Community Events
We take pride in our community involvement. You'll find our lawyers and students throughout the community, lending a hand or their expertise to many charitable organizations such as the United Way, the Canadian Cancer Society, B'Nai Brith Foundation, Boys and Girls Club, and Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, just to name a few.
Our firm also has a rich tradition of fulfilling its responsibilities to the profession. We've contributed to the education of law students, the development of legal principals, as well as the governance of the profession.
 Bright Day for the Black Knights
by Philip Turi, 2010 Summer Student
Toronto, May 27, 2009 - It was a near perfect Thursday afternoon: the sun was shining and the weather was hot as Team Fasken suited up for a crack at volleyball charity stardom. This year's squad, led by Coaches Mae Chong and Natasha Prasaud, and players Jesse Harper, Marc Rodrigue, Mike Stufsky, Phil Turi, Nicole Park, Margaret MacInnis, Sara Parchello and Kyla Stilwell, traveled to Ashbridges Bay to compete in the 2010 Charity Beach Volleyball Tournament.
This year, students from several downtown Toronto law firms gathered to raise money and awareness for Moorelands Community Services, a Toronto-based community service organization which targets low and no-income children living in poverty.
In a stark departure from previous years, Team Fasken shed their 'pretty-in-pink' jerseys and donned black; signaling to competitors that this year's squad "meant business," according to Coach Chong. With little or no expectations from the group (as many had not played volleyball since primary school), any start to the day was bound to be a good one. After an early loss, solid serving from Jesse Harper and Margaret MacInnis helped the Team rally back and win game two. Still in the round robin, Nicole Park managed to walk away with the fair play award, after reaching an all-time record for apologies in a single game. "She managed to say sorry and hit the ball at the same time," commented teammate Jesse Harper, "it was truly amazing."
By game three, the sand, and not the sun, was beginning to get the better of Team Fasken, and forward Phil Turi had proof. The lanky hitter had managed to burn through both of his socks, earning him brownie points for heart. Despite their 500 record in the round robin, Team Fasken did not advance to the elimination round. While the squad was somewhat disappointed, food and refreshments thereafter quickly picked up spirits, only to be let-down again by the near obsessive reminders from Phil Turi about the loss of his favourite socks.
The players would like to thank the Student Committee for keeping them hydrated throughout the day and organizing a wonderful and memorable event.
Back to top 
 Big Bike Ride
by Roy Bornmann, 2010 Summer Student
If you happened to be walking around downtown Toronto around lunchtime on May 28, 2010 and thought you saw 25 people wearing white shirts and ties on a single bike chanting "Fasken" and waving at passers-by, don't worry you weren't suffering from heat stroke. What you witnessed was the Fasken summer students along with other members of the Fasken Team participating in the Big Bike Ride for Heart and Stroke. Together we raised the second highest team amount (over $7200) to help research and combat heart disease and stroke. The Co-Chair of our Student Committee, Sally Woods, threw down the gauntlet by raising the most money overall in the individual total category. In addition to helping this worthy cause, we all had a fun time and demonstrated our Fasken team spirit for all of Toronto!
Thanks to Rose Annonuevo, Lynn Blake, Thomas Brook, Roy Bornmann, Dylan Chochla, Nadine Christie-Moulton, Judy Chu, Iwa Fung, Sarah Goodwin, Jesse Harper, Fida Hindi, Graham Hood, Katie Ionson, Nancy Jowett, Sarah Kroman, Margaret MacInnis, Silvio Mena, Mira Ortved, Nicole Park, Natasha Prasaud, Marc Rodrigue, Beylah Rosenbaum, Lisa Smith, Philip Turi and Sally Woods for participating and helping this worthy cause.
Back to top
 United Way Pumpkin Patch
by Mark Watton, 2008-2009 Articling Student.
With the weather turning colder, and articling students mournfully watching the calendar pages turn from one rotation to the next, our thoughts turned to ghosts and goblins, vampires and witches, tricks and/or treats and the candle-lit pumpkins that symbolize the traditions of. . . election campaigns???
