Canucks Autism Network (CAN) and its Board of Directors today announced that, effective December 31st, 2018, President and CEO Katy Harandi will be moving on from the organization.
Since the foundation of CAN in 2008, Katy Harandi has played a pivotal role in the vision, direction, and growth of the organization. Katy’s steadfast leadership, valuable acumen, and unwavering commitment to the cause will surely leave a lasting impact.
“In our early years, CAN was just a small, grassroots autism organization”, said Katy.” I still recall the initial planning meetings around my kitchen table. Today, I am proud to say that CAN has grown into a leader and change maker in the autism world.”
Katy will continue to better the future for individuals with autism as she begins new initiatives in the community.
“It was an incredibly difficult decision, but I am confident that I am leaving the organization in the hands of a strong executive team that is poised to direct CAN into an exciting new period in its history,” states Katy. “I look forward to witnessing CAN’s continued growth and impact on families living with autism across BC.”
CAN Board Member and longtime supporter Bill Macdonald has been appointed as the new Board Chair. Bill will provide transitional support for the CAN team and help the Founders and Board of Directors determine the future direction of leadership.
“On behalf of everyone at CAN, we would like to thank Katy for her many years of serving families living with autism in British Columbia,” said Paolo Aquilini, CAN Co-Founder.
Read more about Katy’s many contributions to CAN and the autism community in our March 2018 blog post.
From our beginnings as a small, grassroots autism charity, we are so proud to have the province-wide impact on individuals and families that we do today.
It was just over 10 years ago that Paolo and Clara Aquilini sat around a dining table with Katy Harandi. Together, they envisioned an organization that would make a positive and lasting impact on the autism community in BC.
With the support of the Canucks for Kids Fund, Canucks Autism Network became a non-profit society on January 7, 2008. That year, we began with one soccer program and one family skate at GM Place (now Rogers Arena).
A decade later, CAN delivers nearly 500 programs to 4,000 members province-wide. Since day one, we could not do what we do without the countless supporters who share our mission.
There is much to be thankful for and much to celebrate. Here are just some of the milestones that have highlighted CAN’s 10-year journey with our participants, families and supporters:
1. July 29, 2008 | Our first-ever program Offered to just a handful of families, we launched I CAN Play Soccer as a two-day program at GM Place. After 10 years, guess which CAN coach is still around to guide our participants?
Coach Neeeeeeesh!
Over the past decade, we have expanded to a wide range of sports and rec programs, allowing children and youth with autism to explore physical activity on land, water and ice. Beyond sports, our social programs and overnight camps have allowed participants to try new activities, develop lasting friendships and make lifelong memories.
2. September 2008 | Launch of We CAN Be Friends In addition to sports and rec programs, one of the pillars of our mission has been to raise autism awareness. That’s why in our first year, we launched We CAN Be Friends, a free curriculum-based autism awareness program for elementary classrooms.
By raising awareness among BC’s youngest students, we can help educators build a brighter future of acceptance, empathy and inclusion for individuals with autism. After launching to a handful of schools in the Lower Mainland, the program has now grown to 275 schools across BC.
3. April 2011 | Programs expand outside the Lower Mainland In Spring 2011, CAN launched multi-week sports and rec programs in both Victoria and Kamloops. Today, CAN offers programs in three Vancouver Island communities (Victoria, Cowichan Valley and Nanaimo) and two BC Interior communities (Kamloops and Kelowna). In total, CAN programs are actively delivered in 79 communities across BC.
4. April 1, 2012 | Inaugural CAN Family Festival at Jack Poole Plaza In celebration of World Autism Awareness Day, we hosted the first-ever CAN Family Festival at Jack Poole Plaza. Held in Downtown Vancouver, the annual event featured an awareness walk, exhibitors, games, and live performances. For six years, the CAN Family Festival was an annual centerpiece in our efforts to bring families together, increase awareness and raise vital funding for our programs.
April 2012: The cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza was lit to celebrate CAN Family Festival for the first time.
5. March 17, 2013 | Inaugural CAN Sports Day at Sportstown in Richmond For ten years, CAN family events have provided invaluable opportunities for both parents and kids to connect with others in the autism community. Events like the Rogers Arena Family Skate and Van Dusen Gardens Festival of Lights have marked the CAN calendar as annual highlights for our families.
In March 2013, we hosted the first-ever CAN Sports Day. With the support of the Vancouver Canucks, BC Lions, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Vancouver Canadians, participants were treated to a truly memorable experience playing alongside their local sports heroes. Held in Sportstown Richmond the first year, it was moved to BC Place in 2014 where it has been held ever since.
6. June 3, 2013 | First training workshop for external sports & rec staff Our vision is for all individuals with autism to feel understood, accepted, and supported in all community spaces. In 2013, we began delivering autism training to sports and rec providers, ensuring that our ability to engage individuals with autism extends outside our walls too.
Since then, we have expanded these efforts to include training across public sectors, including first responders, educators, community recreation providers, and many others. Across BC, our workshops have been delivered in the far reaches of the province, including Northern BC, as well as First Nations communities.
