The Fairy Godmother Project & How it began

An initial investment of $500 seed money by Diann Vail at the November 2003 Business Women’s Conference in London has grown to over $150,000 in services, products, and financial donations given to the community in three short years.

The project started when Diann Vail, inspired by an Oprah program, felt that a unique community project would enhance the experience of the Business Women’s Conferences and provide an opportunity to extend to the community, the goodwill generated by the conference. The idea is to give women $100, to use the money to make a difference in the community, then return to the conference to talk about what they had done.

Louise Karch, emcee for the fall 2003 conference, embraced the idea and agreed to present it at the conference. She took a deep breath and asked 200 women to close their eyes. She pulled out a ‘magic’ wand and pressed a tiny pink button that sent the sound of tinkling bells throughout the hall. As women came forward offering to take on a project, she started handing out the five $100 donated cheques, thereby launching the Fairy Godmother Project.

In May 2004, the project leaders later dubbed ‘fairy godmothers’, returned to the *Women's Business Conference to tell their stories of the community projects. They described what a difference their project had made in the community. We added a striking pink wedding dress, wings, tiara, and long white gloves to the wand, and the music ‘When you Wish Upon a Star’, to keep the magic alive. The first projects were: to develop a local suicide prevention program for teens; sending assistance to the GoGo Grannies in South Africa; an art project that for a day paired 10 aspiring child artists with a local artist; a sports day in Toronto for a boy taking cancer treatments and creating Christmas for a family that would otherwise not have had one

May 2, 2008 date as the next conference All details TBA

Delegates of the Women’s Conference in spring of 2004 donated $1,000 to send another group of fairy godmothers into the community. This doubled the number of community projects for fall 2004.

Results: As of November 2007, delegates of the *Women's Business Conference have

1. given out $10,000 in seed money to 75 fairy godmothers.

2. Those funds have been turned into over $150,000 in services, products, and donations.

3. From Diann’s original $500 seed money, the return has been spectacular not only for
those who received the support, but for the fairy godmothers who embarked on the
journey to make a difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate in our community.

4. We are presently working on a book of the Fairy Godmother Projects – including photos
and promotional material. Reading the stories is a wonderful tribute to the women of
London who have taken on projects to improve their community.

Hearing the fairy godmother’s stories and how their projects have personally affected them, makes clear the biblical wisdom that it is indeed far better to give than to receive.

Diann Vail, BA (Hons), President,
Women's Directory & Conferences Creator/Producer,
Fairy Godmother Project
Box 25152, London, ON, N6C 6A9
tel: 519-668-5677 fax: 519-668-6883
diann@vailweb.net
www.fairygodmotherproject.ca
www.londonwomensdirectory.com

Projects as of November 2007

2004 Fairy Godmother Presenters—Spring Conference 2004

Sherrie Klaver - Royal Bank of Canada - Sports Day for very Sick Boy
Barb Kuhlmann, - Royal Bank of Canada - Road Safety Project
Gail McNaughton - Dog & Pony Productions Inc. - Children’s Art Project
Jackie Prince - Thames Valley Children’s Centre - Christmas for a family in need
Ann Marie Ricketts - Single Women in Motherhood Training - Supporting Single Mothers

Fairy Godmother Presenters—Fall Conference 2004

Cathy Blackwell - Clarica - A little help for family in need
Janet Christensen - Unlimiting Potential - Teddy Bears for kids going to hospital
Pat Graham - Avon Canada - Girl Guide Diversity Camp with Sudanese women
Rev. Lori Hisson - London Unity Church - Bearable Profits—The Teddy Bear Project
Sheila Jackson - Light Vision - Wilds of Pelee Island/Outdoor Centre for Conservation
Ellen Mallet - The Londoner - Children’s Knitting project
Teresa Mayo - Oliver & Associates - Hugs for Sale
Hollie Maxfield - Red Cross Training - Building a Computer for a Shut-In
Paula Morand - Small Business Centre - Mary’s Hope in Eastern Europe
Susan Morel - Goodwill Career Centre - The GoGo Grannies of South Africa
Kym Wolfe - London Military Families Resource Centre - Gemworks, 2 CD players

Fairy Godmother Presenters—Spring Conference 2005

Joan Bain - Royal Bank of Canada - Special Olympics
Lina Bowden - Highstreet Asset Management - Peru Children’s Summer Camp
Nancy Griffiths - Seed Program, Goodwill Industries - Fabulous U—the Event
Josee LeMay - IMJ Group - Funds Crisis Pregnancy Centre
Sabina Manji - London Caregivers Referral Network - London Food Bank Children’s Gifts
Krystal McNaughton - Dreams Team, Homes in the Dominican
Maggie McNaughton - Labatt’s Employee Credit Union - Lioness Club of Glencoe
Alyson Medeiros - RBC Dominion Securities - Sledge Hockey Project
Caroline Mitchell - Fanshawe College Res/Conf Centre - Breast Cancer Foundation
Heather Ringland - Stonington Accents - Alzheimer Patients’ Day
Carroll Sturgeon - Byling Promotional Products - Rosseau Village—History Project
Bettina Weber - Absolutely Creative Training Solutions - Animalert, Protected Animal
Adoption

