Yesterday turned out to be another cold and rainy day. Yet, instead of staying cooped up indoors, my kids and I ventured a trip downtown to participate in a "Sundae Funday" media event hosted by Frigidaire and Save the Children Canada which took place at the Drake Hotel. It was an opportunity for guests and their children to make their own ice cream sundaes and learn more about Frigidaire's partnership with the charity.

 

We arrived right on time to enjoy some colouring activities as well as some magical entertainment before heading over to the sundae table and creating a super tasty treat. My son chose vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate sauce and chocolate chips. He was quite content. My daughter loaded hers with chocolate sauce, sprinkles and chocolate brownies. Of course, I had to try one. You know, to make sure it met sundae standards. I had a vanilla ice cream sundae topped with chocolate chips, sprinkles and bits of chocolate chip cookies. In case you were wondering, it surpassed quality testing. In fact, it was incredibly delicious. When they brought out a second batch of ice cream, @cbadov made a point of sampling it but contemplated having seconds to be sure it was just as tasty.

Later on, there was a special presentation that included a video clip of artist ambassador for Save the Children Canada, and mother of two, Jennifer Garner. Her work with Frigidaire and Save the Children is based on her belief that all children deserve an equal start in life. And I couldn't agree with her more. According to Save the Children,

These facts alone are enough to raise concern. How can these children be given an equal start in life when they are born amidst these statistics? Why must they be subject to poverty, psychological challenges and violence? Granted that Colonialism, residential schools, inequitable distribution of resources and geographic isolation are all factors that play into the social and economic challenges for First Nations communities. But is right that their daily struggles lessen their children's chances at having a bright future? What's even more sad is that these are children who live right here in Canada. So what can we do?

- Stephanie Clarke, Corporate Marketing Manager for Frigidaire

Launched on May 15,  www.sundaefunday.ca is a website where families can learn about the initiatives being carried out by Save the Children as well as teach their kids about the importance of giving back. For each virtual sundae created in the Make Your Sundae game, Frigidaire will give $1 to Save the Children Canada up to a maximum of $25,000. This is just a fraction of their total commitment of $100,000 to be given to the charity this year. Families are also encouraged to host their own offline sundae parties throughout the summer by inviting guests to make a $5 donation for every real sundae built. Funds raised can be donated directly to the charity post-party either online or by email. The site also has some handy party planning tips and colouring pages as well.

Save the Children Canada has also partnered with Dr. Jean-Victor Wittenberg, the Head of Infant Psychiatry at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, to help Aboriginal parents improve their responsiveness and sensitivity to the needs of their children. This will help improve the bonding experience between parent and child Much to my delight, I learned that, since 2008, Scholastic Canada has supported First Nations communities by donating 30,000 books to Save the Children Canada which has distributed them to school libraries.