But seriously, in an annual tradition to raise money for United Way, and to spread some seasonal "spirit" throughout the firm, our contingent of articling students carved a series of jack-o-lanterns which were raffled off for charity just in time for Hallowe'en. As if the sight of an entire cohort of would-be lawyers brandishing sharp objects in a room wasn't frightening enough, the ghoulish glow from the menacing pumpkin heads they produced sent partners home with chilling nightmares.
Lucky raffle winners took home the students' artistic creations and we are pleased to report that the raffle was successful in raising funds for the United Way, and are similarly happy to report that all ghosts and goblins that were unleashed on the 35th floor have been sent back to the ethereal plane from whence they came.
And if you're wondering about the "Barack-O'Lantern" above, I assure you it's quite simple. Among the many ingenious internet campaigns that featured prominently during this recent American election campaign, the www.yeswecarve.com website was one of the most creative and useful. In addition to providing multiple stencils for campaign-inspired designs, it featured hundreds of photos and videos posted by carvers who wanted to make a statement with their pumpkin this year.
Of course, it also made for a great replacement for the many Obama campaign signs that kept disappearing from people's front yards. After all, who would think to steal a pumpkin from anyone's front step…
Back to top
 Pretty in Pink ~ Beach Volleyball Tournament
by Mimi Palmer, 2009 Summer Student
I can't think of many better ways to spend a Friday afternoon than on the beach playing volleyball with friends and colleagues. What started off as a cold and cloudy morning ended up being a hot, sunny, fun-filled afternoon at Ashbridges Bay for the 2009 McCarthy Tétrault LLP Beach Volleyball Tournament. There were many familiar faces from other firms in the surrounding Bay Street area, all out to have fun and raise funds in support of the Bloorview Kids Rehab, a large rehabilitation hospital for children with disabilities. The Tournament was a Round Robin style, consisting of 20-minute matches with 6 players on the court and "rally point" scoring.
After some introductions and reunions with other summer students, the teams squared-off to practice in preparation for game time. With a Bay-street-wide reputation as being "fearless" from summers past, the Faskens Summer Students took to the courts with determination and ferocity. We sure did look "fierce" in our soft, baby-pink t-shirts… well, maybe not. Although some of us hadn't played volleyball since elementary school, that didn't seem to matter. Impressively, those elementary skills remained in-tact and with a little teamwork, helped bring us to the playoffs!
Andrew Baerg, Kathryn Beck, Jennifer Butcher, Jeffrey Gebert, Samir Murji, Mimi Palmer, Kimberly Potter Christopher Rae, Jessica Schnurr, and Kyla Stilwell made up this pretty in pink, powerhouse team. There were definitely some memorable moments that must be shared. Our secret weapon seemed to be our A+ serving – every player had at least one good serving streak throughout the tournament. Andrew and Jeff were our stars up at the net, blocking volley after volley and Chris in the back row diving for the ball, braced-knee and all. Samir was like a bird swooping down at the last minute to save us, and Kyla and Kim delivered some solid returns after some pressure-filled rallies. Kathryn and Jess were the most calm, cool, and collected of the bunch which resulted in some great serves and some good calls. Our most improved player had to be Jen for her hits from the back row; by the second game she was a force to be reckoned with. I appeared to be the sandiest by the end, perhaps it was all those sand dives (some of which were successful, though a few not so). Nonetheless, fun was had by everyone especially due to the hilarious collisions with each other whilst diving for (and dodging) the ball.
We happily ended the day more bronzed, freckled and pinker since the morning, and celebrated with some much needed thirst-quenching drinks and tasty appetizers. Thank you to the Student Committee for keeping us hydrated throughout the tournament and of course for organizing this fabulous and memorable event.
