The Circle of Friends Raises $3,000 for the Montreal Children's

Westmount - The Circle of Friends on May 5, 2007 raised more than $3,000 for the Montreal Children's Hospital through a fundraising concert which was staged at the Westmount SDA church. More than 200 people attended including representatives from the hospital.

The concert featured a number of choirs including the Joy Bells Choir and United from Westmount and the Crawford Adventist Academy from Toronto. It also featured rising star singers Alyssa Walton, Keisha Cummings and Tiffany Campbell-Dailey.

Initiated in 2002 by 19 year old Vanessa Williams, the Circle of Friends is dedicated to raising funds to address the needs of all sick children and support research to find better treatments and a cure for diseases threatening the lives of children. To date it has contributed more than $15,000 to the Montreal Children's Hospital in support of its neurology and bio-genetic research work.

“The Circle of Friends started as a dream”, said Sis. Jean Burgin, one of the speakers at the concert and a founder member. “This dream was inspired by the pain and suffering endured by children on the 6th floor of the hospital where Vanessa was hospitalized for a long time”, she said. Vanessa believed that she could do something in God’s name and she decided make her dream a reality by mobilizing friends and relatives to support her cause. She coined the name, “Circle of Friends”, meaning, “we are all created to love each other and to care for one another, no matter what the circumstances are and whoever the individual”.

Everyone is invited to join the Circle of Friends and support its cause. Remember, with each act of love, no matter how small, there are immense blessings. Let us show our compassion and love in deed (1 John 3: 17-18). For further information and contributions, contact Vanessa Williams at 514-481-9554.