On a warm summer afternoon in May, guests arrived at the Hasanee-Hussain residence. The mood and the greetings were as warm as the mid-afternoon sun as guests drifted through the patio doors and down the terraced garden to the beckoning lake.
It may have been any sort of celebration; guests mingling while sipping iced tea, enjoying the lake view and pecking at plates of cheese and antipasto.
But this was a unique gathering, graciously planned by Dr. Yasmine Hussain and Dr. Khalid Hasanee at their Burlington home to raise funds for those in need a world away, but brought so close to home by War Child Canada.
War Child gives children in war-affected communities the chance to reclaim their childhood and break the cycle of poverty and violence. They take on this enormous task by offering children opportunities for education, training young people to gain the skills they need to gain dignified employment, and by offering legal representation for children and women whose rights are violated as a result of war and its ugly aftermath.
One of their biggest ““ and well-known ““ supporters is Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk.
Kreviazuk took time from her schedule for an intimate performance for guests at the fundraiser. Guests encircled the grand piano as Kreviazuk entertained and educated the guests about what War Child is and how important contributing to their cause is for her.
At the end of a lovely and leisurely afternoon, more than $115,000 was raised, with funds earmarked for one of War Child's key priorities in 2014: establishing programming in the Middle East to support those impacted by the Syrian crisis. This programming will initially focus on protecting vulnerable children and mothers and on providing them with education services.
Every small contribution can make change. For more information about War Child visit warchild.ca