Humber College Event Management students held a fundraiser carnival on Monday in collaboration with Youth Without Shelter, an organization that provides housing to young people facing homelessness.
The event at the college’s North Campus featured a variety of carnival games, live music, snacks and other fun activities for attendees of all ages.
Running every year as a capstone project for Event Management students at the end of the semester, the Youth Without Shelter fundraiser carnival has a Humber College history spanning over five years.
Kaylyn Lau, an Event Management student, said her favourite part of the program and event is getting the chance to give back to those in need.
“We get to give back to youth that don’t have as much as we do and it’s nice to be able to give back to our community,” Lau told Humber News.
All proceeds from the carnival go towards Youth Without Shelter’s programs and services, which help youth experiencing homelessness to find stability, safety, and support.
Event Management is expecting 200 students to attend the carnival and hit their fundraising goal of $500, though there were some concerns about attendance, Lau said.
“That is the goal, but it really depends considering it’s the end of the semester,” she said.
Students who donate or spend a minimum of $3 are placed in a raffle and are eligible for a variety of prizes, and those who couldn’t make it in person are able to donate directly to the charity.
Christine George, a student attending the fundraiser, said events like this help shine a light on the issue of youth who are victims of homelessness.
“There’s a lot of youth homelessness in Toronto that we don’t even know about. People usually associate homelessness with older people or base their image of it on what they see in downtown Toronto, but it’s much bigger than that,” she said.
Lau said she and all the Event Management students hope events like these and in the future send a positive and important message to the students of Humber and encourage them to give back to those less fortunate.
“It’s important to show up and show out, even if you aren’t super interested in what’s going on,” Lau said.
“It’s good to learn about what’s happening in our community and ways you can support. Being apart of a community is so important since it helps you feel that you’re making a difference and that you’re connected,” she added.