TO: Castanet News Room

FROM: Lisa Santos

DATE: September 24, 2018

RE: Dragon’s Den

Driving Miss Daisy, a nationally franchised business that operates locally, has been selected to appear in an upcoming episode of DRAGONS’ DEN, airing Thursday, October 4th, 2018 at 8:00 PM (8:30 NT) on CBC Television.

Driving Miss Daisy prides itself as being an industry leader in the non-medical care industry for seniors and those with disabilities. Every member of the DMD team brings with them, a vast amount of experience and passion for their work. Our commitment to seniors and those with disabilities is best described by our Mission Statement:

Our Vision: To preserve independence and prevent social isolation.

Our Mandate: To be fiercely loyal and dedicated to our clients.

Our Mission: To be the eyes for those with compromised vision, the feet for those with limited mobility and a strong arm to support the weak.

Driving Miss Daisy was launched in January 2002 in St Albert, Alberta and franchised the business 9 months later. DMD has a vision to provide a service for seniors and those with disabilities offering a full suite of options by providing ‘through the door services’ including medical appointments, dental appointments, personal and grocery shopping, Alzheimer’s Companionship, in-home support, acting as liaison between medical staff and family, “Daisy Bouquet” check-in service and the list goes on.

Driving Miss Daisy is an award winning company and now operates in dozens of communities across Canada ~ received Global TV’s Woman of Vision Award in 2005, St. Albert Small Business Award of Distinction in 2006 and The Sage award in 2014 for outstanding community service in the transportation category.

Launching a business is no small task. No matter how big an idea you think you have, it still takes a lot of work and of course cash. Enter DRAGONS’ DEN, where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business concepts and products to a panel of Canadian business moguls who have the cash and the know-how to make it happen. They've all been there themselves, so pitchers better not enter the Den unprepared. It takes more than passion to convince these boardroom barons that an idea is worth their investment. The Dragons are ruthless and rightly so - it's their own personal money on the line.

“Each day over 1,000 people in Canada turn 65. Pitching the Dragons for assistance in managing our growth locally and nationally seems to be a win/win situation,” said Bev Halisky, founder and owner of DMD. “But you’ll have to watch the show to see if the Dragons felt the same way,” she said.

“Even as a franchise owner we don’t know if Bev got a handshake deal on the show or not,” said Lisa Santos owner of the local Driving Miss Daisy. “We’re excited to see how the Dragons reacted to something we are all so passionate about.”

In addition to its success on-air, DRAGONS’ DEN is also a hit online, boasting an active and engaged online community and averaging more than 450,000 page views per month. Full episodes and exclusive behind-the-scenes content can be viewed at cbc.ca/dragonsden. DRAGONS’ DEN is filmed at the CBC Broadcasting Centre in Toronto and airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC Television. Tracie Tighe is executive producer and Molly Middleton and Yette Vandendam are senior producers. Dianne Buckner hosts. Find the show online at: cbc.ca/dragonsden facebook.com/dragonsden @cbcdragon #cbcdragonsden

For local Driving Miss Daisy information, please contact:
Lisa Santos
250-860-3272
[email protected]