Willowbrook Shopping Centre鈥檚 eighth annual Charity Shopping Night was a success.

Hundreds of guests, both 91原创 residents and visitors to the community, attended the Tuesday evening 鈥楯ingle Ball,鈥� helping Big Brothers Big Sisters of 91原创 raise $30,000.

Almost 1,200 50/50 raffle tickets were sold throughout the night, said Nicole Lotz, marketing director of the mall.

鈥淥verall the vibe was really festive and we are really happy with the turnout,鈥� she commented.

The event has been popular amongst people looking for holiday sales and a fun night out to help local causes. Many stores ran exclusive promotions and offered, plus the mall organized giveaways, as well as $20,000 worth of prizes.

This is the fourth year Big Brothers was the receiving charity for donations raised from the annual shopping night, said Britnee Brow, mentoring coordinator.

鈥淸Funds] support our mentoring programs in the community. We pair Bigs and Littles together in the community 鈥� Littles that need a big brother or sister or mentor in their life [or] someone to spend dedicated time with them, the funding goes directly to that,鈥� she explained.

Brow said the pairings often last years, and Bigs and Littles keep in touch after they grow out of the program.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 so important for kids to get that support鈥� a lot of our kids have lost someone in their life or are struggling in life, so it鈥檚 great we can provide these matches and relationships.鈥�

Big Brothers heavily relies on volunteers for the match programs, executive director Roslyn Hendersen said, and 鈥渙pportunities like this鈥� support our local youth.鈥�

While many guests went on a shopping spree, some simply enjoyed the holiday decorations by taking pictures under the Christmas tree or the decorated pickup truck.

There were long lineups to get pictures with Santa and his helpers, but people excitedly waited on the red carpet as they enjoyed wine tastings from more than 20 local wineries and complimentary appetizers from the mall.

Last year, the event raised about $25,000 for Big Brothers, and almost $20,000 for the Rotary Club.

The mall will have it鈥檚 Very Merry Market next weekend, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1 and 2. It includes a train ride for $2 per ticket, tree farm, immersive snowglobe, artisan market, and a toy drive in partnership with the Township of 91原创 Charitables Society.

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