About The Giraffe

Look Up. Look Waaay Up...

pen-stroke

If you're a Canadian of a certain vintage, I bet you heard his voice as you read that.

I named my business Way Up Solutions, an homage to one of my favourite influencers.

The Friendly Giant.

Even as a toddler, I wasn't much of a morning person. But I never missed an episode of the Friendly Giant.

Each morning, Friendly would invite us all into his castle for a party.

Rusty the Rooster would be there. Rusty was a bit of a bookworm, a writer, and an accomplished musician — a kindred spirit.

Jerome, the bon vivant Giraffe, would pop his head in the upper-storey window. He swung his neck wildly when he danced. He belted out songs. He'd laugh off mistakes.

I've always loved extroverts. Jerome was my first crush.

I think Friendly would have been a fabulous fundraiser.

Teachers and leaders like Friendly Giant and Mister Rogers knew the value of building relationships.

They made us feel welcomed and appreciated. They treated us like friends. They spoke to us in plain language and made difficult subjects easy to understand. They used pictures, music, and words to tell stories...

That's the way we should be talking to our donors.

The Friendly Giant
Friendly Giant (Bob Homme), Jerome Giraffe, and Rusty the Rooster jam classical music at a castle gathering

Fundraising is about building and nurturing relationships. It's about opening doors for people to experience the joy of connection.

A Look Waaay Back...

Vintage me.

Caught on film watching Friendly lower the drawbridge... Will he pull up chairs for us to curl up in?

TVPicM

Got a Friendly memory to share? I'd love to hear it.

Get in touch!