A record number of people helped the London Abused Women's Centre raise a record amount of money at its 17th annual International Women’s Day Breakfast.
The annual fundraiser, held last Friday at the London Convention Centre, brought in $66,497.75, surpassing the agency's $60,000 goal.
"We had a feeling that things were going extremely well during the breakfast. The attendance was the largest that we've ever had, the participation at the event, as well as sponsorships ahead of the event. Everything was already past our expectations. To see the final numbers was such a great feeling," said Fabienne Haller, fund development coordinator for LAWC.
A crowd of 600 people attended the sold out event, which also included a silent auction. The breakfast is the agency's single biggest fundraiser of the year, with all of the money going toward front line services.
"We offer support, advocacy , and counselling. We have one-on-one sessions as well group sessions. We have a drop-in for existing clients. We do a lot of community outreach like going into educational facilities such as universities and high schools. With this money we are able to continue to give these services. All services at the Abused Women's Centre are free of charge for abused women and girls aged 12 and up," said Haller.
Preparations for next year's breakfast are already underway with plans to expand in light of the growing demand.
"Certainly, we would like to add a few tables, possibly extend the space at the London Convention Centre to accommodate all of the people who want to come. We did have a few people that were on the waiting list because we sold out about a week prior to the ticket sales closing this year," said Haller. "We feel that London is a leader in their determination to end violence against women. It's the London community that makes this event a success for us."
