Toque Tuesday event at Mohawk celebrates successful Hamilton campaign

Mohawk College hosted the Hamilton event for nation-wide Toque Tuesday celebration today welcoming guests from Wesley Urban Ministries, the Hamilton Wentworth District Board of Education, the Hamilton Bulldogs, and local media and businesses.

Toque Tuesday celebrates the success of the annual campaign which is intended to get people talking about homelessness while generating funds for Raising the Roof’s partner agencies who are addressing homelessness on a community level. Wesley Urban Ministries is the local charity that has partnered with Raising the Roof, Canada's only national charity dedicated to long term solutions to homelessness.

This year's campaign, which began on Tuesday, Dec. 7, sold more than 1,500 toques locally. Each toque sells for $10 with $8 going to Wesley to help fund housing and support programs for youth in Hamilton. Wesley's youth programs help people 16 to 21 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Every toque makes a difference, says Daljit Garry, Executive Director of Wesley Urban   Ministries. One toque sale buys two hot meals. Ten toques buys two weeks of groceries for a youth at the centre, and 200 toques provides accommodation, meals and staff to support one youth living at the centre.

Students from Mohawk's Insurance program, along with more than 40 schools, businesses and community groups, helped sell the toques. Mohawk's insurance students were given an award for selling the most toques during this year's campaign.

Raising the Roof is Canada’s only national charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for agencies tackling homelessness like Wesley Urban Ministries. Toques can be ordered online, by calling 905-528-5629 ext. 248 or by email.

 
Mohawk President Rob MacIsaac welcomes everyone to the Toque Tuesday celebration held in the Learning Exchange this morning.

 
Students from West Mountain Secondary in Hamilton helped make this year's campaign a success.

 
Students from Mohawk College Insurance Program receive the award for selling the most toques during this year's campaign.