibrant green eyes, it didn’t take long for offers to star in feature films to pour in. However instead of following a well trod path, Maverick Ray opted for unconventional roles with a social conscience. Since then, some of Ray’s most notable working film credits include Deepa Mehta’s “Bollywood/Hollywood” and the Oscar-nominated, “Water”, Camelia Frieberg’s gentle sibling drama, “A Stone’s Throw”, Shamim Shaif’s south African drama, “The World Unseen”  and Dilip Mehta's recent release, "Cooking with Stella" to name a few. Lisa has supported several events in support of the Because I am a Girlinitiative including the 2009 Masala Mehndi Masti festival booth and the inaugural Pink LemonAid sale on September 22nd. A recent cancer survivor, Lisa is also well known for her outspoken blog and for harnessing public awareness towards cancer and multiple myeloma related activities.

 

Greta Hodgkinson

Born in Providence, Rhode Island and trained at Canada’s National Ballet School, Greta Hodgkinson joined The National Ballet of Canada where she has been a Principal Dancer since 1996. An artist acclaimed for her impeccable technique, delicate physicality and articulate characterization, she is a brilliant and versatile ballerina/actress. Ms. Hodgkinson has assumed the most formidable classical roles and her talents extend to the contemporary repertoire as well. She has had numerous roles created for her by world renowned choreographers and has worked closely with such icons as William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián and Glen Tetley. Recently, Ms. Hodgkinson made her singing debut as Anita in Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story Suite. She also appeared with Mr. Bolle in the holiday initiative for The Gap and was invited to perform with him in Shanghai for fashion designer Salvatore Ferragamo in 2008. Ms. Hodgkinson has graced the covers of Dance Magazine and Dance International Magazine and has been featured in various fashion publications including; Vanity Fair, Lucky, W, GQ Italia, Elle, Flare and FASHION Magazines. She has worked with such noted photographers as Michael Thompson, Febrizio Ferri, Howard Schatz, Nick Krasnaii, Christopher Wahl, Max Abadian, Sian Richards and Cylla von Tiedemann. On September 22nd, Greta showed her support for the Because I am a Girl initiative by braving the rain and volunteering her time to host one of our inaugural Pink LemonAid stands in Toronto.

Erin Davis

Erin has been a fixture on the Canadian radio landscape FOR DECADES. Her celebrated return to 98.1 CHFI in September of 2005 WAS the latest stop on a fascinating journey, which has seen her at or near the top of the radio ratings for her entire career. In the summer of 2003, Erin saw a lifelong dream come true when the W Network called and offered her the opportunity to host her own TV show WITH W Live with Erin Davis, a daily live hour-long national talk show. In that same year, she played the fairy godmother in Ross Petty’s Panto Production of “Cinderella”, so Erin knows a few things about making dreams come true, “If you believe”. Erin was honoured to be named 2006 Woman of the Year for the Greater Toronto Area after a public survey by the Consumers Choice Award. In 2008, Erin established a bursary at her alma mater, Loyalist College in Belleville, Ontario, which now annually awards in her name, $1000 to a promising woman in the radio program.

The proud mother of a 21-year old daughter (now embarking on a successful radio career in Ottawa) and one of four daughters herself, Erin has been a dedicated Plan supporter and has donated her time to the Because I am a Girlinitiative because she has seen for herself what a girl can do with support, faith and encouragement. Most recently, Erin supported the cause by hosting one of the inaugural Pink LemonAid stands to support Plan's Day of the Girl.

 


Rosey Edeh

Rosey Edeh is a veteran television personality who has worked across North America. It's no doubt that when executives from the highly-respected Entertainment Tonight in the U.S. recommended Rosey for this gig, executives here were quick to respond.

 

Born in London, England and growing up in Montreal, Quebec, Rosey is fluent in English and French. She has an arts degree from Rice University in Houston, Texas; and a M.A. in art history from Montreal's Concordia University.

