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Caroline Kiva attempted to climb Kilimanjaro for charity – but alas, wasn’t able to complete the climb
By MYRON LOVE
Caroline Kiva is of the belief that there is little point in becoming involved with charitable organizations whose causes don’t resonate with you personally. The Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP, Associate Counsel specializing in Estate and Succession Planning is drawn to Jewish causes and healthcare.
“My parents (well-known former teacher Marianna Kiva and artist Leon Kiva) believed in giving back to the community,” she says. “Even in retirement, my mother is still tutoring.
“Initially, it was a matter of being asked,” Caroline Kiva says of her contributions to maintaining a strong community. “In more recent years, I have been looking for ways to contribute that resonate with me.”
In her university days, Kiva was part of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg’s Young Adult Division (YAD). Over the past few years, she has been a member of the Board of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, where she is currently one of the Directors and on the Development Committee.
“Since I am a member of the Jewish community and use the services that the community has to offer, I feel that it is important to contribute to organizations such as the Foundation that is working to ensure that our community has a secure future,” she says.
In the wider community, Kiva’s primary volunteer efforts have been on behalf of the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation. She is currently a Director and the Board’s secretary-treasurer and was previously on the Major Gifts committee.
It was Kiva’s passion for healthcare that led her to join a climbing expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania three years ago. The Summit of Hope was started in 1999 with the goal of raising funds for the British Columbia Children’s Hospital Foundation. To date, 138 climbers have participated in climbing eight different mountains and more than $2 million has been raised for medical research.
The most frequently-climbed peak has been Kilimanjaro.
In 2018, Kiva joined a group of six climbers from Manitoba.
“It was certainly a challenge,” she says. “I trained for ten months to prepare.”
Unfortunately for Kiva, the night the group arrived in Tanzania, she developed an eye infection which impeded her climb.
“I ended up twice visiting a hospital,” she recalls. “The first time, I went to a village clinic/hospital. I had to miss out on some of our group’s activities one of which was delivering clothing and sports equipment we brought to donate to an orphanage.”
Kiva started the climb wearing an eye patch. “I climbed for a day and a half with the eye patch. I wasn’t able to complete the climb. I came back down with a porter. On the way down, I was able to see what I missed on the way up.”
One of the positives that she found in being alone with the porter was having the opportunity to learn a little from him about Africa, his life, his children and his experiences.”
Following the climb, the group enjoyed a safari, which included pitching their tents on the edge of a crater. “It was really interesting seeing a different culture,” she says. “And we raised $65,000 for the Children’s Hospital Foundation in Winnipeg.”
Would she do it again? “I would certainly be open to the possibility,” she says. “I like new challenges.”
She also enjoys the challenge of making sure that, as a lawyer, that her clients’ needs are met. And particularly in this time of Covid, she notes, “we have really had to be on our toes.”
She says that she is proud to be part of the TDS legal team. “I had wanted to be a lawyer as far back as I can remember,” she says.
Kiva is a member of the bar in Ontario and Saskatchewan as well as Manitoba.
Never one to waste her time, Kiva spends her free time taking cello lessons and studying ballet with the RWB via Zoom. “I practice in my kitchen,” she says.
She is also currently co-authoring the third edition of the legal tome, “Drafting Wills in Canada, a Practical Guide”, which will be completed by late this year.
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Volatility, Hit Frequency, and RTP: Why the Number Casinos Advertise Is the Least Useful One
The return to player percentage looks clean as a casino data point. It gives players a neat number, usually around 94% to 97% for many online slots, and that number feels easy to compare. A 96.5% game appears better than a 95.2% game. The problem starts when players treat RTP as a forecast for their next 50 spins or one evening.
You may find the RTP listed on slot pages on a leading online casino in Ontario, but the number only tells part of the story. Two games can share the same RTP and create different sessions: one may return small wins often, while the other may drain a balance before one bonus round changes everything.
The RTP Trap
Return to player (RTP) measures the theoretical share of total wagers a game returns across a very large number of rounds. In plain terms, a 96% RTP slot returns about $96 for every $100 wagered in the long run. That does not mean one player who deposits $100 should expect $96 back.
The trap sits in the word “theoretical.” RTP comes from the game’s math model. It works across huge samples, not personal sessions. A player can finish far above that percentage, far below it, or with nothing left after a short run of poor results.
Is it useless then? No, RTP can still help. It gives a baseline cost of play. Lower-RTP games cost more on average than higher-RTP games. Still, once a game passes a reasonable threshold, the next question matters more: how does it distribute that return?
Hit Frequency: The Number That Shapes Session Feel
Hit frequency tells you how often a game produces a winning outcome. This often misleads players because any win can count. A spin that returns $0.10 on a $1 bet may still count as a hit, even though the player lost $0.90 in real terms.
A game can feel active because symbols connect often, sounds play, and the screen keeps celebrating small returns. The balance may still fall. In many modern slots, “win” does not always mean profit on the spin.
Hit frequency answers one practical question: how much silence can you tolerate? Some players dislike long dry spells. Others accept quieter sessions because they chase bonus rounds or larger payouts.
