The Federation of Black Canadians (FBC) and Skills for Life is hosting its first Impact Gala fundraiser to help raise funds for Black Canadian youth on their journey to higher education.
The (FBC) is a national, non-profit organization that seeks to advance the social, political, economic and cultural interests of Black Canadians across Canada. The group achieves this through a number of resources, such as educational programs, advocacy, committee engagement and services.
In an interview with Now Toronto, Executive Director of the FBC and Skills for Life Christopher Thompson shared the organization focuses on change within four key categories.
“The main pillars we work within are justice, education, economics, and health. And all our work is done from an anti-Black racism lens and trying to amplify and support communities across Canada,” he said.
The organization’s latest initiative is the inaugural Impact Gala, a fundraiser that will go towards its programs, such as the Student Success for Learning Program (SSLP) and Black Entrepreneurship Program, and the nurturing of the future generation of Black Canadians. The gala is happening Saturday evening at the Toronto Marriott.
“The goal is to celebrate the accomplishments done in over the last year, being able to engage over 150 youth, provide over 200,000 in education bursaries, being able to activate over 60 parents in terms of financial literacy for the use of them and things leading to RSPs (Retirement Savings Plan),” Thompson said.
The FBC is inviting participants, allies, partners and contributors to celebrate Black excellence at the gala, while fundraising for next year. Its mission is to raise $60,000 toward next year, and so far, the organization has already received over $20,000 in donations ahead of the event.
Those attending the Impact Gala can expect a night full of fun and opportunities with tons of engaging and interactive activities to partake in.
“Once you get into the room, right away, there’s a red carpet, there’s going to be photobooks for you to take pictures. There’s silent auctions going on, there’s going to be a live painter going on. There’s also going to be performances from our youth. Federation of Black Canadians Got Talent winners are going to be performing,” Thompson said.
In addition to the FBC Got Talent winners, Canadian JUNO-award winning singer Jully Black, along with other local artists will also be performing.
And that’s not all. The gala will have 360 booths, delicious food, FBC tributes, neighbourhood bingo, casino style social games and, of course, a great DJ to get the party’s vibes right.
Celebrity guests attending include former Toronto Raptor Khem Birch, Olympian Gavin Smellie, and Canadian actor and director Femi Lawson, among others.
Thompson says it’s so important to have a space for Black Canadians right now because it’s a way to advance opportunities for Black youth and share their stories.
“Being able to do this event, to kind of raise money for this opportunity, I think means a lot. We get the stories all the time…people go online and see the videos we posted, the youth were so happy that even they had initiatives, programs and had a celebration in this space because they’ve never seen that,” he explained.
He goes on to say that it’s valuable to be in a community with others like you, who have similar struggles and can relate to you because it inspires your drive and motivation.
“…There’s people pushing forward for you that feel and understand you without you having to say much, without having to explain everything you’ve been going through, whether you feel down about who you are, how you’ve been treated. These people understand that and they look past that and they just push you forward because they know,” Thompson said.
Tickets are already sold out for this year’s gala but Thompson says people can still try to win a chance to attend through an online contest on TikTok and Instagram, where five lucky winners will score some tickets.
Thompson emphasized that even if people are not able to attend the gala, they can always donate on the FBC’s website or support through volunteering. There’s also items people can bid on during the silent auction, such as a signed Jamal Murray jersey, a Canadian NBA champion for the Denver Nuggets.
For more information on FBC’s Impact Gala, events and programs, visit the website here.
