June Fundraiser at the Brickworks in Toronto
Every year, Ste. Anne’s Spa receives hundreds of requests for support from some very worthy causes. This year, Canada’s Favourite Spa has decided to switch their focus for charitable donations into one project, The Maori Primary School Project, with the hopes of making a measurable change in the lives of many incredibly deserving children.
The Maori Project is dedicated to raising funds for the construction of a primary school in Rural Mazoe West, Zimbabwe, Africa. At this time, the children are attending school in old disused farm buildings that are insufficiently equiped for learning; roofs with holes in them, windowless, poor lighting etc. In collaboration with ZimArt, who in 2011 raised enough funds for the first school block to be built, Ste. Anne’s is working towards creating the second school block while focusing on sustainability, not dependency.
“Every year, Ste. Anne’s has donated thousands of dollars to a wide variety of charities, however it was hard for us to feel like we were making a real difference in any one of these causes,” says Tina Abernethy, Executive Assistant to the General Manager. “This was an opportunity to make a positive change to the lives of 350 primary school children and we couldn’t be more excited about it!”
ZimArt is an organization that Ste. Anne’s has been involved with for a number of years. They are driven to raise funds to support grassroots projects in Zimbabwe with orphans and HIV/AIDS victims being the main beneficiaries. These projects help the communities work toward sustainability not dependency. Not only that, but ZimArt focuses on helping the local artists make money by selling their stone sculptures, many of which can be found throughout Ste. Anne’s property.
On June 21, 2012 the Canadian Southern African Network (CSAN) organization will be holding A Southern African Celebration at the Brickworks in Toronto. All proceeds will be donated to the Maori Primary School Project. As a supporter of the project, Ste. Anne’s is one of the key sponsors for this evening of African food, wine, dance and art. To raise more awareness for this worthy cause, Ste. Anne’s has purchased extra seats for their guests to win so that they can join this exciting event as well.
The school is set to open in January 2014, and although they will have reached their goal with the construction of the second school block, they don’t plan on stopping there. Ste. Anne’s will continue to help raise funds for many additional projects that will help the community become self-sufficient.
To learn more about the Maori Project click here or to read the owner of ZimArt, Fran Fearnley’s blog click here.
For more information on the Maori Primary School Project please contact Tina Abernethy at 1-905-349-3704 ex 242 or by email at tina.abernethy@steannes.com.
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