Guest editorial
“You can’t simply enjoy all the good that your
community offers and not help to pay back the good
life you enjoy as a result”
At age15 I landed on the doorstep of my first customer’s home selling Fuller
Brush door to door. My manager told me that: “Sales is the only profession
in the world in which you are paid what you are worth and not what someone
else thinks you are worth.” I have been a salesman now for over 50 years.
Yet when I began charitable work with Kiwanis in the seventies I soon learned
charities had the opposite problem. Charities and community organizations
were worth what the community thought they were worth. I knew then my
sales skills could help change that perception.
I often try to introduce someone new to appreciate the needs of their
community. I credit my good friend Jack MacDuff, who in 1994 threw
some gasoline on my spirit to galvanize me to give more back to my community besides simply writing
cheques. In that meeting he said; “Tony, you can’t simply enjoy all the good that your community
offers and not help to pay back the good life you enjoy as a result”. Well, that was the call to action that
motivated me to become much more physically active in serving my community.
It makes me proud that over the years I garnered a reputation in the local charitable industry of “Don’t
look Tony in the eye!” It did not bother me as that eye was on helping to make my community stronger
and some peoples’ wallets thinner. I am honoured it was that eye that helped raise extra millions for my
community as I led many million dollar fundraising campaigns and gave my sales expertise to numerous
other fundraising projects. I even dressed up as cupid for Valentine’s Day in 2003 and paraded down Main
Street for United Way as its campaign chairman. Nothing embarrasses me if it means making a difference
in my community and raising money along the way.
I believe our local not for profit organizations make a significant difference in the community and life we
all enjoy. Today I continue to work behind the scenes with three charities and I help to mentor four small
businesses. I am reluctant to take a lead role again as I believe in my senior years
I can accomplish more as a worker bee than a queen.
I hope this excerpt from my memoir Selling Millions, Raising Millions….the
story of a life well lived as a door to door salesman can motivate others to choose
to use their selling and other skills to raise money for charities and community
organizations. I ask readers to call the Volunteer Centre at 869-6977. You don’t
have to commit to anything. Simply call today and learn about the volunteering
opportunities in our community. They are not all about fundraising. Our
community’s future success is all up to you.
- Tony Hebert
WINTER/HIVER 2018 PrimeTime
13