A DAY ON THE RIVER

Corbin grabbed his keys, walked out the door in Vaughan, and started the car as his girlfriend called for a Lyft.  

She had to run errands while he was heading to pick up his Little in Leaside for a day of adventure on the Humber River.  

Taking a Lyft would usually be an added expense with only one car between the two of them, and taking public transit to pick up his Little would increase the commute time drastically, limiting the activities that they could do together.  

But today was different. This past summer, Lyft generously donated $60 credits to BIGS volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto, giving Corbin the opportunity to cut down his commute time, take the car for the day, and provide his Little with a cool, new experience.  

“Having the Lyft credits enabled us to both do what we needed to”, said Corbin. Adding that “it gave us the flexibility to make plans that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to.” 

Corbin did just that. He drove to Leaside, picked up his Little, and took him to the Humber River where the pair could rent a canoe for two hours.  

Corbin hopped in the stern of the canoe, and the two paddled down river for an hour. Then they switched. Corbin took the bow, and his Little took charge of steering the canoe.  

“It’s definitely a lot windier when you’re coming back up river and you’ve already paddled the first hour” Corbin recalled. “As he was guiding we went sideways at one point, teetering and getting a little water in the canoe, but luckily managed to fix ourselves back up and stay afloat. It was a great learning experience together.”  

After finishing their paddle, the two hopped in the car and Corbin took his Little home before driving back to Vaughan.  

Looking back on that day, Corbin reflected, “it made for an exciting and interesting experience that we definitely wouldn’t have had otherwise. What is a fun two hours on the water, with commute times and everything is a four-hour outing. With the TTC it would have been a much more intense commitment.” 

After researching the Lyft COVID-19 protocols and knowing that his girlfriend could safely take a Lyft, it freed him up to take the car.  

“[Lyft] did a great job of educating their customers on what actions they were taking and that their drivers are doing the right thing.” 

The small time commitment of two hours per week to become a Big can add up when commute times are included, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic with extended rules and regulations.  

“When you’re talking about getting Bigs involved, this type of support makes it all the easier,” said Corbin.

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CHANGING THE COURSE OF YOUNG LIVES