'100 per cent Filipino products': Saskatoon Filipino community hosts first trade show for a good cause
The Studio at Midtown Mall was host to the first edition of the Proudly Pinoy Filipino Trade Show this weekend.
With local vendors selling Filipino-themed items and getting extra exposure in the mall’s multi-purpose space, the event also raised money for a worthy cause.
“It’s called Proudly Pinoy Filipino inspired Trade Show,” said event organizer Joseph Amodia, founder of the Filipino Community Foundation of Saskatchewan.
“So we are 100 per cent Filipino products here, and I’m so thankful for my co-Filipino countrymen for supporting this event.”
Featuring treats, clothes, crafts, beauty products and more, it’s raising money for Melissa Cordon. The Saskatoon resident needs to make an important trip back to the Philippines.
“We have a fundraiser here for Chay,” Amodia told CTV News.
“Chay needs a kidney transplant so this table is fundraising for Chay to go back to the Philippines.”
With waiting lists over five years long in Canada, Cordon has found a donor match back home. To help offset the costs associated with the trip, they’re selling fun kidney-themed shirts, bags and crafts.
“So when you buy a shirt or a pen, all the proceeds will go to her trip,” said Camille Camantigue. “Hopefully you can join us and support our fundraising effort.”
With design ideas from a friend back in the Philippines, the pair has printed the shirts locally.
“This one says ‘You gotta be kidney me,’ she needs a kidney so this is a really cute bag,” said Camantigue.
While Cordon loves all the designs, one shares an important theme making it Cordon’s favourite.
“No one fights alone,” she said. “Just a lot of people have supported us, so we’re just overwhelmed by the support from our friends and the community as well.”
While this is the first event for Amodia’s foundation, he says he’s got plans for more events in the near future, sharing Filipino and South Asian culture as well as aligning with a good cause.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.