Thanks Mom, For Giving Girls A Chance
For immediate release
Toronto, May 3, 2005 - Your mom has always been there for you. This Mother's Day, honour her with a gift that gives back. A donation in your mother's name to Give Girls A Chance, a fund of the charity, Tides Canada Foundation which is dedicated to educating girls and young women in Canada and around the world, is a special way to say, "thanks, mom."
Shireen Fabing of Toronto credits her mother, Teresa Marsh of Vancouver, for instilling values that helped Fabing and her siblings grow into confident adults. For Mother's Day, she's making a donation in her mother's name to Give Girls A Chance so other girls will have the same chance for success as she did.
"My mom was a single mom and raised three of us in South Africa on her own," says Fabing. "She taught us to be positive, and that education was important. She was, and still is, behind us no matter what we wanted to try as long as she thought it would help us grown on an educational or emotional level.
"All three of us have grown up into strong and independent adults, and I believe that a lot of it has to do with the constant motivation to learn by our mother," she says.
"By giving to Give Girls A Chance, I'm not only carrying on what my mom has always believed in, I also hope I'm helping another single mom get an education so she can be a better mother for her children."
"Having immigrated to three countries in my lifetime, I know the value of education in ensuring an independent and successful life," says Toronto mom Indra Dosanjh. "Also, having lost my father at an early age, I learned that traditional notions of security are truly fragile. We are all at risk of loss in both an economic and personal sense."
"I think it's sad that girls go uneducated just because they are girls," says her 14-year-old daughter, Priya, who is donating to Give Girls A Chance for Mother's Day. "Everyone should have the right to ensure that they can care for themselves and their children, but when you can't read, this is impossible.
Rebecca Brown of Horseshoe Valley north of Toronto is thrilled that her 10-year-old daughter, Maggie, has chosen to honour her on Mother's Day with a donation from her piggy bank to Give Girls A Chance.
"Maggie has been learning about giving and supporting others who are less fortunate, and I am glad that she has chosen a cause that is important to both of us - girls and education," says Brown. "Maggie loves her school and hopes that everyone has a chance to grow and learn as she is."
Jean Jablonski is a hero to her daughter, Kathi Jablonski. Jablonski, a Toronto graphics artist who trains with JeansMarines, the largest women's marathon training group in Canada, is remembering Give Girls A Chance this Mother's Day.
"My mom was a trailblazer in the seventies, going back to school and finishing her education" says Jablonski. "She eventually went on to do what she does best, teach others."
Give Girls A Chance is a fundraising initiative of the Tides Canada Foundation. Our motto - Educate A Girl. Change the World. - has been put into practice by charities that include the Umoyo Training Centre for AIDS orphaned girls in Zambia, which educates girls, and Literature for Life in Toronto. Founded in 2002, Give Girls A Chance is the designated charity of JeansMarines. Give Girls A Chance is also the designated charity this year of the Nissan Rock 'n Roll 5K and The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
To donate or learn more about Give Girls A Chance, please click here.. Tax receipts are issued for donations of $25. or more.
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