Kawhi, Wait… To Make a Difference

Kawhi, Wait… To Make a Difference

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or have spent the last few months on an unplugged trek through northern Nunavut, you’ve probably heard that the Toronto Raptors are playing in the NBA Finals for the first time in NBA history. Canada is rallying around our lone pro basketball team in absolutely unprecedented ways; it’s a show of the unbridled, unabashed passion the North has for its own.

There’s one name that has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue this post-season – Kawhi Leonard. He’s a priceless asset to the Raptors lineup…and he’s eligible for free agency as of July 1^st. The city of Toronto has leapt to action in a bid to keep Kawhi in “the 6ix” – and in an instant the #KaWineAndDine movement was born. Businesses all over the city (and beyond) have jumped to offer Kawhi Leonard anything and everything Toronto has to offer…absolutely free.

truLOCAL was ready to throw our hat in the ring, and dive full force into the #KaWineAndDine effort. We’re huge fans of the Raptors – and it’s a great opportunity to throw our support behind our local team. But as we were pulling together all the creative energy our team could muster, we came across this article by Teneile Warren that gave us pause. Why offer Kawhi Leonard – a humble, non-materialistic, low-key guy with a heart for philanthropy – more free stuff? What would be our purpose? Sure – we can #KaWineAndDine, but what’s our #KawhiWhy?

The more we thought about it, the more we realized that instead of giving more to Kawhi Leonard, we should be giving more like Kawhi Leonard. We should be giving in a way that we think reflects the revered #2, but also reflects our community. truLOCAL has some of the kindest, friendliest, most compassionate, most genuine customers around – what would they say is our #KawhiWhy?

We’ve decided to donate a one-year subscription to Emily’s House – a Toronto-based hospice for terminally ill children and their families. We’re so fortunate to be in a position to give back to the incredible families that Emily’s House supports. While Kawhi Leonard has not endorsed this donation, it’s something we hope would make him proud of the community here in Canada that’s rallying around him and cheering him on – and we hope our customers are equally proud.  

What started as a marketing endeavour turned in to an opportunity to do good for our community and make a lasting impact for families who need it most. It’s absolutely possible to ride the hype while making a real difference in our local community – just like it’s absolutely possible for the Raptors to rally the support of an entire nation in the first ever Canadian bid at an NBA title. There’s always a chance for more – more heart, more passion, more goodness in this world. That’s our #KawhiWhy. To the other small businesses out there just like us, we challenge you to do the same – the ball is in your court.  

Article By: 
Trish Carnahan

Posted on June 4th, 2019