By Adam Brazeau
CORNWALL, Ontario – Talk about girl power! For 15 years, hundreds of local women have rallied in Cornwall to celebrate a sacred bond and raise money for local charities.
Over 260 women indulged without a guilty consience at the annual Mother-Daughter Night fundraising event hosted at Ramada Inn, on Thursday evening.
Two large ballrooms fit for royalty were overflowing with desserts, hors d’oeuvres, fine foods, champagne, and martinis – all served by male volunteers.
Joanne Brault, director of sales at the hotel and conference centre, wasn’t surprised the event sold out or that over $11,500 was raised for breast cancer research.
All 265 tickets sell out every year. And nearly $100,000 has been collected for various charities and non-profit groups.
“It started as an evening for women prior to Mother’s Day and it’s grown year by year,” said Brault, event founder and organizer.
For a decade, the funds have been donated to the SDG branch of the Canadian Cancer Society.
The event also featured a mini trade show with 19 booths. Local businesses tailored to women showcased their services and the city’s entrepreneurial spirit.
Brault noted that Mother-Daughter Night highlights the sweet side of the battle of the sexes.
“Men from the community come and serve and they’re not even being paid,” she said.
Local resident Victoria St. Pierre was thrilled to take her mother, Christine, out for a ladies night of epic proportions.
“She’s my whole world. Since this is the mother-daughter night of the year, I thought I would bring the gem of my life,” said St. Pierre.
