CHILDREN’S AID FOUNDATION CELEBRATES THE LEADERS OF TODAY AND TOMORROW AT THE 11TH ANNUAL RECOGNITION NIGHT
Toronto, October 9- On September 29, 2009, the Children’s Aid Foundation hosted the 11th annual Recognition Night and Award Ceremony in honour of the generosity of their corporate partners and in acknowledgment of the incredible determination of their youth, in care or former care of the Children’s Aid Society, who have gone on to post-secondary education.
“We are here tonight to acknowledge leaders- corporate leaders, community leaders and the leaders of the future,” said Peter Lee, chair, Children’s Aid Foundation’s board of directors. “The youth we are honouring tonight have overcome the circumstances of their lives and persevered to reach their goals. They did it with the support of our corporate partners who have helped our children and youth pursue their dreams.”
The youth who received the scholarships have overcome issues like abuse, neglect, and poverty and many don’t have traditional support systems to help them. The Children’s Aid Foundation believes that post-secondary education helps equip youth with the tools they need to break the cycle of disadvantage for themselves and to reach their full potential. This year the Foundation awarded over 225 scholarships and bursaries.
“Tonight is an opportunity for the Children’s Aid Foundation to say thank you to the people who have given their support to the Foundation,” said Ann Barnard Ball, executive director, Children’s Aid Foundation. “We are grateful for the commitment and dedication of our partners who have made the past thirty years possible. We have raised over $100 million and helped more than one million children and youth with the investment of our partners.”
In addition to presenting scholarships to their deserving youth, the Foundation recognized corporate partners who had gone above and beyond in support of the Foundation. The following awards were presented:
• Lifetime Achievement Award- John Sherrington, former Chair of the Board
• Corporate Award- Manulife Financial
• Community Award- RONA
• Gift-In-Kind Award- Chatelaine
• Special Event Award- National Bank Financial Group
The Honourable Ken Dryden was presented the Individual Achievement Award at the first annual Building Brighter Futures Award Ceremony, which took place on September 23, 2009. This event is focused on the support from individual donors, who were able to meet with the youth they provided scholarships for.
-30-
The Children's Aid Foundation believes that all children and youth deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential: in keeping with these goals the Foundation has become a leader in providing the tools and support to help children in need enjoy their childhood and become the people they were meant to be.
Founded in 1979, the Children's Aid Foundation is a national charity that funds programs in areas of prevention, enrichment and education. This year marks the Foundation's 30th anniversary of helping to make a difference in the lives of children and youth.