Back to top
Bay Street Flag Football Tournament
by Jared Gordon, 2007-2008 Articling Student
On the last weekend of April, Team Fasken went head to head (or flag to flag as the case may be) in a charity football tournament to support Ko-Ach Adventures, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing camping experiences to disadvantaged and autistic youth. We took on all comers, as long as said comers were an investment bank or law firm. We took full of advantage of Dan Batista's cannon of an arm and Ernie Chan's dancing shoes to allow us to lose every game, but sometimes not by that much. Thanks to everyone who came out, and helped put the team together. Go Fightin' Faskens!
Back to top
 Amazing Race
by Sean S. Yang , 2008 Summer Student
The air was crisp that fateful afternoon.
It was June 5th, 2008, a cool and indifferent Thursday. Four individuals gathered at noon in preparation for the contest that lay ahead. They were to compete in a series of challenges held under the aegis of Health Force Ontario: an event known to the city as the Federated Health Amazing Race.
These individuals appeared with little pomp or fanfare. They had never previously competed and were unknown to the other contestants. After long minutes, news of their presence spread, and there was a stirring in the air. They were referred to, in hushed whispers, as the "Faskens of Mass Destruction" [FMDs]. No, they were named not for their incredible physical prowess, nor for their devastatingly attractive faux-80s attire, but for their intellectual capacity to inflict cataclysmic and irreparable ruination upon any who sought to test the sheer strength of their reason.
When the horns of the Health Force trumpeted one hour after noon, the contest began. The challenges, each more dangerous and difficult than the last, tested every facet of the team's humanity: their physical and mental fortitude, their wit, their arithmetic, their vision, their dance, their appetites, their karaoke, and their iniquitous knowledge of "Home Alone 3."
The feats began with an arithmetical problem of the most heinous and confounding sort. The FMDs pitted their minds against a bevy of cats, kittens, humans, backpacks, and buses in an attempt to calculate the number of legs enumerated in the murky and Byzantine description. The title of the problem itself taunted them, quietly: "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" In the chaos following the initial flurry of calculations, all might have been lost, but for Sally Woods, architect of the FMDs, brave and clever in equal measure, who spotted a grievous error in the arithmetical process and brought the team to the correct conclusion. They were smarter than 5th graders; indeed, had any schoolchildren been present, they would have undoubtedly been crushed under the critical intellectual mass of the FMDs.
Crueller challenges soon followed: a popcorn-devouring event which nearly killed a young and naïve FMD member; a dance likely conceived in the inferno itself; a "Waldo-spotting" exercise at Dundas Square; a wit-destroying alphabetical "improv game"; a rendition of an early classic in the Madonna oeuvre, "Holiday"; a hunt for a "Home Alone" sans-Macaulay Culkin through the jungles of the Royal York; and a torturous search for the words "Bickerton Litho" ("NOT VICKERTON!!!") from the top of the CN tower.
FMD successfully completed all eight challenges and arrived at Fionn MacCool's weary in their bones, but victorious in their hearts. Where they placed in finishing times was irrelevant: the amount they raised was inconceivable. Members of the Ministry of Health sat, slack-jawed in awe, as the Health Force announced that the FMDs had raised over one-thousand, four-hundred dollars for those in need of care. The win was for the children. The glory was for FMD.
The air was crisp that fateful afternoon. But it scorched in our wake.
Back to top
 Lawyers Feed the Hungry Beach Volleyball Tournament
by Francesco Tallarico, 2008 Summer Student
On Monday June 2, 2008 we participated in the Lawyers Feed the Hungry Beach Volleyball Tournament in support of the Osgoode Hall "Lawyers Feed the Hungry Program".
"Smack That". The words uttered by an ambitious group of Fasken students awaiting their claim to a repeat championship of the Tournament. The day could not have been more perfect. The sun was out as the group of Fasken students huddled together to plan out their strategy. Because of the pure athleticism of the group, Fasken was able to enter two championship calibre teams; The A and B Teams.
The A Team started off strong as they claimed three impressive victories over Oslers, Stikeman Elliott, and Miller Thomson. After a slow start the B Team rallied back and triumphed in their next two games. Both teams advanced to the knock-out round, playing Ogilvy and Bereskin and Parr respectively. The teams battled side by side; however, the A Team would fall short of making it through to the quarter-finals. The B Team, with the additional encouragement of the A Team members, advanced to the semi-finals and onto the finals where they would face the intimating and talented team from Goodmans.