Fairy Godmother Presenters - Fall Conference 2005

Nicole Buteau - Rotary Club of London - Kids count Youth Leadership Camp
Amy Casson - Polished Image - Helping Others to Feel Good
Janet Frood - Horizon Leadership Coaching - Dream Now, Youth to Take Action
Sharon Mason - Royal Bank of Canada - Little Sisters Helping Big Sisters
Donnita Maxim - Sari—Horseback Riding for the Disabled
Nancy Jane Mulholland - Retired - Wipe it Out—Graffiti Go Challenge
Linda Obermaier - All Don 4 U Bookkeeping - Coats for Children
Julene Riley & Norraine Galloway - Culligan Water - Nightwalkers donation, church walkathon
Tiffany Roschkow - Atmosphere Development - Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada
MegRunhart & Margaret Eby - Gonash Travel Agency - Taste for Justice, 1st Annual Amnesty
Natalie Trimble - Freedom 55 Financial - Backpacks for School Children
Tracey White - Accredited Staging Professional - Can Opener Challenge, 1st Annual
Mindy Willis - The Mindful Body Wellness - Back to School for Two Girls

2006 Fairy Godmother Presenters - Spring Conference 2006

Marilyn Walls - Pyjamas and toys for children in crisis
Pauline Duncan-Thrasher - Ignite a Spark - Good Neighbour Project in White Oaks
Marcia Majoor - Major Changes - Quilts for Sick Children
Sharon Armstrong - London Health Sciences - Blanket Warmer for University Hospital
Frances Rodrigues - Occupational Safety Group - My Sister’s Place—homeless women
Heather Brydges - Shiatsu Massage Therapist - Easter Seals mail-out
Deborah Mitchell - Meals on Wheels - Easter Seals mail-out
Shannon Wilson - London Life Great West Life - Christmas Stockings mothers & children
Linda Woodard - Giving Voice - My Sister’s Place wish list
Tara McMurdo - London Club - donated to fall fairy godmothers

Fairy Godmother Presenters—Fall Conference 2006

Lynn Cameron - Royal Bank of Canada - Golf Tournament for LHSC Critical Care Unit
Anne Jarmain - Isagenix - School fees & uniforms, a boy in Peru
Nadia Kuhni - Design Matrix Inc. - Decorating a room at the London Distress Centre
Elizabeth Lacey - Oakridge Counselling - Crash Bed Program with Mission Services
Dr. Rebecca Liston - Third Millennium Oasis - Meditation CD & players for abuse survivors
Erin Mitchell - Clarica—Rice & Peaker - Panty Prom for Women’s Community House
Heather Peel - The Net Now - Wonderland Dragon Boat Fundraiser Ball
Susan Regier - Vantage One Writing/Networking Today - Anti Bullying Project for Children
Donna Szpakowski - Small Business Centre - Graffiti project - annual clean up day

Fairy Godmother Presenters - Spring Conference 2007

Peggy Brenneman – Siskinds, LLP & Deanne Medeiros – Westview Funeral Chapel
– Big Sisters – donation from Aeroplan project

Kara Deshaw, Meridian Wellness Spa
& Lara Martens, Balance Natural Health Clinic – Hope’s Garden – zen gardens

Nathalie Ellison – Nifty Nat Pilates & Renovations – Women’s Community House
- pilates classes for women in the safe houses
-
Susan Plester – Design Matrix Inc. – Fairy Godmother Project - glass angels sold for donation

Sharon Whiteside – Goodlife Fitness – Canadian Blood Services - Corporate sponsor search
Lydia Willems – Positive Results Counselling – John Mckim Child Reach Endowment

Fairy Godmother Presenters - Fall 2007

Cindy Fisher - Uvalux Tanning & Support - quilted table runners to benefit
Lyn Hill - Retired from UWO - knit afghan blankets for Bethseda Centre
Lisa Hitchen - 3M Canada - ClothingWorks - purchase requested items
and held a clothing drive within the company
Carolyn Martyn - Sutton Group Preferred - 30 goats for Sudan
Judi Rose – retired school teacher – Kabul Tent School
Katherine Smith - Rhythm Sisters – My Sister’s Place
Jan Seguin – joined Shannon Wilson’s (past fairy godmother),Christmas stockings for
Women’s Community House and Rotholme – knit 30 sets of hats and mittens for children