Guests awaiting ceremonies to start at the charity ball.
The Malvern Family Resource Centre celebrated 25 years of success with its annual Orchid Charity Ball held at the Metropolitan Centre last Friday.
Based on the number of people, the party was a hit.
“Our goal was to raise $20,000,” said Michael Coteau, the centre’s public relations coordinator. “But donations are still coming in, so the final amount is not yet known.”
The gala attracted over 200 guests and the centre raised a significant amount of funds that are crucial to the centre’s
quality, officials say.
“One hundred per cent of the funds we raise goes to better the programs at the centre,” said Girmalla Persaud, executive director. “It is imperative that we have our finger on the pulse at all times to give a sense of what the needs for our programs are.”
Persaud’s drive to help with Malvern’s growth as a community has kept her at the centre for 22 years.
Because Malvern has been so stigmatized, Persaud and other community residents decided to hold an event to place Malvern in a positive light, she said.
Viresh Mathur, a Malvern resident, is a board member of the centre and says the money he donated to the centre has been put to very good use.
“I was a recipient of other agencies that operate out of Scarborough, so I decided to give back,” Mathur said. “The people that you see here are the cream of Scarborough — for a person to spend $100 on a ticket is not easy.”
Other donors seem to agree.
According to Ingrid McKay, some of the greatest contributors are Curves for Women (Milner branch) and Mary Margaret Zulauf.
“Last year, my Visa card showed how much I really enjoyed this event,” said Zulauf, while socializing with other guests at the gala.
To assist in the growth of their programs, the centre depends on the annual ball for most of its donations.
According to their website, the centre started with just a four employees in 1983, and grew to 50 in order to run all the programs offered. The Ontario Early Years Centre, the Youth Centre, the Women’s Place, the Seniors Centre, and the Family Centre are the centre’s five key programs.
“We are at the cutting edge with emphasis to our programs,” Persaud said. “We are in a very good place as an agency.”
Girmalla Persaud, Executive director at the Malvern Family Resource Centre.
Information facilitators, Ingrid McKay and Cathy Mwanza.
Mary Margaret Zulauf putting in a bid at the silent auction.