Fundraisers

The annual Montreal Toy Tea began in 1986 with a small group of Montreal ladies collecting and donating brand new toys for children in shelters who normally would not receive new toys like other children during the holiday season. Many of the children were receiving used or second-hand toys which other children no longer wanted. Ginger Petty, along with some other prominent philanthropists in Montreal held this event in the home of Ginger Petty, and soon this “Tea” grew into an annual event of some prominence. This licensed charity is now held at Ogilvy’s 5th Floor Tudor Hall on the first Wednesday in December, and is an invitational event from the Montreal women who host the Toy Tea. The donated toys and money are presented to over twenty six shelters of various ethnic and religious backgrounds. Ginger Petty personally goes to the shelters to ensure that the children are receiving the toys personally at their shelter parties. Because these shelters are the homes of women and children who are fleeing from domestic or political violence, the confidentiality issue is important.

In 2003, for the first time, the English Montreal School Board was invited by Ginger Petty to participate in the Toy Tea. The EMSB, through the spiritual care and guidance and community involvement service responded with enthusiasm, with over twenty schools collecting toys and money for underprivileged children in shelters.

Once again, for the seventh consecutive year, the EMSB has been invited to participate in the annual Toy Tea at Ogilvy’s (Wednesday December 2, 2009) spearheaded through the collaboration of the Student Services Department, administrators, spiritual community animators, staff members, parents and students of the participating schools.

Ginger Petty is usually available as a guest motivational speaker for both high schools and elementary schools in the EMSB. Her presence in the schools is much appreciated with respect to her being a role model regarding the virtue of generosity, community involvement in humanitarian causes, and the art of fund raising to help others. She will visit after the TOY TEA if time is limited before the event.

Each year the toys are collected by volunteer retired teachers who come personally to the participating schools for the collection of the toys. If students wish to donate money, these funds can be used to purchase new toys as well. Many schools select a team of students along with a teacher and/or the spiritual community animator to purchase the new toys with the donated school collection money. The participating schools send representatives to Ogilvy’s Toy Tea to receive their certificate of participation. Last year Dante and Roslyn Elementary School Choirs performed for the first time at Ogilvy’s.

The EMSB partnership with the Toy Tea has proved to be beneficial to both the donor students and the grateful recipients (children in shelters) of the new non-violent toys.