Help Tony raise money

I was very fortunate to be raised by a strong, loving, and incredibly resilient woman - my mother, Beverly Tornberg-Aylesworth. In 1980 when I was 5 years old, she packed up what little belongings we had in our possession and we boarded a Greyhound bus from Charlottetown, PEI for a 4-day milk run voyage across Canada to start our new lives in Calgary, Alberta.  She still recounts the tale of me stumbling out of the tiny bus washroom with a puzzled look and a pale-greenish hue, expressing to all within earshot, "Mommy, that water tastes funny...I don't feel so well…", just prior to giving the back half of the crowded bus a second look of my mid-day meal.  

When we arrived, my mother had little more than 20 dollars in her pocket and the hopes of a better life for my older brother, Ed, and me. I would include her in this statement, but I can promise you she cared little for herself and was singularly focused on providing us with a positive environment and a bright future. The first few weeks were beyond difficult. With accommodations falling through we found ourselves checked into a local Women’s Shelter. We were thankful for the roof over our heads, however, to be down on our luck surrounded by other downtrodden souls seemingly locked into a similar desperate predicament…well, it was a lesson in our early education that I’ll truly never forget, nor would I ever want to. 

Before long, despite the challenging circumstances, my mother (let’s just call her ‘SuperMama’ at this point) had lined herself up with some job interviews and had secured an admin position with TD Bank at their head office. It was long hours for her, day in and day out, followed by an arduous commute on city transit.  Somehow she made it all work and was able to move us out of the shelter and into our own apartment.  That apartment was the first of 15 residences we would relocate into as she worked tirelessly and without reprieve to make the climb up the corporate ladder, all the while improving our living conditions one small step at a time and providing a stable and nurturing homelife for her two forever grateful sons.

Dress for Success Ottawa in an organization that is near and dear to my heart for all the impactful and positive work they do for women and families who struggle in our region each and every day – just like we did. I am very fortunate to have been raised by such a strong and courageous woman, and because of the lessons Supermama imparted on my brother and me I am privileged to be in a position, like so many of us are, to give back. 

Through our Ottawa Race Weekend campaign to raise money for Dress for Success Ottawa, LeverageTek IT Solutions will be matching all charitable donations up to May 31^st, 2021. 

I am asking you to please consider making a donation, even if only small amount. It all helps. But don’t do it for me…do it for Supermama 😊. And do it for all the other Supermamas out there who work tirelessly each and every day to improve themselves and give their families a better future. 

Lots of love,

Tony