As August comes to an end and September rolls around, this not only means the seasons are about to change, but that the new school year is set to begin. But who said you can’t still enjoy summer fun, while raising money for a good cause – even in September?

On Sunday, September 15 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. – weather permitting – you and your family can enjoy one last outdoor summer party at the Fête de Quartier Val-des-Brises at the Royal-22e-Régiment Park. This community party has been taking place for 13 summers. Since 2000, it has been in Val-des-Brises and its goal is not only to get families in the area together, but to raise money for local charities.

“We basically invite the whole community,” says the Fête de Quartier President Archie Cifelli. “It’s gotten to the point where a lot of people know about it [and] it’s no longer a small event. For the city of Laval, it’s a major Fete de Quartier because the first year we got about 400 people. Now we take up the whole park and we close off the streets. Last year, we had over 6,000 people who were there and we raised over $60,000 [for local charities].”           

Cifelli originally got the idea to plan an event for the Val-des-Brises community when he was looking for ways to keep his three children entertained during summer vacation.

“Originally, where I live, there’s a crescent [near our house] and around the crescent there was 19 kids, three of them being mine,” Cifelli explains. “The company I was working with [at the time] owned a division of inflatable games, so I thought I’d bring home some inflatable games for the kids. So, I called the local councillor at the time and asked her, ‘can I just close off the crescent?’ So, she says, if you’re going to do that, instead of doing it on the crescent and close the street, why don’t you just do it at the park?”

From there, Cifelli says, the simple idea of having inflatable games for his and his neighbours’ children eventually grew into an entire community party. Now, families come to this event not only from Laval, but from all over Montreal, including R.D.P. and St. Leonard, according to Cifelli.

“By word of mouth, every year more and more people got involved,” Cifelli says. “That’s how we got a committee together, because it’s a year-long planning event. The size that we are, it takes a whole year to plan for this. And here we are, in our 13th edition, with a lot people involved, a lot of sponsors, and it’s our way to give back to the community, and at the same time, raising money for causes that need help.”

There will be no shortage of fun for the whole family during this year’s event. There will be inflatable games and a mobile train for the kids, and a ball hockey tournament, among other activities for the entire family. The Cosmodome and the Leonardo da Vinci Centre will be there to organize activities for the children, too. There will also be music on the main stage, and various dancing and exercise activities for the adults. Special guest Freeway Frank from Virgin Radio will be hosting the event as well. There will also be plenty of food at this festival for all taste buds. Hot dogs, sausages and ice cream will be on hand. Tim Hortons and McDonalds will also be providing food for everyone.

This year, any money raised during the event will go to three organizations; The Santa Cabrini Foundation, the Centre de Pédiatrie Sociale Laval and, like last year, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. All money from food purchases will go directly to these three charities. Aside from food sales, each charity, as well as all of the festival’s sponsors this year, can have a tent set up in the park so people can make any kind of donation they’d like. Cifelli also says that in preparation for this festival, 60-page ad booklets were printed and sent out to about 10,000 residents. All of the sponsor’s ad money made from this booklet also went to the charities.

For Jennifer Dupuis, the Director of Government Relations at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, Mylène Du Bois of the Centre de Pédiatrie Sociale Laval, and Ronald Davidson, the Director General of the Santa Cabrini Foundation, they are grateful for the work Cifelli and his team in Val-des-Brises have done to support their causes.

“As one of this years’ three charity beneficiaries, we at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC) are very thankful for the support of the Fête de Quartier Val-des-Brises Volunteer Committee for putting together this incredible event, and for the entire community’s incredible involvement and participation,” says Dupuis. “This will be our second year as beneficiary of this event and funds raised will support our mission of finding a cure for blood cancers and providing free support services to patients and families throughout their cancer journey. The LLSC depends on the support of our community to ensure that we can continue to offer support to those who need it most. Aside from helping fund mission services, the Fête de Quartier Val des Brises also offers an important opportunity for awareness building, so that the general public is aware of our support services and can benefit as needed. We are very excited for this year’s edition and look forward to an incredible event,” Dupuis explains.

“Social pediatrics derives its strength from the commitment and involvement of its community,” adds Du Bois. “By supporting the Centre de Pédiatrie Sociale Laval, the organizers of the Val-des-Brises festival are reaching out to vulnerable and disadvantaged children in their own community and demonstrating incredible solidarity. The money raised will enable children from neighbouring neighbourhoods to have access to clinical services necessary for their development. One in three children in Laval is considered vulnerable and the organizers of the Val-des-Brises festival take concrete steps to help them by supporting the Centre de Pédiatrie Sociale Laval,” Du Bois says.

Davidson echoes those same sentiments. “The Santa Cabrini Foundation is honoured to have been selected by a community-based organization, calling on the engagement of families in support of charities that have a lasting impact on the health and well-being of countless individuals,” he says. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the organizers of the Fête de Quartier Val-des-Brises and the generosity of its participants, the Santa Cabrini Foundation is moving confidently in its mission to provide the community quality health care and services, modern facilities and state-of-the-art medical technology at Santa Cabrini Hospital.”

For more information on the event, visit their Facebook events page for the Fête de Quartier Val-des-Brises.