Shinerama

Welcome to Wilfrid Laurier University!  We are so excited that you have chosen to pursue your education at WLU, and we can’t wait until you arrive in the fall!  Our Shinerama team is busy planning and we are so excited for all of the great things that Shinerama can do with your help! 

What exactly is Shinerama?  Shinerama is a campaign that benefits the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, providing funding for Cystic Fibrosis research. Shinerama began at WLU in 1961 when a Laurier student wanted to add a component to Orientation Week to give students the opportunity to meet new people and raise money for a good cause. The student organized a group of individuals who went into the community to shine shoes, and from its very first day, Shinerama was a success. Four years later, the campaign went national. Shinerama is now in its 48th year at WLU and is a program that has been adopted by over 60 Colleges and Universities across Canada.

What is Cystic Fibrosis? CF is a fatal genetic disease that affects 1 in 2500 Canadian children. It targets the digestive and respiratory systems of its victims, making it difficult to breathe and digest proper nutrients. In the early 1960’s, the median age of survival for children that had CF was 4 years of age. Today the median age of survival is 37 years of age. This is all due to fundraisers like Shinerama!

The Shinerama program at WLU is one of our biggest traditions and we are immensely proud of our success and contributions to the CCFF. The WLU Shinerama campaign has been one of the most successful student-run fundraisers in Canada, and we are hoping for continued success. This year, the theme of our campaign is “YOU make me want to SHINE!” We want to recognize that the simple things you do, really make a difference.  We are hoping to shine even more shoes and cars on our Shine Day, Saturday September 6th, when First Year Students and Volunteers venture into the Kitchener-Waterloo community to raise money and awareness for CF. Get excited to experience one of the greatest traditions at Laurier!

On behalf of the Shinerama Team, I would like to welcome you to the WLU Shinerama family!  We are so glad that you have chosen Laurier and can not wait for you to see all of the incredible things that happen when Laurier students work together.  Enjoy your summer days and we’ll see you soon!

Shine Love,

Monika Mistry and the Shinerama Team

Look out for the Shinerama Raffle Tickets that will be available when you arrive on Move-In Day! We’ll have some great prizes for you! (Last year our prizes included Free Tuition, a BlackBerry Pearl Smartphone, a Portable DVD Player and more!) Tickets are only $2 each or 3 for $5, and all the proceeds support Shinerama.