The educational site Get Gambling Facts gives a useful distinction: RTP concerns the percentage of money returned over time, while hit frequency concerns how often a machine stops on a winning combination.
Volatility: The Risk Label Players Need More Often
Volatility, also called variance, describes how unevenly a game pays. Low-volatility games tend to return smaller amounts more often. High-volatility games hold more value in rare events: bonus rounds, premium symbols, multipliers, or jackpots.
Here is where RTP becomes less useful on its own:
- A 96% low-volatility slot may give modest returns and longer play from the same balance.
- A 96% high-volatility slot may burn through funds quickly unless the player hits a strong feature.
- A progressive jackpot game may look exciting, but it often places more value on rare top prizes.
The same RTP can hide very different risk profiles. Players who ignore volatility often blame the casino or the game when the session follows its math design.
Why the Same RTP Can Feel So Different
Picture two slots with 96% RTP. Slot A pays small wins on many spins, has a modest top prize, and rarely creates dramatic balance swings. Slot B pays less often but offers a large max win and volatile bonus rounds. The advertised return matches, but the experience does not.
Slot A may suit a player who wants a slower bankroll drop and more regular feedback. Slot B suits someone who accepts sharper losses in exchange for a shot at a heavier payout.
A Better Way to Read a Slot Page
Most slot pages give players more clues than they notice. The trick is to read the details together rather than chase the highest percentage.
Start with RTP. If two games look similar, the higher number has better long-term value. Then check volatility. If the game uses terms such as high, very high, or extreme variance, lower your bet size or expect shorter sessions. Next, look at the paytable. A huge max win usually means the game saves a lot of its value for rare outcomes.
A sensible pre-play check looks like this:
- RTP: What is the average long-term return?
- Volatility: How rough can the session become?
- Hit frequency: How often will the game show any wins?
- Paytable: Where does most value sit?
To Conclude
Casinos advertise RTP because it looks objective, tidy, and easy to rank. Players should read it, but they should not give it more authority than it deserves. For long sessions, volatility may matter more than a small RTP difference. For comfort, hit frequency may explain the feel better than the payback rate.
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The Popularity of Simpler Slot Games in 2026: Review From Casino Online CrazyTower Experts
Online casinos now fill their libraries with numerous video slots that have dozens of functions, long bonus rounds, complex mechanics, and so on. Interestingly, despite this huge range of modern options, many Canadian visitors at sites like Casino Online CrazyTower here https://crazytower.com/ca/ no longer want complicated gameplay that requires constant attention and long explanations.
Simpler slots now attract a wider audience because they save time and create faster sessions. So, let’s figure out why this change happened and reasons for the popularity of simpler machines.
Why Many Players Are Returning to Basic Gameplay
Modern websites like Casino Online CrazyTower pushed complex video slots for years, but many people now prefer classic formats again. Simple gameplay has fewer interruptions and is simpler in terms of budgeting, which is important when you gamble for fun.
These are a few potential reasons explain why simpler slots became popular again in 2026:
- Faster rounds. Symbols appear quickly, and rounds continue without long animations or extended bonus sequences.
- Easier controls. Most classic slots have simple menus and familiar layouts that don’t confuse new visitors.
- Smaller feature lists. Simple slots usually have standard wilds, scatters, and multipliers instead of dozens of random mechanics.
- Better session flow. People spend more time on gameplay instead of reading explanations about symbols and special functions.
- Lower visual pressure. Simpler slots use calmer designs and shorter effects that don’t overload attention.
Classic gameplay also suits mobile devices better because shorter rounds work well on smaller screens. Plus, many visitors now prefer games that start instantly and explain their mechanics within seconds.
Features That Make Simpler Slots Appealing
Simple machines at Casino Online CrazyTower and similar websites continue to attract attention because they have a high gameplay speed. Many classic titles also replicate older casino machines that people already know from physical casinos.
However, these aren’t the only factors that attract gamblers. So, check out this list:
- Short bonus rounds. Free spins and multipliers finish quickly instead of interrupting gameplay for several minutes.
- Common and standard paylines. Traditional layouts help people understand payouts without long explanations.
- Faster loading times. Simpler graphics reduce waiting time on phones, tablets, and older computers.
- Stable gameplay pace. Long cutscenes and constant pop-up notifications don’t interrupt the session.
- Traditional themes. Fruit symbols, bars, sevens, and classic casino designs still attract large audiences.
- Smaller menus. Important information appears immediately without complicated tabs or hidden sections.
Modern video slots often contain too many mechanics in a single game. Developers now combine expanding reels, random modifiers, mission systems, tournaments, and multiple bonus levels in one title. Many visitors lose interest because gameplay turns repetitive and overloaded with constant interruptions.
Compare this to a session when you get results immediately and aren’t interrupted. These still have free spins and even mini risk games, but not as loaded as innovative titles.
Conclusion
Simple slots usually create better replay value because people understand the mechanics immediately. Common and standard gameplay doesn’t cause frustration and allows faster decisions during casino sessions.
Many classic slots also function better during short breaks because rounds finish quickly without long bonus interruptions. That’s why simpler slots became popular again at many casinos, including Casino Online CrazyTower and such.
