Common Outlook’s founder Peter Hiddema found a wonderful way to not only help people grow and build stronger and more productive relationships but to raise awareness and money for a simply remarkable organization: On the Tip of the Toes Foundation (Fondation sur la pointe des pieds) www.pointedespieds.com. He did this by joining a group of intrepid travellers for a kayaking adventure in Greenland.
The idea of the trip was to give a group of adults an experience similar to what the teens experience and in the process build a new group of supporters for the important work this organization is doing. Peter’s role in the group was to lead the personal/professional development component of the trip. He was charged with bringing new perspectives about life and work to the participants, helping them to grow as people and moving them further along the path toward some of their dreams.
Kayaking 15-23 kilometres each day, Peter experienced fatigue, blisters and the challenge of setting up and taking down camp each day. The beauty of the scenery, the majesty of the icebergs and the satisfaction of completing such a physical workout were worth it. They passed by over 100 icebergs, sometimes navigating their way through an entire field of them. And on their final day, they were surrounded by glaciers making their way down into the ocean.
Peter and the group had the good fortune of seeing a piece of the glacier fall off and become a new iceberg. They also saw a large iceberg split apart and flip over, an experience Peter described as “truly magical”.
Based in Quebec, On the Tip of the Toes helps teenagers with cancer regain their self confidence and self esteem by taking them on wilderness adventures in various parts of Canada. It’s an opportunity for the teenagers to leave the world of hospitals behind, at least for a while, and spend time connecting with nature, meeting new people and learning new skills.
The foundation has four main goals:
• Change how the teens see themselves and relate to their cancer
• Rebuild their self-confidence and show them that anything is possible
• Give them back (at least part of) their childhood
• Give them a wonderful experience and an appreciation of nature
The testimonials from the teenagers and their families are moving and a testament to the great work done by the foundation.