Public Service Announcement by
William Shatner, Spokesperson
for March of Dimes Canada

"Why I support March of Dimes Canada." 

Since 2006, William Shatner, Canadian icon, actor, writer, producer, director and musical performer has been the Spokesperson of March of Dimes Canada, helping to promote our many national programs, including Conductive Education®, Stroke Recovery Canada® and Polio Canada®.

William Shatner was born March 22, 1931 in Montreal, Quebec. He first gained fame for his starring role as Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise in the television show Star Trek and in seven of the subsequent movies.

Since then, Shatner has worked tirelessly in a variety of media, and won numerous awards for his portrayal of attorney Denny Crane in the television series The Practice and Boston Legal. His autobiography, Up Till Now, released in 2008, can be found in bookstores across the country, or online at Amazon.ca.

Mr. Shatner took some time out of his busy schedule to talk about his role as spokesperson of March of Dimes Canada and why he devotes so much of his time to charitable works.

March of Dimes: You are so beloved in Canada and our donors, supporters and consumers love hearing from you. Thank you for agreeing to this interview.

William Shatner: It is my pleasure.

March of Dimes: You have been supporting March of Dimes Canada for over three years – what drew you to this organization and cause?

William Shatner: Well, actually, I believe that charity extends to all. I try to help as many people in need as I can – obviously you cannot help everyone, but I do believe at some point in our lives, we are all “disabled”, whether it be physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially or financially. So really, my feelings extend to all those people who may need help. I find that the best usage of my time, is to help the people who are helping people – like everyone at March of Dimes.

March of Dimes: The Public Service Announcement (PSA) that you recorded for us runs frequently on television stations in Canada and we hear from people that they recognize March of Dimes from this PSA – which helps give us credibility with those who may not have been familiar with our programs and services.

William Shatner: Well, what a terrific use of my name – if it helps give validation to a fantastic organization, then that is the best use of this crazy, non-logical thing called celebrity. As I was saying, you cannot help everybody, and the selection process (for supporting a charity) can be somewhat mystical – it could be that you have an identification with people who already support the charity, or it has helped family or friends. Deciding what makes a charity appealing can sometimes be a haphazard process. If using my name may help more people support March of Dimes, well, that is terrific.

March of Dimes: What do you think are the biggest obstacles for people with disabilities?

William Shatner: I think it can become overwhelming to have to deal every day with the obstacles faced by people with disabilities. So remaining positive – and the more we can do to help (March of Dimes consumers) to stay positive, the better off we all are. And yet, it is easy for us who are not living with a disability to say that, so it is difficult to really know.

March of Dimes: Do you have any message you would like to send out to March of Dimes supporters?

William Shatner: In these difficult economic times, giving to charity often becomes a lesser priority. But for the people receiving the benefit – their need doesn’t change, in fact, it often becomes greater. So I believe it behooves us all to make charitable giving high on our list of priorities.

March of Dimes: Thank you very much for your time and thoughtful words.

William Shatner: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.

William Shatner recently recorded a new series of public service announcements which will be rolled-out on television stations and websites over the next year. March of Dimes Canada is tremendously grateful for Mr. Shatner’s support and thanks him for his ongoing contribution to enhancing the community participation and independence of Canadian children and adults with disabilities.