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International Women’s Day event raises $80,000 for local women’s shelter

April 16, 2026   ·   0 Comments

Nearly 300 people gathered for Family Transition Place’s annual International Women’s Day event, a morning focused on community, connection, and celebration.

While International Women’s Day has been marked locally for over a decade, FTP took a different approach this year, hosting a brunch at Hockley Valley Resort in early March.

“In a departure from its long-standing luncheon tradition, FTP reimagined the event as a morning celebration,” reads a press release from FTP, issued on April 10.

“The warmth in the room — and the generosity of guests — made it clear the community was ready to embrace the change: the event raised just under $80,000 in support of FTP’s shelter, counselling, and education programs.”

The event opened with singing and drumming from Sharon and Tessa of Brave Canoe, an Indigenous-led not-for-profit, setting the tone for the morning.

Attendees then participated in a five-minute chair yoga session with Taylor from GoYoga Orangeville, one of the event’s presenting sponsors.

Sabina and Travis, youth educators with FTP, offered an interactive demonstration of the school-based programming they teach to students across Dufferin County and Caledon.

“Events like this one are what make our work possible,” said FTP Executive Director Lynette Pole-Langdon. “The outpouring of support from our community allows us to continue providing safety, support, and hope to those who need it most.”

FTP’s Youth Education Program operates largely without dedicated government funding and relies on community events and school parent councils to continue its work.

The annual International Women’s Day event is one of the primary ways FTP funds its Youth Education program.

In addition to brunch, guests could bid on more than 50 silent auction items.

Presenting sponsors GoYoga Orangeville, RBC Royal Bank and Roud Wealth Management RBC DS, along with floral sponsor Orangeville Flowers Ltd., provided gifts for attendees. They also received a sweet treat courtesy of Blissfully Baked x The Little Almond, a Bolton-based bakeshop.

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