Lansdowne Children’s Centre will be hosting their Eras Gala event on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
The event, which will be held at the Brantford Golf and Country Club, will include an immersive experience of exhibits recognizing the past 50-plus years of Brantford and area’s support for children and youth with special needs.
Jennifer White, Executive Director of Lansdowne Children’s Centre Foundation, expressed her team’s excitement for the celebration.
“We’re thrilled to offer this opportunity to share the incredible history of Lansdowne Children’s Centre and come together with community members to recognize the 50th anniversary of our region’s children’s treatment centre, and all the people who are a part of its legacy, staff, clients, volunteers, and donors,” said White.
The Eras Gala event will open at 5 p.m., and promises an interactive opportunity with local archives, including videos, photos, equipment and news clippings reaching back to the 1950s and the formation of the Brant County Cerebral Palsy Association, a precursor to Lansdowne Children’s Centre.
“We have uncovered some fantastic treasures during our anniversary efforts this year. We have digitized old film reels, dusted off incredible photo albums, and even rediscovered a past promotional video from the 1980s on a VHS cassette,” added White.
Guests of the gala will be taken through the many eras of Lansdowne Children’s Centre, including pre-Lansdowne organizations like the Rotary Crippled Children’s Centre, which was founded in the Brantford General Hospital in 1960 with the Rotary Club of Brantford. Rotarians have played a large role in the development of support for children and youth with special needs in our community, including the founding of the annual Rotary Classic Run, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.
“We also have current and past clients who will be performing, sharing their artwork and telling their Lansdowne stories,” said White. “The community support has been incredible, with a wonderful collection of items for our silent auction.”
The gala will be raising awareness and funds in support of Lansdowne’s expansion efforts, addressing the growing population in the region and the overwhelming demands for services and support.
Earlier in the year, Will Bouma, MPP for Brantford-Brant, was joined by Michael Parsa, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, at Lansdowne’s Brantford site to announce the province’s commitment to building a new children’s treatment facility in Brantford.
