Beta Sigma Phi holding annual dance in February to aid Chernobyl

These young girls from Chausy Orphanage are seen here with with Jennifer Hopson, a volunteer delivering aid with the Canadian Aid for Chernobyl last March.

For the past five years, the members of Beta Sigma Phi have held Valentine's Dinner-Dances to provide further education to orphans and improvements to post war orphanages in Belarus, which have been overflowing since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

To date, they have raised more than $30,000, and the proceeds have gone directly to the aid of these forgotten children.

Last year's dance raised enough money to provide a minibus to the Chausy Orphanage, which now allows the children to attend hockey, music and many other competitions within the region. The children have won many awards which have improved their self confidence and feelings of self worth.

This year, the 11 members of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority in Caledon are hoping to raise funds to provide new pine beds, mattresses, night tables and wardrobes for the orphanage.

Another initiative that the women want to work on is a professional music system, which includes microphones, speakers and a mixer equalizer for the Girls' Orphanage in Mogilev. The brightest girls from more than 29 orphanages are selected to attend this school and their choir has been compared to the sound of angels by Dave Shaw, director of Humanitarian Aid with CAC.

You can support their efforts by attending the Valentine's Dinner-Dance, which will be held at the Glen Eagle Golf Club on Highway 50. It will be Feb. 9, with cocktails at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 7 and dancing to follow.

Tickets are $60 per person. For Tickets, call Jennifer Hopson at (905) 584-1814 or Libby Senior at (905) 584-9358.