 

She made an impressive mark in the sporting world as a three-time Olympian (1988, 1992 and 1996) and holds the Canadian record for the 400m hurdles. Her athletic accomplishments have taken her around the world and as a guest commentator at the 2008 Beijing Olympics for CBC.

 

Rosey began her broadcast career as a columnist and sports reporter for CBC Radio in Montreal. She later joined Global Television as a weather and entertainment reporter on Global Morning before moving to the U.S.

 

In 2002, Rosey returned to Canada as a freelance reporter and segment producer at CFCF-TV in Montreal. Then in the Fall of 2005 she joined the ET Canada team and hasn't looked back!

 

Alyssa Reid

 
 
 
 
In many ways Alyssa Reid is like any red blooded 20-year-old Canadian teenager. She recently graduated from her Brampton Ontario high school where she was a dedicated player on the girl's rugby team (much to her music label's chagrin) and until recently she poured coffee part time at a local Tim Hortons to scrape together enough cash to buy her first car. The Edmonton Alberta native's life however has been anything but conventional. With her family frequently picking up and moving around Alberta and ultimately migrating to Ontario, Alyssa has found herself having to repeatedly adapt to her new surroundings. Being frequently uprooted and forced to regularly make new friends, adapt to new schools and adjust to new teachers, finding a sense of stability was difficult for Alyssa growing up. Through it all, her music has been a constant source that she could rely on to see her through the rough patches.

 

The thing that sets Alyssa Reid apart is her relentless pursuit of her muse. "Music is my entire world" she admits, it's all I've ever wanted to do with my life". From as far back as her memory serves, Alyssa has been writing and singing, she wrote her first song at the age of 7 and at the age of 9 started taking vocal lessons. From this early age she has continued to work long and hard to develop her incredibly powerful voice into what has today become a singular vocal style. The self-­‐taught musician writes on the guitar and piano both of which she's skillfully mastered over the past few years. This pursuit of her craft has taken her down a long and winding path from winning scholarships at Performing Arts schools in LA and NY, to an eclectic list of gigs that include everything from a performance at the Miss Drag Queen International pageant, to a boxing match, to a performance on a cruise ship, a stint on a nationally televised talent competition, a half time performance at the Mississauga Ice Dogs and hundreds of other various and sundry performances, all of which were grist for the mill in her quest to perfect her talent. From the very beginning Alyssa's drive to take every possible opportunity to hone her writing, playing and singing chops has seasoned this 20-year-old songstress well beyond her years and prepared her to step out onto the main stage.

 

In the fall of 2009, in a somewhat ironic twist of fate Alyssa was discovered by her record label through a YouTube performance that she posted of her own interpretation of the Justin Bieber hit "One Less Lonely Girl", written from a girls perspective and re-titled "One More Lonely Boy". This cleverly reworked song had already attracted over 200,000 YouTube hits and resulted in her signing with Wax Records. As has been highly touted in the media, Justin Bieber himself was also discovered via Youtube.

 

Alyssa worked with a varied collection of producers; Dave Thomson (Lights), Da Heala (Massari, Belly, Danny Fernandes), Jeff "Diesel" Dalziel (Edwin, Melissa O'Neil) and Jamie Appleby (Jesse Labelle), for the release of her debut album entitled “The Game”. The songs on the album run the gambit from club raves to R&B inflected joints and soulful ballads each of which stand on their own as bold individual statements and together, as a testimony of who Alyssa Reid is as an artist.

 

The lead off single "Alone Again" co-written by Alyssa, is a fresh take on the 1987 #1 hit single "Alone" by female rockers Heart. The newly interpreted song has instantly connected with listeners across the world as witnessed by the meteoric rise up the international airplay and singles sales charts. The song shot to the top of the pop radio charts in Canada and produced a #1 video on MuchMusic, making Alyssa Reid the top spun Canadian artist in the country.

