Child Find Manitoba

My friend from PV, Jill, invited me out to a gala that we attended last night. I went because I love getting dressed up, and that the food would be great because it was at The Fort Garry Hotel. I also went because it supported children - that was all I knew, vaguely, but who wouldn't want to support that? So we went, and upon arriving I realized it was for Child Find's 25th Anniversary. We ate delicious appetizers, an amazing dinner, and great dessert. It was just a beautiful night. It was when the speakers came up to talk about their horrific stories of what happened to their own children that it really occurred to me why 300 people were here. Child exploitation is a huge problem that, like many others in our country, we are not exposed to enough. I am not even a mother and when I heard the first speech done by the mother of Candace Dunshire (this was a fairly huge story of a child going missing and never returning home in the 80s), I had tears in my eyes. There was somewhat of a 'victory' story, however, after this one - a father came up and spoke of how he got his son back, and it was amazing. I joked with everyone at the table that my sister had been very stern about not getting any strains (wine, food) on her silk dress that I borrowed. Looking down at the dress, there was one tiny, tiny stain - and it was from a tear that dropped while listening to these brave people tell us their stories. Although the night was heavy at some parts, the lights dimmed down and this huge group of people celebrated the night away. What were we celebrating? The 25 years that Child Find has been in existence to aid families in pain, help them find their child, and most importantly - try and put a stop to this terrible occurrence that goes on on a daily basis across Canada. I have always said that once I am working and have a 'real job' I would put lots of money into The Humane Society, but after last night, I am quite certain that Child Find may be added to that list. It was a great night in so many ways, and Jill, if you are reading this - thanks so much for inviting me!

P.S. - Obviously we got to bust out some dance moves to some classics, including Dancing Queen.