$1.5 million dollars raised by fellow Torontonians
It has truly been an honour to be part of the Advisory Board for Artists For Peace and Justice over the past four years. When I initially became aware of APJ I was a new mother and very sensitive to causes that help children. I was invited to a friend’s home to meet with a small group of people from the APJ team, including Paul Haggis and a few fellow neighbours. I was drawn by their commitment to Haiti and its children, and the opportunity to make a difference by getting involved with this dedicated group. It seemed like an obvious choice. In Haiti, only half of the children attend primary school. From there only 20 go on to secondary school and only 1 out of every 100 children in Haiti has the chance to attend college.
These statistics made it clear to me I had to help in any way I could. APJ is an incredible organization that supports communities in Haiti through programs in education, healthcare, and dignity through the arts. They hold a fabulous event each year during TIFF to raise both awareness and dollars. This year the Festival Gala was under the stars at the spectacular Casa Loma. Natasha Koiffman of NKPR is instrumental in making this event come to life; she is a long time APJ supporter.
Another key Torontonian supporter is George Stroumboulopoulos who hosted the evening. The always-exciting live auction was hosted by the Scott Brothers, Drew and Jonathan and this year it raised a phenomenal 1.5 million dollars. Some other highlights of the evening were the performances by Stacey Kay, Arkells and The National. The most moving moment of the evening was listening to community organizer, priest and doctor Father Rick Frechette speak to the room about APJ in Haiti. He summed it up perfectly when he said “it’s not charity, it’s solidarity.” The Monarch Mag is committed to continually supporting APJ however we can.
Alison Heden
xo
A special thank you to Jerome Labrie of Escada for dressing Tracy and I in the spectacular gowns. What an absolute treat.
