When it comes to giving back to the community, The Clinic Colorado not only talks the talk — it walks the walk.
For the seventh year in a row, employees plan to lace up their sneakers and participate in the annual Denver-area Walk MS event April 30, which raises money to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Ryan Cook, director of The Clinic Colorado, an award-winning cannabis dispensary opened in 2009, knew from day one he wanted to build a culture of generosity and compassion.
“We are in the business of caring for and helping people,” Cook said. “And, that goes beyond just us and our patients. In this case, Multiple Sclerosis affects so many in our community and around the world.”
“It’s all about raising awareness”
Multiple Sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the central nervous system, affects an estimated 2.5 million people around the world.
Cook said The Clinic Colorado’s partnership with the National MS Society began with a personal connection to the disease. He saw how a friend coped with his father’s journey with the disease, especially in the last part of his life.
“His father was close to his heart, we’ve always been friends and I knew there was something the company could do to help get the word out about this disease,” he said. “Every event we do, whether it’s the walk, a company information seminar or the annual charity golf classic, it’s all about raising awareness about MS.”
Each year, more employees, along with their family and friends, join The Clinic Colorado’s MS Walk team. The event’s popularity grows among the employees because they see it as a “wonderful experience to get together with family and loved ones. Ultimately it’s about being passionate about a cause: many people, one cause.”
To date, The Clinic Colorado has raised more than $300,000 to benefit the National MS Society, with nearly $40,000 going directly to the Colorado-Wyoming chapter.
A ‘win-win-win’ effort
Building upon its early success at fundraising, Cook and his employees decided to take things to the next level by creating The Clinic Charity Classic, an annual golf tournament to benefit the MS Society.
The 2016 Clinic Charity Classic brings together local business and members of the surrounding communities to enjoy a day of golf, prizes and generosity. For events like this, even the stereotypical competitive nature between similar businesses are set aside for a great cause.
“We really wanted to make this a total community event,” Cook said of the tournament, which celebrates its seventh anniversary this year. “We really encouraged other dispensaries, other organizations and businesses to participate through sponsorships. The response has been overwhelming.”
This year’s event will be Friday, August 26 and has been moved to the Arrowhead Golf Course to accommodate the participation demand. Golfers can expect a day full of fun, friendship and fundraising, including:
· Bus transportation from select areas around Denver directly to the golf course
· A hole-in-one competition with a grand prize of round trip airfare for 2, 8 days/7 nights at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua (Maui), 4 rounds of golf per person (2 at Kapalua, 2 at Kaanapali) and $1,500 spending cash.
· Other drawings and contests filled with valuable prize packages from event sponsors
· A complimentary breakfast and all-you-can-eat lunch
· A variety of events and activities at each hole presented by corporate and community sponsors, including a $300 value gift bag
· An awards ceremony and engraved trophies
“We are so excited about this amazing event,” Cook said. “It truly is a win-win-win effort. We win because we support an amazing cause, which wins from the monies raised by the participants and sponsors, who win because they’ve made valuable connections and can feel good knowing they’re making a difference.”