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How it works


Spend 12 hours in the shoes of a healthcare hero.

Sign up to participate in Give a Shift to show your support for UHN healthcare heroes. Take on challenges that will bring you closer to the everyday experience of TeamUHN, who work tirelessly to make all our lives better.

How to participate:

  • Participate as an individual and complete the challenges below for a total of 12 hours. The challenges can be accomplished over the course of the event weekend (e.g., 4 hours per day).

  • Participate as a team and cumulatively reach a 12-hour shift by completing the challenges below. You can complete the 12 hours together, or choose to split the hours among your teammates (e.g., a team of 4 people can do 3 hours each).

Overall, each participant is asked to stay active for as long as they can during their chosen activity periods, and take short, limited breaks. We suggest 15-minute breaks to replicate a healthcare worker’s busy shift.

The challenges:

1. PPE & protocols challenge
Participate in this challenge to truly understand the protocols and procedures our healthcare heroes must adhere to in a typical 12-hour shift to protect themselves as well as their colleagues, patients and families:

  • Wear a mask at all times. Try wearing an N95 mask if you have one, it will kick the challenge up a notch! Have a face shield? Wear that too!
  • Wash hands between all activities.
  • Keep your phone safe from germs (such as in a Ziploc bag) and wash hands before/after each use.
  • Social distance from others in your home (including eating meals alone).
  • Change clothes when leaving the house and returning (similar to how a healthcare worker must change their scrubs).

2. Step goal challenge
A healthcare hero spends most of a 12-hour shift on their feet. For this challenge, complete 15,000 steps as an individual or cumulatively as a team. If 15,000 is too easy try for 20,000! Use a step counter or an app on your phone to track steps.

3. Acts of kindness challenge
TeamUHN is constantly going above and beyond to help those in need. For this challenge, show your solidarity with acts of kindness. Go above and beyond for your community by checking in with a friend or family member who lives alone or delivering groceries for an older person. These are just a few suggestions but feel free to get creative!

4. Social media challenge
Share photos and updates of your challenges on social media to show our healthcare heroes how much you support them. You could post a photo or video wearing your Give a Shift mask, out for a run, or bringing a meal to your neighbor. Use #UHNGiveaShift and tag @tgwhf.