Annual Hearts in Harmony Campaign

The staff and students at Jean Vanier are unstoppable! Although their campaign in support of Women’s Place officially ended on May 29, their fundraising thermometer keeps growing! We’ve extended the Hearts in Harmony fundraising page until June 17 if you want to help them exceed their previous record of $10,955! ~Women’s Place of South Niagara on Facebook

https://www.canadahelps.org/…/womens-…/p2p/coeurs-en-choeur/

The partnership between Jean Vanier Catholic High School and Women’s Place of South Niagara dates back 13 years with a total of over $100,000 raised.  The funds raised through our campaign have enabled Women’s Place of South Niagara to make a difference in the life of a woman or child in abusive situations.  Our campaign is not only a fundraise, but also an opportunity to raise awareness, educate and start the conversation.

For us, the name Hearts in Harmony represents hearts that beat together, hearts that work in harmony to make a change.  Imagine an orchestra; each instrument brings its own sound, its own taste, but when they are combined, it creates an incredible piece of music.

An important part of the campaign is the T-shirt.  In the logo, you will notice that the initials JMM are embedded in the logo.  John-Micheal Martin, a student of Jean-Vanier, was part of that committee and contributed greatly to what we now know as Hearts in Harmony.  John-Micheal Martin was a student like no other and he lost his life one month after his graduation in 2006.  He was a great piano enthusiast and had a passion for music.  The year after John-Micheal’s death, we started the Hearts in Harmony campaign and the red t-shirt was created, John-Micheal’s favourite colour, and we chose to put his initials in one of the musical notes.  This campaign keeps John-Micheal in our thoughts and hearts.  This year, we chose the colour green, which is a symbol of hope.  Our slogan “Isolated but unified in dark green” is a good illustration of these unprecedented times of pandemic and social isolation.

Another key element of the campaign is a theme song.  Each year, the committee chooses a popular song that plays on the radio to promote and remind you of the campaign.  When the committee meets, members analyze the lyrics to ensure that the message of the song is consistent with the message of what Hearts in Harmony represents.  Again, this year we chose the One Republic song “Better Days” which represents the hope we hold for the future.