The final would not be without adversity, as a key player to the B Team suffered a serious toe sprain. Despite this injury, the B Team rallied together, with a "Smack That" chant. With the moral support of the A Team members, the B Team defeated Goodmans in 2 very close sets. The victory marked a repeat championship for Fasken Martineau. Keeping with tradition the Fasken Teams enjoyed some nacho chips and pizza, while displaying their trophy for all to see.
Back to top
 Share the Warmth Ball Hockey Tournament
by Jordon Elbaum, 2008 Summer Student
Donning the most intimidating set of bright yellow hockey jerseys ever seen in a rink, on Friday, May 30th, 2008, Faskens sent out a team of players that seemed to ooze of championship material to play in the 9th annual Share the Warmth Charity Ball Hockey Tournament. Taking place in the heart of the city at the Yonge-Dundas Square, three rinks were set up for the 14 teams from a number of different law firms, consultancies, and corporations to face-off against one another – all for a charitable purpose. Share the Warmth is a homeless prevention charity that uses its donations to provide heat and energy for those living at or near the poverty line. It was able to raise nearly $30,000 from this fantastic event.
While all teams were there for a good cause, this was going to be no walk in the park. With a cool wind, low temperatures, and a light rain peppering the rinks throughout the day, one could sense the competitive atmosphere all the way from the financial district. These teams did not just come to play, they came to win.
Faskens' first game was against Birch Hill Equity Partners. This year's Fasken team, however, featured a number of unfamiliar faces, and like a bunch of highly touted free agents playing together for the first time, it would take a while for the players to mesh and play as a coordinated unit. Unable to find a rhythm early, a tough Birch Hill Squad was able to capitalize and jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead from which Faskens could not recover.
With the team's confidence unwaivered though, the next match would feature Faskens against one of the tournament's top teams, Petro Canada. This game was certainly not lacking intensity. The Faskens squad dominated much of the play, yet found themselves down 2-0 with just over five minutes remaining. That's when the team stepped it up a notch, scoring two goals late in the game to pull out a well-deserved tie.
Unfortunately for the team, losing the first game was an insurmountable hill to climb in the road to the championship, and the squad was eliminated from playoff contention.
While a championship run was not in the cards for Faskens this year, next year's squad certainly looks promising. In any case, it was a good time, there were good laughs, and it was all for a really good cause – one that raised a lot of money for a charity that helps a lot of people. Thank you to all of the wonderful competitors on the Faskens soon-to-be championship-winning team and to the Share the Warmth tournament organizers for putting together such a great event.
Sincerely,
The 2008 version of the Share the Warmth Ball Hockey Tournament, TEAM FASKENS:
Alex Cameron, Ian Campbell, Sou Choi, Mae Chong, Geoff Clarke, Patrick Dolan, Jordon Elbaum, Andrew Hamilton, Brent Lunney, and Rob Matthews
Back to top
 Big Bike Ride for Heart and Stroke
On Monday, May 12, 2008 Faskens team of riders rode a 30-seater bike around the streets of downtown Toronto to rasie money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Together we raised $4,012.
Thank you to all those who help us raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation and thank you to all the riders: TJ Adhihetty, Rose Annonuevo, Alfred Apps, Faye Arellano, Karen Beairsto, Lynn Blake, Therese Blake, Judy Chu, Meaghan Collins, Heela Donsky, Iwa Fung, Marc Gerver, Trish Goodman, Katherine Greer, Tim Hanson, Stacy Hylton, Nancy Jowett, Nicole Melanson, Silvio Mena, Tony Pierro, Elizabeth Pinto, Beylah Rosenbaum, Karen Simpson, Katie Skinner, Lisa Smith, Cas Veloso, Lindsey Weppler and Ledia Wong.
Back to top
|
|