While summer is still officially a month away, many consider Victoria Day to be the unofficial start of the season. It’s the weekend to get outdoors in the backyard, garden, park, patio, or campground.
At Five Counties Children’s Centre, our start-of-summer celebration falls on Saturday, June 22nd. That’s the day our Backyard Summer Social returns, promising a three-peat of the fun, food, and festivities people have come to expect and enjoy since its inception in 2022. If you haven’t been here before, consider getting a ticket to fun!
The Backyard Summer Social is our signature fundraising gala, letting adults (yes, it is an adults-only event) be kids again. No tux, gown, or heels are required — instead, sun dresses, T-shirts, shorts, or sandals are how to make a fashion statement here.
Guests will enjoy a petting zoo, alpacas, axe-throwing, circus performers, inflatable jousting, classic picnic games, live music, drinks, treats, and foods from local vendors.
The Backyard Summer Social is held in the backyard space at Five Counties in Peterborough. Used for outdoor treatment and therapy for kids and clients, it will be enhanced for this year’s fundraiser with colourful, newly installed rubberized paving that makes it easier for kids to get around on the trails.
The best part of the Backyard Summer Social is that all monies raised — a combined $80,000-plus in its first two years — go to support high-demand kids treatment services at Five Counties.
Some may wonder why fundraising is so important when Five Counties already receives provincial funding to cover treatment services.
We’re extremely grateful to the provincial government for its ongoing support of our programs. However, as a registered charitable organization, Five Counties can also raise additional funds to provide more services to families. This helps to reduce months-long wait times for treatments, ensuring more kids get the care they need when they need it.
As someone who has worked in fundraising in our community for more than 25 years, my role at Five Counties isn’t just a profession — it’s also a personal mission. I know firsthand the important work Five Counties does with children and their families, because my own child got help here.
As a former client, my child was fortunate in their younger years to work with an amazing Five Counties therapist who helped improve their speech and language abilities. My child’s success in school is tied directly to the support they received here.
Knowing the success my child had at Five Counties, it’s a real motivator for me as a mother and fundraiser to help more kids gain independence and enjoy better of quality of life through the life-changing services they receive at Five Counties.
Tickets purchased to the Backyard Summer Social help make that happen. That — and the start of summer — are worth the celebration.
For more information about this year’s Backyard Summer Social and to purchase tickets, visit www.fivecounties.on.ca/mt-event/bss/.
