Rise and Shine Breakfast Press Conference Kicks Off Great Event to Raise Money for City Kidz

On Wednesday, January 21, 2009, the College hosted a press conference to promote the upcoming Rise & Shine for City Kidz Leadership Breakfast, hosted by HSC and presented by title sponsor Tim Hortons.

The event, to be held on March 6, aims to raise $25,000 in order to allow City Kidz to purchase two more buses to expand its Saturday activity program. The buses will provide free transportation for as many as 200 more children so they can attend the Sherman Playhouse Theatre in Hamilton’s inner city.

City Kidz is a local charitable organization providing children from 6 to 12 with games and songs in a safe, fun and interactive environment, teaching them about good life decisions. It tries to lay the foundation and attitude in young children to enable them to reach their potential.

It has 800 children at a time attending programs each Saturday. It also provides weekly home visits to 1,500 children to get to know each child in the Saturday program on a personal level and build friendships and to show them someone cares.

“We are excited to be working in partnership with a number of community organizations, including the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Royal Botanical Gardens, the Hamilton Ti-cats and of course City Kidz”, said Dr. Matthews. “Our partnership with City Kidz stems from our commitment to our community and community outreach. It is our vision, as an educational institution, to inspire our students to better the world around them”, he added.

“Teaming up HSC students with City Kidz is a great fit, says Lynda Sohal, chair of City Kidz Board of Directors and a constable with the Hamilton Police Service.

“We believe the children at HSC have great opportunities to become our future leaders of the next generation,” she said.

The Rise and Shine Leadership Breakfast promises to be a high-profile community event. Together with City Kidz, HSC’s student-led Social Action Committee has been hard at work to help facilitate this inaugural fundraiser. To date several prominent leaders and mentors from the Hamilton community have stepped up and will serve breakfast to guests in Lawson Hall on March 6 from 7:00 – 8:30 a.m. Included among those serving so far are Mayor Fred Eisenberger; Georger McCarter, Pearson Dunn Insurance; Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board chairperson Pat Daly; Michael Lamont; Chief of Police Brian Mullen; former Ti-cat Angelo Mosca; Hamilton Ti-cat player Josh Williams; Ron Foxcroft, Fox 40; Michelle Dube CHCH News; Steve Stipsits Branthaven Homes; Former Chief of Police Colin Millar; Justin Cooper Reedemer University; HSC Board of Governors Chair, Dr. Jennifer Everson; Peter Mercanti, owner and founder of Carmen; Peter Turkstra, Turkstra Lumber and Hamilton Spectator editor-in-chief David Estok.

The Social Action Committee is looking for more community leaders help to serve breakfast. Sponsorships of $2,000 (Gold) or $500 (Table) are also being sought.

Tickets are $30 or $240 for a table of eight. For additional sponsorship information or to order your tickets please click here.