It’s not an everyday occurrence to discover an individual who has pulled himself up by his bootstraps to achieve phenomenal success with a business that’s still breaking barriers, still achieving firsts, and still innovating fifty years later. What does it take? How did he achieve it all? And how can we achieve similar successes?
That’s what we’ll explore in this tri-weekly series. We’ll break down fashion mogul Peter Nygard’s achievements and look at how his accomplishments can serve as practical applications to others in business and life.
A Beloved Patriot
The brave and selfless acts of Finland’s soldiers saved Finland from being completely dominated in the 1940s, and fashion mogul Peter Nygard wanted to pay tribute to them for saving the country of his birth. Peter Nygard has a deep connection to every country he considers home. He backs that up with generous unprecedented giving.
He is a true patriot, described as one “who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion” (dictionary.com). There is no doubt of Nygard’s love and support for his home countries of Finland, Canada and The Bahamas.
In 1994, Nygard took former Miss Finland, Tanja Vienonen, with him to visit the war veterans’ home in Finland. It was an act praised by many in Finland.
A Finnish article written about the event on April 18th, 1994 talked about one veteran in particular who was teary eyed and touched at being remembered. Apparently, he had survived the Winter War of 1940 between Finland and the Soviet Union but was injured by grenades in 1944.
It was said how Nygard, former Miss Finland, and the veterans all have a great deep love for their birth country of Finland in common and that the veterans have always been close to Peter Nygard’s heart.
Nygard attributes his success to them and their fight for Finland’s freedom and often remembers and references them in many of his speeches that he delivers globally.
A big highlight of that day for Nygard was meeting with Finnish General Ado- lf Ehrnrooth. This meeting was said to have brought Nygard to tears several times. General Ehrnrooth was severely injured three times during the war.
Over the course of his life, Peter Nygard has given generously to the veterans. whom he greatly treasures, and to many veteran causes in Finland. In appreciation, He has received numerous awards and medals from the veterans who cherish him.
In Canada, where Nygard grew into adulthood and has his business, he is most beloved for his unceasing commitment to cancer eradication. He has given more than 20 million dollars to this cause over the years. Organizations in Canada receiving contributions include
- Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Breast Cancer Research & Endowment Fund
- Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Run for the Cure
- Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Mobile Mammography unit
- Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Tumor Bank
- CancerCare Manitoba Foundation
- National Breast Cancer Foundation
Peter Nygard is most beloved for his commitment to cancer awareness and celebration of the life of cancer survivors. For many years, all NYGÅRD fashion shows feature cancer survivor models. And there is no dry eye in the audience as these models sashay down the runway in NYGÅRD fashions celebrating their lives.
In recognition of his valuable contributions to Canada Nygard has received Queen honours as described in an October 7th, 2013 Bahama Journal article, “Peter Nygård Honoured by Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II”:
On Friday September 20th at the NYGÅRD Runway Ready fashion show, former Lieutenant Governor Pearl McGonigal and Senator Rod Zimmer presented fashion designer Peter Nygård with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal “in recognition for his philanthropic work raising money and awareness for cancer research and for his outstanding contributions to Canada and the Commonwealth.
This is the second time Queen Elizabeth II has bestowed this prestigious honour on Mr. Nygård. In 2003 Queen Elizabeth II also awarded her Golden Jubilee medal to Peter Nygård as someone who, during her reign “helped create the Canada of today, and to recognize Mr. Nygård for outstanding and exemplary achievement to Canada as a whole.
Peter Nygard’s giving to The Bahamas is just as generous. He is a patriot for all times and could never be thanked enough for his generosity and commitment to the well-being of all of these countries over the years.
