The fifth annual Joyce deHaan Memorial Mad Hatter Tea Party will be held this Saturday in the Grand Ballroom at the Black Knight Inn.
The Mad Hatter Tea Party is a fundraising event held annually in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. This event is unique from other fundraisers because it is partnered with the Canadian Cancer Society and the funds raised are set aside to support two projects that have been established in Red Deer, the Cancer Centre Hat Room and the support and purchasing of wigs for the Cancer Society.
The Mad Hatter Tea Committee members have established a hat room in the Cancer Centre and are looking forward to their new allocated space in the new Cancer Centre that is set to open this spring.
This specialized room is open to all cancer patients so that they can “shop” for hats at no cost.
The hats are gathered from the Tea where guests attending make the donations. To date over 500 hats have been donated to this cause.
The second project is the monetary donation to the Cancer Society to support the purchase and maintenance of wigs. The funds raised at the Tea are donated and used in Red Deer. So far more than $10,000 has been donated.
“We are proud of what we have accomplished with the project,” said Sharon Schultz, founder and team member of the Mad Hatter Tea Committee. “We have been able to give generously to our community and cancer patients. The support of the general public by way of attending the Tea and their donations allows us to continue.”
“This project, although simple in concept, has touched many cancer patients. It is about making someone feel better and look better at a time in their life when they need it most,” said Schultz.
In addition, another goal is to let a family share their story of how cancer has affected their lives. The committee honours someone different each year and allows a family the opportunity to share their story. This year the Embury family will be celebrating the life of Florence Embury as they share her story of her battle with cancer.
The main purpose of the event is to support the hat project, however education is also a big focus of the day. “The event was established to support the hat project but the main purpose is to share our message. We have a goal of people coming to the event, being enlightened, being inspired and having a fantastic time. We really want people to come and have fun,” said Schultz.
Tickets for the event are $20 per person. If you are ordering six or eight tickets please specify that you would like to reserve a table. Wear a hat. A prize will be awarded for the table with the best theme.
For more information or to order tickets send a request to madhatterrd@gmail.com or phone 403-347-4056.
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