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Since the mid-seventies, Bill Robinson's life goal has been to inspire his various audiences to look for, and find,
the best in themselves and each other and to put their positive ideas into action.
"Given that approach to life,"
he says,"we invariably begin to think better of ourselves and each other and things around us begin to improve -- It ain't rocket science!"
Although Mr. Robinson has initiated, or been involved with, a number of projects that meet these objectives, he sees
the growth of Neighbourhood Heroes as his ultimate accomplishment.
After a broadcast career that spanned 26 years and six cities ranging from Happy Valley, Labrador to Toronto, Robinson
moved to Nanaimo, British Columbia, in the summer of 1996. "I was looking for a community that didn't have traffic reports on the radio," he says, "and the lifestyle that goes with that."
In November of 2000, beginning with a newspaper column in two local Nanaimo papers, he launched the pilot version of the Neighbourhood Heroes Project.
An educational component will be piloted in the spring of 2001 and a radio feature is projected for the not too distant future-a twenty-six year-old dream has begun to take shape.
The highlight of Robinson's broadcast career was his creation of Toronto's highly popular "Robinson Connection" radio show.
In addition to its large following, the program had close to 6,000 registered listeners and over 40 listener/volunteers and coordinators
who were actively involved in a variety of listener-driven community service and fundraising projects as well as ski clubs, softball leagues, weekend excursions, theatre nights, dinner parties, cameral clubs, a choir, an amateur theatre group, and much more. Most of the fundraising was done for children with cystic fibrosis.
In the summer of 1983, Robinson left CKEY to create the Kin Cystic Fibrosis Radiothon. With the active support
of one assistant and Kinsmen and Kinettes across the country, and sponsored by Labatt Brewer's of Canada Ltd and
Speedy Muffler King, Robinson created, produced, marketed and hosted this highly successful fundraising and public
awareness project.
The Kin Cystic Fibrosis radiothon was broadcast on stations as large as CFRB ("Canada's Most Listened to Radio
Station") and as small as CKMK in Mackenzie, British Columbia. In Toronto, the radiothon was heard concurrently on both
CFRB and CKFM.
Today, as well as organizing the Neighborhood Heroes Project, Robinson works with Malaspina University-College and School
District #68 in Nanaimo/Ladysmith to create and deliver programs to grade 6 and grade 10 students. These programs
focus on the new economy and the importance of a post-secondary education in today's world. Interest in both
programs has grown across British Columbia and funding is currently being sought to take the programs province-wide.
Until recently, Robinson also acted as the Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Nanaimo, where he now sits on the board. His volunteer activities include membership on two other boards and five committees as well as a local Rotary Club.
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