Magic of Giving Holiday Market raises over $9,000 for Lansdowne Kids

Lansdowne Children’s Centre is once again offering HUGE thanks to Julie Neal, who founded the Magic of Giving Holiday Market in 2024...

Held at the Best Western Inn in Brantford, Julie Neal posted on Facebook after the event, "...to our amazing shoppers — thank YOU for showing up, supporting local vendors, enjoying the festive spirit, and helping us give back. Because of ALL of you, we are thrilled to share that we raised $9,120!

It's a lot of work to organize any event, and one with many vendors and lots of activity is right at the top of the list. It's a labour of love for organizer Julie Neal, local real estate agent in Brantford whose family has been helped by the many services and programs offered by Lansdowne Children's Centre.

“Lansdowne holds a very special place in my heart,” Neal said. “We would have been completely lost without them.”

Collaborating with sponsor partners Jason Tangorra - Broker of Record and Realtor, and the Best Western Inn and Conference Centre on Holiday Drive in Brantford, this was the second annual event featuring a wide array of local artisans, entrepreneurs, craftspeople and businesses.

Neal couldn't have been more pleased with the response, and the continued growth of the Holiday Market.

"A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Volunteers, Sponsors, Vendors, Local Businesses & Shoppers! To all of the incredible people who helped bring the Magic of Giving Holiday Market to life — THANK YOU!"

Neal took to Facebook to share her great appreciation for all the supporters.

"Your hard work, energy, and holiday spirit made this event truly magical. From setup to clean-up and everything in between, you made a real difference for our community and for the amazing kiddos at Lansdowne Children’s Centre."

We’d like to give a special shout-out to each of these wonderful people:

•  Thank you Stacey Muller Photography & Dan & Stacey Muller Mortgages for sponsoring the event and volunteering your time to take wonderful photos all day of our shoppers at your photo booth!

•  Thank you Andrea Woods, Pinky’s Balloon Treat Cups, Shauna Xurieb, Melissa Milbury, Lorraine Easto, Zoe Duggan, Lori Kaufman, Jesse Kaufman and Rebecca Neal for helping behind the scenes with everything from picking up raffles, finding donations, set up and clean up, handing out flyers and helping all day at the event!

•  Thank you to the Best Western and Jason Tangorra, Broker at Royal LePage Brant Realty, for sponsoring the event without even hesitating, again this year!

•  Thank you to Matt Fotheringham at Venture Media for volunteering your time to capture photos of the vendors!

•  Thank you to all the local businesses who donated to the raffle table and making it a huge success!

•  Thank you to all the talented local vendors for supporting this amazing cause! Everyone's tables looked fantastic!

• And to our amazing shoppers — thank YOU for showing up, supporting local vendors, enjoying the festive spirit, and helping us give back.

Every admission fee, every raffle ticket bought, and every moment shared helped strengthen our community and support local kiddos who need it most. Because of ALL of you, we are thrilled to share that we raised $9,120!

The funds from the market go towards supporting various programs and services offered through Lansdowne, including the Equipment Loan Program.

Julie Neal (right) and her mom reluctantly pose for an adorable photo amidst the hustle and bustle of a Holiday Market.

Lansdowne Children's Centre Speech services team members Camila (left) and Carolyn (right) pose with their creations as vendors in the Holiday Market.

You can add your support for Lansdowne Children's Centre programs and services supporting local infants, children and youth, and their families, by visiting www.lansdownecentre.ca/myjourney to make a financial contribution.