 

Over the past year, the double platinum selling single has catapulted Alyssa Reid into the musical spotlight, placing her at the top of Billboard's "Emerging Artists" chart for an astounding 26 consecutive weeks, garnered a "MuchMusic Video Award" nomination for "Best Pop Video" and a 2012 Juno Award nomination for Best New Artist.

 

Alyssa's meteoric rise to the top of the charts in her home country has quickly led to international praise and opportunity. On January 29th 2012, Alone Again debuted at #1 on iTunes UK and #1 on the BBC Radio 1 singles chart, further propelling Alyssa to center stage for an international audience.

 

As of June 2012, Alyssa is poised to further build upon her world-wide success with her anthemic international follow-up single - The Game featuring Snoop Dogg.

Peggy Kotsopoulos

Peggy Kotsopoulos is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Health Educator and Founder of beVibrant.  Her passion for empowering others to live a healthy and vibrant life motivated her to leave a successful career in investments and to follow her dreams wholeheartedly - making REAL health easy and delicious! She now works with thousands of children and youth, educating and empowering them on the issues of food, nutrition and body image.  Through her creative approach and school-based wellness programs, she's successfully instilled positive, life-long habits by making healthy eating 'cool', fun, and super delicious! Peggy’s reach extends to television viewers across North America as the Resident Nutritionist on CBC’s Steven and Chris Show, and locally through segments on CBC News, CityTV and Virgin Radio. She also writes for various lifestyle and health publications. Peggy is dedicated to promoting long-term health and vitality. Peggy is a leader in her field who still takes time to show her support for the Because I am a Girl initiative. She kindly volunteered her time to host one of our inaugural Pink LemonAid stands in Toronto on September 22nd.

Sarena Parmar

Sarena Parmar is a Canadian actress, best know for her role as big sister Chandra Metha on How To Be Indie. Sarena has gone on to guest star on the Canadian dramas Flashpoint and The Border. She also appeared on Degrassi, as Sav’s future bride Farrah Hassen. Although she has been busy filming, Sarena’s acting roots are based in the theatre. She is a graduate of the prestigious National Theatre School of Canada and made her acting debut in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with The Canadian Stage Company in 2007. Sarena now splits her time between filming, acting on stage, and writing. Proud of her South Asian heritage, Sarena is committed to raising awareness about women’s rights issues faced in developing countries and here in Canada. Sarena is proud to be a Because I am a Girlsupporter.

 


Sally Armstrong

 
 
 
 
Human rights activist, journalist and award-winning author Sally Armstrong has covered stories about women and girls in conflict zones around the world.

 

Sally served recently on the International Women’s Commission, a UN body that consists of 20 Palestinian women, 20 Israeli women and 12 internationals whose mandate was assisting with the path to peace in the Middle East. She was editor-in-chief of Homemaker's magazine from 1988 to 1999, is the co-producer and host of several documentaries and the author of several books. In 1998 she was made a Member of the Order of Canada.

 

From Bosnia and Somalia to Rwanda and Afghanistan, her eye-witness reports have earned her many awards, including the Gold Award from the National Magazine Awards Foundation and the Author's Award from the Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters. She’s a three-time winner of the Amnesty International Media Award in 2000, 2002 and 2011.

 

Sally’s many honours include the prestigious Women of Distinction Award in Communications from the YWCA of Toronto, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Journalism Foundation. She has received seven honorary doctorate degrees from Canadian universities.

 

Her books include Veiled Threat: The Hidden Power of the Women of Afghanistan, The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor and Bitter Roots, Tender Shoots: the Uncertain Fate of Afghanistan’s Women. She has co-produced and hosted several documentaries, including They Fell From the Sky and The Daughters of Afghanistan. Her new book – The Ascent of Women will be published March 1, 2012.

