The temperature is rising, and summer is in the air. It’s time to finally say goodbye to the last traces of Old Man Winter and savour some fun in the sun!
Yes, it’s the season to go on fabulous vacations to our favourite destinations around the world with friends, significant others and families. Some of us may opt for a little less travel and to go “cottaging” instead. And there are those who simply prefer staying home to take advantage of their beautiful cities as they come to life in celebration of their diversity. Of course, the grande dame of these events is Pride Toronto!
Whatever your fancy, money is a huge part of indulging in the best of summertime activities. Therefore, as always, you need to be financially responsible. You can definitely be smart with your money and have fun at the same time. One way to do both is to make your credit card work twice as hard for you.
LOYALTY PROGRAMS. I am sure you’ve heard about loyalty programs such as Aeroplan, in which you earn miles and redeem them for flights and travel perks. If you like to travel, that sort of credit card would be ideal for you. There are other credit cards through which you can earn points or get cash back.
The key is to find a card that suits your everyday lifestyle and then put it to work for you. In other words, you can let the card maximize its benefits without drastically sacrificing the things you like to do with your time and money. Having the right card will also offset any annual fee associated with it.
Here’s an even better idea. What if I told you that in addition to earning Aeroplan miles with your credit card, you could also donate those miles to an LGBT charitable organizations at the same time?
A PARTNERSHIP WITH THREE LGBT ORGANIZATIONS. I am proud to announce that TD and Aeroplan have partnered with Egale, Stephen Lewis Foundation and Rainbow Railroad to donate miles to these organizations when you use your TD Aeroplan credit card.
During all the Pride Toronto celebrations from June 19 to 28, for each purchase made using a TD Aeroplan card at any Toronto merchant, TD and Aeroplan will donate one Aeroplan mile to these organizations for every $1 spent. More than 15 million miles will be donated.
Given my work in diversity and inclusion at TD over the past 10 years, I was “tickled pink” when this initiative was created. These are amazing grassroots organizations doing incredible work in our community, so we should all support them year-round. But getting as many people as possible engaged in such a relatively easy way will start having an impact on these groups this month.
I spoke with Mathieu Chantelois, Pride Toronto’s executive director, to get his thoughts on this partnership. Citing TD as a main partner of Pride Toronto for over the past decade, he said, “this initiative with TD and Aeroplan is very generous and—no surprise—innovative in leveraging our festival to further support the LGBT community.”
However you decide to spend your summer, I hope you’ll enjoy it and find time to make even more special memories with your loved ones. As for me, I’ll be staying in my hometown to enjoy one of my favourite festivals.Of course, I’ll be sashaying down Yonge Street during Pride Toronto with the now infamous “TD Boys & Girls.” Come out and join the fun of the parade—or at least wave when our float passes by!
GOOD TIMES, GOOD WORKS
For more information on the TD Aeroplan Credit Card:
www.tdcanadatrust.com/products-services/banking/credit-cards/view-all-cards/aeroplan-infinite-card.jsp
To learn about the charities listed above, visit the following:
Egale www.egale.ca
Rainbow Railroad
www.rainbowrailroad.ca
Stephen Lewis Foundation
www.stephenlewisfoundation.org
Al Ramsay is TD Bank Group’s regional manager, LGBTA Business Development. Follow him on Twitter, @AlRamsay_TD, or call 416-983-6818.
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