Aug. 26, 2024
Shinerama, Canada’s largest post-secondary fundraiser for cystic fibrosis, is celebrating 60 years of advocacy and impact since its humble beginnings at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Shinerama has raised more than $29 million for Cystic Fibrosis Canada with support from student shiners at 36 colleges and universities across the country. Cystic fibrosis, which primarily affects the lungs, is the most common fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults. Roughly, one in every 3,800 children born in Canada is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
While celebrating 60 years in 2024, Shinerama traces its roots to 1961. That year, Paul Enns, student president of the sophomore class at Laurier, then known as Waterloo Lutheran University, proposed a shoe-shining fundraiser to introduce first-year students to campus and inspire them to positively impact the community during Orientation.
“My orientation week in 1960 was more about initiation activities – silly things that made you feel embarrassed – and I thought if I ever had the chance to do something about this, I would,” says Enns.
Enns saw his idea as a way to introduce first-year students to each other, especially those new to Waterloo, and build camaraderie.
“We wanted people to feel really good about something, about what they were doing,” Enns said. “And I wanted the community to see students doing good things.”
Enns sought assistance from the university’s public relations director, who obtained the necessary supplies – jars of shoe polish and wooden pop-bottle crates to serve as shoeshine stands – from community partners.
Four hundred student shoe-shiners participated in the first-ever Shinerama in 1961, which raised nearly $1,400 for Sunbeam Home, a community organization supporting children and youth living with developmental delays.
Enns still has the piece of paper that lists the squads of shoe shiners and their group leaders.
“It seemed to go over quite well,” says Enns. “I never thought it would last beyond that year.”
Word spread within Waterloo about the positive impact of Enns’ fundraiser. Enns recalls hearing that Waterloo families of children living with cystic fibrosis shared his idea with staff at Cystic Fibrosis Canada.
Enns says he wasn’t involved in those conversations, but by 1964 the university partnered with Cystic Fibrosis Canada to direct Shinerama fundraising to support cystic fibrosis research and advocacy.
Washing windshields eventually replaced shining shoes and the momentum behind Shinerama flooded postsecondary campuses across Canada. Car washes, coin drives, barbeques and online fundraisers continue today as some of the many ways Shinerama student organizers introduce new students at their schools to the legacy and impact of Enns’ original idea of community stewardship and camaraderie.
Laurier students wash a car during Shinerama 2001.
At Laurier, the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union Shinerama student committee organizes Shinerama fundraising activities held during orientation. Laurier students have raised more than $3 million for Cystic Fibrosis Canada and the university is Shinerama’s top fundraising partner, a title proudly held by Golden Hawk student shiners since 2019.
“Shinerama is a special part of the Laurier student experience and our students and alumni can be proud of the impact they have made in the fight against cystic fibrosis,” says David McMurray, interim vice-president: student affairs at Laurier.
This year, a daily Shinerama barbeque takes place beginning Friday of Move-In Weekend through Sept. 6 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the Quad at Laurier’s Waterloo campus. An orientation week carnival takes place on Sept. 6 from 5 to 11 p.m. at 188 Sunview Place in support of Shinerama, followed by a Shinerama barbeque and tailgate event on Sept. 7 ahead of the Golden Hawks’ first home game of the 2024 OUA football season.
At Laurier’s Brantford campus, an orientation carnival on Sept. 4 from 6 to 11 p.m. in the RAC supports Shinerama. A Shine dodgeball tournament takes place Sept. 5 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Laurier-Brantford YMCA, followed by a car wash on Sept. 7 at the Student Centre Parking Lot between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Enns has remained connected to Shinerama since graduating from Laurier in 1964, speaking at kickoff events at universities including Western University, the University of Waterloo and Laurier.
“For me, it’s a very powerful feeling,” Enns says of the impact Shinerama has made. “People have asked me about the highlights of my life, and this is one of them. This is one of the most important events in my life, in terms of making an impact as an individual. It can still be kind of emotional for me.”
Cystic fibrosis is a fatal genetic condition with no cure. With support for Shinerama, Laurier student shiners are trying to change that.
During Shinerama 2021, Laurier student Tuesday Kaiser raised more than $10,000 with support from alumni Laurier alumni Ian McLean (BA ’98) and Hilary McLean (BBA ’99).
Golden Hawks can support Shinerama through barbeques, dodgeball, a car wash and carnival during Orientation 2024.
Visit the Orientation page for details.
Since 2019, Laurier has held the title of Shinerama's top fundraising postsecondary school in Canada. To date, the efforts of Laurier student shiners have contributed more than $3 million to cystic fibrosis research and advocacy.
