No need to dry clean your best LBD or suit for this black-tie fundraiser – in fact, you can show up in sweats.
You are cordially invited to not attend Hollyburn Family Services Society’s first annual no tie, no tails, Black Tie Gala on Dec. 15. So don’t dust off your dancing shoes, but prepare your penmanship.
Hollyburn Family Services Society is suggesting people take the money they would have spent on a charity ball and donate it to them instead – from the comfort of their home.
The non-profit association provides programs, counselling, and support services to North Shore children, youth, seniors and families and relies on personal financial donations to keep their valuable programs afloat.
This past year, with an increasing local homeless population, has been especially taxing on Hollyburn’s resources.
“There’s pressure to make sure we can meet that need,” said Hollyburn Family Services fundraising co-ordinator Joy Hayden, adding there are currently waitlists for all of their programs.
Seniors are one of the fastest growing demographic populations at risk for homelessness on the North Shore. Hollyburn outreach workers see the heartbreaking situations firsthand, including the case of an 80-year-old woman living in her car – and she has cancer.
In some cases, it’s already too late to help. Hayden said there’s a high suicide rate this time of the year among homeless North Shore seniors.
“Last year she (an outreach worker) came and said: ‘I lost six seniors,’” recalled Hayden.
There were 37 children under 18 whose families registered for services reserved for the homeless on the North Shore last year, according to a recent North Shore Homelessness Task Force report.
In order to assist the growing number of vulnerable children, families and seniors with social programs, Hollyburn operates on annual $2.5-million budget. While 60 per cent of funding is covered through government contracts, the remaining 40 per cent is raised through individual and corporate donations.
December brings a big fundraising drive for Hollyburn, hence the tongue-and-cheek, no black-tie campaign.
“When you think about what we do: we support victims of violence, we support homeless seniors and youth, constantly dealing with trauma and poverty – does it make sense to have a black-tie event? Absolutely not. It’s just not who we are or what we do,” said Hayden.
Hayden ran the numbers. To get all dolled up and go out for dinner the price tag for two, including babysitting, gala tickets, taxi and cocktails, can creep upwards of $300. Don’t forget the silent auction. You might be tempted by that Whistler getaway package.
“I think people come out paying two, three, four, five-hundred dollars a night. And so we’re saying, just put your feet up, make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, watch a Christmas movie and make a donation,” said Hayden.
The black-tie invite includes a handful of donation options including: $50 – please accept my RSVP that I will not be attending the No Tie, Not Tails event, or $125 – thank-you for saving me money for another silent auction item I don’t need.
Of course, no donation is too small for Hollyburn Family Services. It’s not about the quantity but the cumulative effect of giving.
“If 10 people make a $25 donation – that’s $250,” said Hayden.
And that $250 buys groceries for seniors living on the street or allows youth at risk to attend an after- school program.
Hollyburn will provide a tax deductible charitable receipt for donations over $10.
There are a couple ways to buy your no black-tie ticket: online at canadahelps.org, make a cheque payable to Hollyburn Family Services Society, or call 604-987-8211, extension 223, with a credit card number.
