Annual Galas - First Call Child and Youth Advocacy Society

About our Annual Galas

Our annual fundraising galas are an occasion to celebrate our child and youth advocacy work with our affiliate organizations and allies as well as to raise much-needed funds to support our work. In addition, each year we honour an individual with our Champion of Child and Youth Rights Award at the gala.

Past Galas and Award Recipients

2022 Virtual Fundraising Gala and Awards Presentation Featuring Monique Gray Smith

Reading from her new book I Hope, Monique spoke about the importance of love and hope as we navigate our way forward – including a wee bit of neuroscience.

Monique Gray Smith is an award-winning, best-selling author. Her books cover a broad spectrum of ages, topics and emotions. Woven into all of Monique’s writing, speaking engagements and online courses is the teaching that Love is Medicine.

Monique is Cree, Lakota and Scottish and is well known for her storytelling, spirit of generosity and focus on resilience. Learn more about Monique’s work and preorder her new book on her website.

Champion of Child and Youth Rights Award

In 2022 we honoured Catherine Ludgate (posthumously) with our Champion of Child and Youth Rights Award for her decades long commitment to championing living wages for families.

Catherine was one of the most passionate and effective spokespeople for living wages for families both in BC and nationally and an invaluable partner to First Call’s Living Wage for Families BC program, and, more broadly, to the project to end child and family poverty.