News Release
May 25, 2009
For Immediate Release
Mayor Susan Fennell to celebrate Peace Tree Day with Dufferin-Peel Catholic students
A festival that celebrates the beauty of our cultures through the spirit of children
On June 1, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and the Harmony Movement will celebrate Peace Tree Day at St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in Brampton. Peace Tree Day is a festival that celebrates the beauty of our cultures through the spirit of children.
“The festival inspires young people to take pride in their heritage and share it with their peers,” said Cheuk Kwan, executive director of Harmony Movement. “It encourages children, their families and schools to gain a greater understanding, respect and appreciation for people of all cultures and faiths.”
Over 300 Brampton elementary students will be in attendance at the event which will be run by Dufferin-Peel’s student Harmony Movement Leaders. Participants will be sharing activities, performances and food from around the world, to raise awareness about peace and understanding among people of all cultures and faiths. Funds raised from the festival will be donated to War Child Canada.
Peace Tree Day celebrations are held across York Region; in the cities of Windsor, Hamilton and Toronto; in the province of Prince Edward Island; as well as in India. This event at St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School will be the first in the City of Brampton. Mayor Susan Fennell will be in attendance.
For more information about Peace Tree Day, visit www.peacetreeday.com
WHAT: Peace Tree Day Festival
WHEN: Monday, June 1, 2009
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School
25 Corporation Drive, Brampton
Harmony Movement was formed in 1994 as a not-for-profit organization to combat inter-racial intolerance and to confront the “us versus them” attitude which was prevalent in Canadian society at that time. The Harmony Movement mandate is to promote diversity and to combat all forms of discrimination that act as social and cultural barriers to individuals' full participation in society. The organization empowers youth to become leaders for social change by implementing diversity education in schools and communities.
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is one of largest and most diverse school districts in Ontario, with approximately 88,000 students in 145 Catholic schools throughout Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon and Orangeville. With over 10,000 employees, the board is also one of the largest employers in the region.
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For more information, please contact:
Ø Nancy Marshall, Communications Officer, DPCDSB
(905) 890-0708 ext. 24278 or (416) 540-8126