By Jack Brittle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
On May 11, Burlington Helping Burlington (BHB) held a fundraising event for the Compassion Society of Halton (CSH) at Hagerty Garage + Social called “Cars, Cocktails and Compassion.”
Tickets cost $125 and the majority of the profits went to the aforementioned charity.
The venue is divided into two sections: a bar area, accessible through the front door; and a large garage, located to the left of the bar.
In the bar, dining tables and chairs were set up for guests, as well as a large charcuterie board, and servers made rounds, offering appetizers to the attendees.
In the garage, two golf and F1 simulators were set up, which guests could use for a small fee. Both sides of the room were also lined with two rows of classic cars, which were roped off but easily viewable, even under the dark lights.
At the end of the garage was a space for speeches and performances to take place. Before Sean Campbell, an organizer from Burlington Helping Burlington, and Mayor Marianne Meed Ward spoke to the crowd, a three-piece band featuring a violinist, guitarist, and drummer provided music to event-goers.
Large lit signs displaying the acronyms of the CSH and BHB were set up on either side of a projector screen, which also displayed the logos of both groups.
The Compassion Society collects and distributes food and clothing to the less fortunate.
O’neil Edwards, the executive director of CSH, spoke about one of the more unique aspects of the charity.
“We believe in the dignity of choice,” Edwards said. “And so, we’re set up like a grocery and clothing store, so they [users of CSH] can literally come in and shop for what they require.”
He also spoke about the fact that while Halton may seem more affluent than other communities on the surface, the need for charities like CSH still very much exists.
“Halton is one of those tricky places, we don’t see need as blatant or in your face,” Edwards said. “But we’ve seen them here every day that we’re open.”
He also said that the need has increased even more because of the economy coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Inflation is not just a word…And you know, for those who are blessed enough that don’t need to worry about that [that’s good], but, you know, we have other segments of society that [are struggling],” Edwards said. “You’re coming out of a pandemic, higher inflation, the salaries are not keeping up.”
Vicki Trottier, another member of BHB, echoed the sentiment of charities struggling to keep up with the demand.
“Their numbers are going up,” Trottier said. “Food bank numbers across the province are huge in demand, the highest in 25 or 30 years.”
Robin Bailey, the executive director of Burlington Food Bank, said the summer is a particularly difficult time for charities and that an event like this helps ensure the Compassion Society can run smoothly over the next season.
“The other big thing that it does though, is raise awareness so that people understand that there are so many charities doing such great work throughout Burlington,” Bailey said.
Trottier also said that the group had eight “gold” sponsors for the event, who each contributed $1000 to go towards the cost of facilitating the event.
Once the speeches began about an hour into the event, Campbell spoke about the founding of BHB and then introduced Meed Ward to the stage.
“There was a really devastating experience that we all went through as part of the pandemic,” Meed Ward said. “And people said, ‘Look, nobody should be alone. Nobody should go without. We can step up together and get through this.’ And that is exactly what happened through Burlington Together [the Facebook group where BHB was founded].”
She also referenced Burlington’s motto, “Stand By.”
“That can mean a number of things,” Meed Ward said. “First and foremost, it means ‘Stand by me,’ it means ‘Stand with me in times of trouble, in times of strife and times of richness.’ Every single person that has donated tonight, all of you organizations that are recipients of the funds tonight, have done that. They are the true ‘Stand by me’ warriors in our community.”
After Meed Ward spoke, Edwards shared a few words and Campbell thanked all the sponsors of the event.
Lisa Kearns, Ward 2 councillor, was also in attendance at the event and spoke about the uniqueness of Burlington Helping Burlington.
“I think this is the first time we’ve seen a group form [that’s] supporting groups all across Burlington,” Kearns said. “We know that we have both a resilient and a compassionate community and this brings both of those two characteristics forward.”