 


Martine Gaillard

Martine Gaillard is a sports anchor at Sportsnet for the show Connected. A 14-year veteran in sports broadcasting, Martine has also worked at The Score and Hockey Night in Canada and has covered major sporting events such as the World Series, the NHL and MLB All-Star games with the biggest highlight being covering the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010. She was the first female to ever anchor a national sports show in this country and was one of the first females to ever be hired as part of the on-air team at Hockey Night in Canada where she was a rink-side reporter for two seasons. Before her dream of entering sports broadcasting was realized, the Saskatchewan native worked in radio in Saskatoon and was an anchor at The Weather Network.

 


Melinda Shankar

Ottawa native Melinda Shankar joined Degrassi in its eighth season as Sav’s younger sister Alli. Prior to this, she did a print ad campaign for Proctor and Gamble and then appeared in a commercial for anti-smoking campaign Stupid.ca. In 2009 Melinda made her lead role debut as Indie Mehta in the YTV series How To Be Indie and is currently filming the second season. Melinda also starred with Aidan Quinn in the soon to be released film The Festival of Lights. The movie was filmed in New York City and Guyana. Melinda has a black belt in Karate and enjoys various types of dance and swimming. Melinda was able to come out and show her support for the Because I am a Girlinitiative by hosting one of our inaugural Pink LemonAid stands in Toronto on September 22nd.

 


Paula Brancati

Paula is a veteran of the film and television industry. She is best known for her portrayal of “Jane Vaughan” on the internationally acclaimed Degrassi: The Next Generation and her work on the Emmy-winning series Dark Oracle as “Cally Stone”, both of which garnered her Gemini Award nominations for Best Performance in a leading role. She is currently filming her fourth season of CBC/ Soapnet’s hit series Being Erica.

 

Paula, an extremely versatile performer, is also a two-time Dora Award nominee, earning nominations in the same year for Best Actress in a Musical and Best Featured Performance. Her passion for the arts also extends to music. She is classically trained in both voice and piano (Gr. 8 RCM in both disciplines) and showcased her rock/pop vocal abilities on 3 songs she recorded for the Degrassi Takes Manhattansoundtrack.

 

Paula is honoured to be joining the Because I am a GirlAmbassador team and is extremely passionate about bettering youth’s education around the world and women’s rights.

 

 
 
 

 

 

Canada’s women’s soccer team

 
 
 
 
Canada’s women’s soccer team is currently ranked 7th in the world, with their sights set on climbing higher in the rankings. The team has qualified for every FIFA Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1995, and achieved it's highest ever finish in 2003 when the team finished 4th in the world. In 2008 the team qualified for the first Olympic Games in the history of Canada soccer and participated in the 2008 Beijing games. The team lost to the US, the eventual gold medalists, in overtime of the quarterfinal game.

 

The team is currently coached by John Herdman, former head coach for the New Zealand women's national football team. In 2010 Canada won the CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifying tournament in Cancun, Mexico. The win marked the first time that Canada has won the tournament since 1998, and saw the team qualify for their 5th straight World Cup. Canada will take part in the World Cup in 2011 that will take place in Germany, and looks to secure its best ever results.

 

Canada is led on and off the field by captain, Christine Sinclair. Christine has played more games for Canada than any other player, and she has also scored more goals, over 110 and counting, than any other player in Canadian soccer history. She was only the 10th player ever in international women’s soccer to reach the 100-goal mark.

 

The players of Canada’s national soccer team are pleased to be with affiliated with this wonderful initiative, Because I am a Girl. Soccer in Canada is the most participated in sport and 43% of those participants are women and girls. For real change to be possible in this world we need women supporting women worldwide; together we can achieve anything.

 

 

 

Synchro Canada’s Senior National Team

 
 
 
 
Synchro Canada’s Senior National Team is preparing for the 2012 Olympic Games with a goal to bring home medals and continue the pursuit of its rich tradition of excellence.

 

Since 2008, Synchro Canada has worked tirelessly to ensure that its team achieves this goal. After the 2008 Olympic Games, the 24 best senior athletes in the country were sent to train at the Québec Aquatic Training Centre (C.E.S.A.Q.), using the pool at Montréal’s Olympic Park Sports Center.

