Give a Shift

Event weekend

It’s time to Give a Shift!

You’ve registered, you’ve fundraised, and now it’s time to Give a Shift! This weekend, you will spend 12 cumulative hours – all at once or over the course of the weekend – going about your regular activities while trying to complete the tasks and challenges below as best you can.

Take short limited breaks as needed – we suggest 15-minute breaks to replicate a healthcare worker’s busy shift. Connect virtually with other participants by posting updates through the weekend – be sure to follow and tag @tgwhf and #UHNGiveAShift.

Throughout the weekend you will receive helpful emails with encouragement, tips and reminders for your shift, so be sure to check in.

Plan your shift

If you haven’t received it, download your official Give a Shift timecard and printable selfie sign now. You can use the timecard to track your progress, and the sign will help you show your gratitude to healthcare heroes and complete the social media challenges!

In addition to the challenges, there are a few scheduled events throughout the weekend that you won’t want to miss:

April 30

10 a.m.     Event kicks off! Look out for the email and plan your shift if you haven’t already.

May 1

10 a.m.     Wondering what a day working in UHN’s COVID-19 unit is like? Watch a video featuring Dr. Tarek Abdelhalim to get you in the right mindset for your shift. A link will be sent by email or you can watch it here.

1 p.m.     Take a virtual fitness class! A link will be sent to all participants by email, or you can join the classes by clicking below. For these classes, try wearing a mask if you feel safe to do so. You can complete these classes at any time.

•  Click here to join UHN Wellness Fitness Class #1
•  Click here to join UHN Wellness Fitness Class #2

7 p.m.     Celebrate our healthcare heroes! Bang your pots and pans and cheer at shift change-over.

Sunset     Around 9:30 p.m. the CN Tower will light up in blue, yellow and white for Give a Shift and our healthcare heroes. If you can see it from your home, snap a photo and tag us!

The Challenges

Below is a full list of the suggested challenges, but feel free to get creative! The goal is to honour our healthcare heroes while raising funds to support UHN, so we appreciate any way you choose to accomplish the goal.

1. PPE & protocols

Participate in this challenge to get a sense of 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 for 12 hours straight, or if you are breaking up your shift over the weekend, that works too! 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. This includes every time you take your mask on and off. Be sure to wash your hands before you start every new activity. Don’t forget, it only counts if you give them a good scrub! For at least 20 seconds, or the length of the Happy Birthday song if you feel like singing.

• Keep your phone safe from germs by carrying it in a Ziploc bag. Healthcare workers have had to do this so they can still respond to calls, etc. during their shift. Want to capture the latest Tik Tok craze while in your PPE? Yes please! But don’t forget to replace your phone in the Ziploc bag after. Try to do this for 1 full hour. And remember to wash your hands each time you use your phone!

• Eat at least one meal where you are practicing social distancing from those in your own home. If your family is sitting down for lunch in the kitchen? Eat alone in your room. Pizza dinner in front of the TV with your roommates? Take yours to the kitchen and eat solo. Healthcare workers have been forced to do this during their shift since the start of the pandemic to keep everyone safe.

• Change clothes when leaving the house and returning (similar to how a healthcare worker must change their scrubs). If you have one, keep your Give a Shift scrub top on so you can look the part, but change your pants, socks, undershirt as you come and go!

2. Stay active

A healthcare hero spends most of a 12-hour shift on their feet. So whether it is as an individual as part of your team, be sure to complete your activity challenges during your virtual shift. If it feels safe to do so, try wearing PPE while staying active.

• Log 15,000 steps as an individual or cumulatively as a team in 12 hours. If 15,000 is too easy try for 20,000! Use a step counter or an app on your phone to track steps. For an accessibility option, set a distance goal and set out to complete it during your shift.

• Take part in a virtual fitness class – Pilates, yoga, cycling, even a meditation class. We will be sending you a link to a virtual fitness class on May 1 – so keep an eye out.

3. Acts of kindness

TeamUHN is constantly going above and beyond to help those in need. For this challenge, show your solidarity with acts of kindness. There are no limits on this one, so feel free to get creative!

• Call or text a friend (or three) who you haven’t spoken to in a while to see how they are doing during the new stay-at-home order.

• Schedule a virtual check-in (using FaceTime or Zoom) with family or friends who live in a different city and you haven’t been able to see throughout the pandemic.

• Drop off a prepared meal or groceries for a neighbour or loved one who can’t get out to the store.

• Write a letter or note to someone... just because.

• Join the celebration for healthcare heroes. Bang pots and pans and cheer to demonstrate your gratitude for healthcare workers at 7 p.m. on May 1.

4. Post, share and say thanks!

Give a Shift is all about saying thanks to our healthcare heroes and letting them know how much their efforts and sacrifices have meant to you. You are doing these challenges and fundraising for them so let them know! Don’t hold back! Don’t forget to follow and tag us @tgwhf and use #UHNGiveaShift.

• Post updates from your shift on social media to virtually connect with other participants. Like, comment or share other posts using #UHNGiveaShift to support your fellow ‘co-workers’ during their shifts.

• Send an email to at least five people asking them to support you by donating to your fundraising page. There are email templates in your Participant Centre to help!

• Share photos as you complete your challenges on social media – you can post a photo or video wearing your Give a Shift mask, out for a run, or bringing a meal to your neighbor. Don’t forget, if you are part of a team, tag your teammates along with @tgwhf and #UHNGiveaShift.

• Record a thank you video for your healthcare hero and post online tagging @tgwhf and #UHNGiveaShift.

• Use your "I give a shift for" sign to snap a selfie for social media to share your reasons for participating in this event.

• Shift complete? Take a photo and post your timecard to show everyone how hard you’ve worked and how much you care for UHN’s healthcare heroes!

Thank you for participating in this first-of-its-kind event, and for demonstrating your gratitude to the healthcare heroes who have sacrificed so much to keep us healthy and safe. Your support is helping UHN to build a healthier world. For more information about the groundbreaking work happening at our hospitals, visit our website.