The very first edition of YMCA for Peace, the latest incarnation of our flagship event, was a huge success. Thanks to the mobilization and involvement of the volunteers and partners of The YMCAs of Québec Foundation, we raised $375,000, which is $100,000 more than the previous edition. Our impact will be even stronger and more substantial in our communities, helping a greater number of young people and families.
More concretely, the funds raised will support TeenZones, an important pillar of programming because prevention is at the heart of our mission. The financial support will also fund school success programs, since the very future of young people depends on their education.
An evening coursing with animated discussion and reflection on peace and social harmony
Geneviève Richard, TVA's Head of Business Integration, hosted the networking cocktail with professionalism, energy, and flair. YMCA for Peace is an event like no other: in addition to raising funds to support the YMCA's mission, there was also another objective: to provide an account of a personal journey, encouraging reflection on the collective action needed to build harmonious and inclusive communities.
Personal and authentic human experience were the common threads running through the evening: the guests wrote messages of hope, which were then displayed on giant screens. Even the cocktails on offer reflected these themes.
Testimonial highlighting the YMCA's impact
The event took on its full meaning with the testimony of the evening's star: Hamadah, an asylum-seeker, who arrived at the U.S.-Canadian border. To support him in this great challenge, his counsellor Luisa, coordinator of both YMCA Pointe-Saint-Charles and the TeenZone at Beurling Academy, joined him on stage. The duo's rapport was palpable. Hamadah delivered a solid, emotionally-charged account that left the audience spellbound. His story highlighted the YMCA's impact on his personal life, his resilience, and the unconditional support of the professionals who guided him along the way.
Dedicated volunteers and partners
The hope necessary to build healthy, inclusive communities is the driving force mobilizing the YMCA's mission and the collaboration of its partners. Members of both The YMCAs of Québec's Board of Directors and its Foundation demonstrated their solidarity by attending the event.
Thanks to the involvement of volunteers from the business community and partners, who rallied their respective networks, the event was a resounding success.
A big thank-you to Mario Bédard, Chairman of the Foundation's Board of Directors, whose wish it was to bring hundreds of people together, so that, together, everyone could reflect on, and lay the foundations for, a harmonious and inclusive community, where each person has an equal opportunity to shine!
Check out the event photo album here.