 

The national federation has also assembled a multidisciplinary team of coaches and other experts, currently comprised of Julie Sauvé, best known for the successes of Sylvie Fréchette and Penny and Vicky Vilagos, as well as Meng Chen, Anastassia Goutseva, Lyne Piché and Kasia Kulesza, winner of a silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games.

 

Synchro Canada’s Senior National team continues to make Canada proud. At the 2010 FINA World Cup, the team took home four medals in four events, something the team had never achieved before at a major FINA competition. At the 2009 FINA World Aquatic Championships, Canada earned two bronze medals, the first Canadian medals won at this event since 2001. Aside from the free combo team, Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon won the bronze medal in the solo tech event, the first Canadian medal to be won in a solo event at a major international competition since the 1994 World Aquatic Championships.

 

The Canadian team also triumphed at the 2009 FINA World Trophy, beating the Russians for the first time in over a decade. During this competition, the Canadian team won three events, including the thematic routine event, which earned the team its first perfect 10 since 1997.

 

In London, Canada will continue to pursue its tradition of excellence. Between 1979 and 1996, Canadian synchronized swimming athletes and teams won 28 medals out of 28 possible events at the Olympic Games and FINA World Championships, including Carolyn Waldo (who won three Olympic medals, including gold in the solo event in 1988), Sylvie Fréchette (who won two Olympic medals, including gold in the solo event in 1992), as well as twins Penny and Vicky Vilagos (who won silver in the duet event in 1992).

 

Synchro Canada partnered with Plan Canada in April 2011 to promote Plan Canada‘s Because I am a Girlinitiative as the goal of this initiative is a natural fit for Synchro Canada’s programs because of their roots, historical influence at the international level and the role of women in the sport at all levels. Synchronized swimming develops leaders in every community not only in Canada but around the world. Synchro Canada is glad to be a partner of Plan Canada and help continue building leaders in developing countries around the world.

 

See the press release here.

 

 

The Girl Issue

 

What Can I Do?

 

About Us

News

Videos & Photos

Why Girls?

Where your Money Goes

Explore The Girl Issue

Plan Overseas

In Our Own Backyard

Girls Around the World

Learn More

Poverty & Girls

Meet Patricia

Explore Haiti

Haitian History

Child Marriage

Meet Suku

Explore South Sudan

Sudanese History

Children in Conflict with the Law

Read The Girl Reports

The Roundtable

Donate

Gifts of Hope

Sponsor a Girl

Girl Fund

Sponsor a Project

Because I am a Girl Endowment Fund

Fundraise

Free Pink LemonAid Kit

Materials and Order Info

Free FUNdraising Celebration Kit

Become a Fundraiser

Search for a Fundraiser

Women Fundraising Champions

Girl Fundraising Champions

Fundraising Ideas

Ideas for Women

Ideas for Girls

Ways to Get Involved

Start a Girl Club

Join the Community

Join the Speakers Bureau

Spread the Word

Digital Tools

Join us on Social Media

Shop

Mission

About Plan Canada

FAQs

Who Supports Us

Our Celebrated Ambassadors

Girls Who Support Us

Women Who Support Us

Men Who Support Us

Corporate Partnerships

Other Partners

 

Press releases

Media coverage

State of the World's Girls reports

Bio: President & CEO of Plan Canada, Rosemary McCarney

Videos

Photos


Policy

Copyright

Privacy

Terms of Use

Child Protection

Internet Safety Tips

Site map

 

 

Plan Canada

© 2013 Plan International Canada Inc. The Plan and Because I am a Girl names, associated trade marks and logos, and the logo are trade marks of Plan International Canada Inc.

Revenue Canada Business Identification (Canadian Charity Reg.) #11892-8993 RR0001

*The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under licence by Plan Canada.

 

Plan Canada   |   Copyright   |   Privacy Policy   |   Terms of Use   |   Child Protection   |   Internet Safety Tips