The Peel Police Services Board showed their support for 100 Women Who Care Mississauga as the Title Sponsor for the Spring Giving Circle. On Wednesday, June 14th, at the Irish Club of Mississauga, Members of the PPSB and female members of the Peel Regional Police attended the Giving Circle as representatives for the Title Sponsorship* and also as one of our Exclusive Lead Sponsors.

We had an impressive turnout, with over 60 people in the room and another 15 online, and after some mixing, mingling, and door prizes, we started the meeting promptly at 7:30pm. The organizations that had been pre-selected to present were, in order of presentation:

• Passion for Parkinson’s—Sources, implements and funds creative arts and exercise programs for people living with Parkinson’s Disease
• Canadian Heritage Photography Foundation—Collects, preserves, and digitizes Canadian heritage photography
• Lady Ballers Camp—Develops girl-centered programs which encourages non-competitive physical, emotional and educational development

Passion for Parkinson’s

Tamara Boaden, Chair of the Passion for Parkinson’s Foundation, and also a member of 100 Women Who Care Mississauga, presented on behalf of Passion for Parkinson’s. We learned that Parkinson’s is a progressive disease for which there is no cure. There are medications available that help slow progression and manage symptoms, but they are a band-aid solution at the moment. One thing that has been learned through research is that exercise and activity helps Parkinson’s patients tremendously. Two of the most beneficial activities are cycling and boxing. PforP offers free exercise programs to people with Parkinson’s. They currently offer seven programs a week, serving 134 every week. The organization is 100% volunteer run, in 2022 they had 4200 volunteer hours, but they need to pay the instructors who teach the classes. If they receive the collective donation, the funds would go to adding more exercise classes and renting the instructors to run the classes. They are hoping to add at least one additional class a week of both boxing and cycling.

Canadian Heritage Photography Foundation (CHPF)

Gary Landa, Chairman of the Board for the CHPF presented on their behalf. The mission for the Canadian Heritage Photography Foundation is preserving old photographs to help prevent losing histories. The donation would allow them to create a special feature about the City of Mississauga and its history on their website, covering its founding, growth and development, and other items of interest. They have received a government grant to hire students to help with their preservation work, and part of the donation would be used to cover their portion of the students’ pay, plus an honorarium. They would also use some funds to promote the donation of old photographs to the CHPF to help preserve the history of Mississauga.

Lady Ballers Camp

Toyo Ajibolade, Founder and Executive Director of Lady Ballers Camp presented on their behalf. During the 2022-2023 school year, 150 students went through their free student tutoring after school program. During the summer, 100 girls and young women will attend their free summer camp for girls from marginalized communities, which includes the camp, activities, meals, and transportation in some cases. If they were to receive the collective donation, the funds would be used for their Fall 2023 after school tutoring program. The after school program was started during COVID to help girls and young women, from grades 3–12, in marginalized communities escape from the stress of virtual school and parentification at home. They are still running the program with much success, but they have had to cap it at 150 girls because of funding. If they receive the collective donation, it would fund the 2023-2024 fall/winter session in full. This means providing meals, transportation, tutoring, and activities. They would also be able to increase the program to include 180 students.

These were three very compelling presentations, and we opened the floor to the voting. While votes were being collected and tallied, we heard presentations from our Exclusive Lead Sponsors and gave away some door prizes. Once all the votes were tallied, Sumeeta Kohli, from PPSB, announced the donation would be going to Lady Ballers Camp!

Sumeeta Kohli, PPSB; Toyo Ajobolade, Lady Ballers Camp; MPP Nina Tangri; Christine Hull, 100 Women Who Care Mississauga; with PRP policewomen
Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/katrinasuttonphotog

After a short grace period for members to make their donations to Lady Ballers Camp, members of the Steering Team went out to the Lady Ballers Camp facilities on the morning of Wednesday, June 28th for the presentation of the Big Cheque. We got to see the facilities, engage with some of the young women leaders from the upcoming summer camps, and take some photographs. The donation cheque that morning was in the amount of $12,600, but a few late donations have come in since then, and the total collective donation from the members of 100 Women Who Care Mississauga to the Lady Ballers Camp hit $13,000!!! This is our largest collective donation to date!

We would like to thank the Honourable Nina Tangri, MPP for Mississauga—Streetsville for her attendance and gracious words at the Giving Circle, Sumeeta Kohli, from PPSB and the policewomen from PRP for their support, attendance and sponsorship of the Giving Circle, all of Sponsors for their continued support, the Door Prize Sponsors for their wonderful gifts, and all of our members, who continue to nominate local charities, make their donations, and spread the word so we can continue to grow and give, and help Mississauga’s communities in need.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the next Giving Circle, Wednesday, November 8th, at the Irish Club of Mississauga. Guests are welcomed and encouraged. Mark your calendars!

If you have friends or family who might be interested in becoming a member, they can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn or go to our website at 100womenwhocaremississauga.com to learn more.

Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/katrinasuttonphotog

*As Title Sponsors, the PPSB contributed $2500 towards the costs associated with the June Giving Circle. In return, they received social media promotion in the 3 months of this last quarter, their logo featured prominently on our website, a dedicated table for their representatives at the Giving Circle, and PSB Vice Chair Sumeeta Kohli, had the honour of announcing this quarter’s donation recipient.