24 acts in 24 communities aim to inspire others to make a difference

CHERRY HILL, NJ and TORONTO, ON, Nov. 25, 2014 /CNW/ - Imagine having a dream to do something that would make a real difference in your community – and then being given the opportunity to turn that dream into reality.  With #MakeTodayMatter, that's exactly what happened this month in communities across North America, as TD customers from Vancouver to Halifax and Boston to Miami found out they were being given the chance to bring their ideas to life – in the next 24 hours. Some of the acts of giving are captured in a new video launched today.

"It's the season of giving and the perfect time to help make tomorrow a bit brighter for people in our communities," said Mike Pedersen, Group Head U.S. Banking, and President & CEO, TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank.  "We're constantly amazed by the great things that our customers do for their communities, and know that many of them have even bigger dreams, but aren't able to make them a reality. #MakeTodayMatter is about helping them bring their ideas to life and truly inspiring change."

TD selected 24 customers with powerful giving ideas and surprised them with both the money and resources to #MakeTodayMatter within 24 hours. The acts rolled out in 24 communities across the U.S. and Canada and were as varied as the communities and the people living in them, including:

• Edwin,  an elementary gym coach from West Palm Beach, Florida whose love of sport inspired him to equip a struggling football league with much-needed gear;
• Michael from London, Ontario who helped create a more accessible home for a neighbour in need, giving her back her independence;
• Valerie, who wanted to show foster children that they're important and beautiful, inside and out - so she organized an inspiration gala for girls in Philadelphia, PA;
• Heather who recognized the importance of being mobile, and introduced a community transport program and a new bus to Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia to help seniors and teens in the community get around;

"A recent TD survey found that roughly 70 per cent of people said they are inspired to give back when they witness a good deed," said Tim Hockey, Group Head Canadian Banking and President and CEO of TD Canada Trust. "We hope that by sharing some of the magical giving moments it will encourage others to find their own way to make a real difference for people in communities across North America."

TD has been compiling stories on its Twitter accounts and Facebook pages to share other #MakeTodayMatter acts and all of them can be found at maketodaymatter.td.com. 

Pedersen says he's optimistic this is just the beginning, particularly in light of a new TD Special Report that found volunteers across North America donate the equivalent of nearly $400 billion of their time each year, on top of the almost $200 billion of money they donate. "The value of charitable giving goes well beyond dollars and time, with effects that can be significant and create positive, lasting change," Pedersen said.

"We would also like to thank all of the organizations who worked with us to bring these giving acts to life," added Hockey. "What our customers have achieved clearly shows that when you make today matter, you make tomorrow brighter."

About TD Bank Group

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves over 22 million customers in three key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Retail, including TD Canada Trust, TD Auto Finance Canada, TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.) and an investment in TD Ameritrade; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with approximately 8 million active online and mobile customers. TD had CDN$896 billion in assets on April 30, 2014. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

SOURCE TD Bank Group

Image with caption: "TD helped its customers #MakeTodayMatter by providing them with opportunity to make a difference in their communities to inspire acts of giving across North America. (CNW Group/TD Bank Group)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141125_C4078_PHOTO_EN_8475.jpg

Image with caption: "Twenty-four people, 24 days, in 24 communities, TD helped its customers #MakeTodayMatter for thousands of people across North America. (CNW Group/TD Bank Group)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141125_C4078_PHOTO_EN_8476.jpg