In the summer of 2016, CAN workshops reached a pivotal milestone, becoming eligible for Coaching Association of Canada NCCP Maintenance Certification Points (PD Points) and BCRPA Continuing Education Credits (CECs).
7. Spring 2014 | CAN reaches 1,000 memberships We are humbled that so many families have made us a part of their lives. Today, we impact over 4,000 individuals and families with autism on an annual basis. With a high ratio of support in all of our programs, we can be proud that each and every one our participants has a volunteer, support worker or coach that has personally supported them and celebrated their accomplishments.
8. November 17, 2014 | Launch of I CAN Fly with YVR At CAN, collaboration is among our core values. We recognize that we cannot achieve our vision alone. After hearing about the struggles that individuals and families with autism face with air travel, we partnered with the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to launch I CAN Fly.
Beginning with the annual Accessibility Tour, families with autism are invited to go through the entire pre-flight process. Once families are ready to travel, they can access a step-by-step video and pick up a complimentary YVR Resource Toolkit that features checklists, maps and activity storybooks to best prepare children with autism for what to expect.
9. September 21, 2015 | Inaugural Reveal Gala at Rogers Arena We could not do what we do without our valued donors, sponsors and supporters. In order to shed light on both the challenges and successes of our participants, while raising vital funding for our programs, we held the inaugural Reveal Gala.
Transforming Rogers Arena into an intimate venue for just over 500 guests, the first gala raised over $800,000 for CAN programs. Over the past three galas, guests have been treated by incredible performances from Sarah McLachlan, the Tenors and Lola Lennox.
In addition to over 50 event staff receiving CAN autism training, sensory kits (featuring noise-cancelling headphones for loan, a sensory toy, ID bracelet, visual storybook, arena map and game-night timeline), a quiet room and fan text service have been made available to individuals and families living with autism for all Canucks games, events and concerts.
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Have you been a part of any of the above 10 milestones within the past 10 years? Join us in celebrating a decade of “I CAN”. The CAN Birthday Festival on Saturday, July 7 at Surrey Civic Plaza is FREE and open to the public.
Over ten years ago, Katy Harandi gathered around a kitchen table with Vancouver Canucks Co-owners Paolo and Clara Aquilini and envisioned an organization that could provide recreational opportunities and a community of support for families living with autism.
As parents of children with autism, Katy, Paolo and Clara shared an understanding for the struggles associated with an autism diagnosis. It was with this desire to support other families living with autism that Canucks Autism Network (CAN) was formed.
On March 8, International Women Day, we recognize the decade of strong leadership that our invaluable President and CEO, Katy Harandi, has provided to our growing organization. Her spirit, compassion and infectious “I CAN” attitude has inspired a team of hundreds to create a space where every individual with autism can be understood, accepted and supported.
But before leading CAN, Katy’s commitment to those with autism began at home. Motivated to create a better life for her daughter with autism, she researched the field extensively, investigating a wide range of treatments for autism. And in order to supervise her daughter’s at-home support, she underwent countless hours of training from specialists and therapists.
Beyond her personal motivation to better understand autism, Katy was driven to create positive change in the lives of other families with autism, as well. With an MBA from UBC Sauder and a background in computer science, Katy’s acumen and solution-driven mindset have propelled CAN since day one.
After overseeing the process of becoming a non-profit society and registered charity, Katy and the Aquilinis set about obtaining funding from the Canucks for Kids Fund. In its inaugural year, CAN offered one soccer program at what was then GM Place and an autism awareness curriculum for elementary schools in the Lower Mainland.
From 2008-11, Katy served as CAN’s Chair of the Board, guiding the organization in its formative years as a small, grassroots charity. By 2012, CAN developed the capacity to fill over 2,700 annual program spots in weekly sports lessons, day camps, overnight camps and family events.
But during a critical time in CAN’s 10-year history, we were faced with a vacant Executive Director position. Katy was selected to assume the position of CEO on an interim basis.
What many may not know is that for one year, Katy donated her time in this executive position. While the Board searched for a permanent replacement, Katy represented an extreme rarity in the executive world – a volunteer CEO.
Needless to say, her selflessness and unwavering commitment is what inevitably made her the appropriate choice to assume the permanent position of President and CEO.
But regardless of her title – whether it be Chair of the Board, President, CEO or volunteer – it is Katy’s steadfast leadership since our inaugural year that has allowed CAN to influence the thousands of families with autism that benefit from our programs today.
Outside of CAN, Katy also serves as President of PALS Autism Society, another non-profit in Vancouver that provides school and adult programs for individuals with autism. It should come as no surprise that she has been a nominee for the YWCA Women of Distinction Award and a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for service to Canada.
This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the countless women like Katy who have dedicated their time and efforts to individuals and families living with autism across BC. They are on our board and in our office, guiding and coordinating our efforts. They are in our programs, delivering support in gyms, arenas, pools and fields. They are at home, providing unconditional love and care.
