Hold onto your fezzes - 10,000 Shriners are coming to town!
Toronto Hosts the 136th Imperial Council Session of Shriners International, July 4-8, 2010
TORONTO, June 7 /CNW/ - Send in the clowns - and the tiny cars, marching bands and motorcycles, too. From July 4 to 8, Rameses Shriners of Toronto will host the 136th Imperial Council Session of Shriners International, an event expected to bring in 10,000 Shriners from Canada and the United States.
Each Imperial Council Session is an annual general meeting. Shriners from each of the 191 temples throughout Canada, the U.S., Mexico and the Republic of Panama meet to discuss the business of the Shriners fraternity, such as its philanthropic work with Shriners Hospitals for Children(R) and electing a new Imperial Potentate, the leader of Shriners International. This year, George A. Mitchell from Jordan Station, Ontario, is slated to fill that role.
"We are honoured to be holding our Imperial Council Session in Toronto. It's among the most multicultural cities in the world and offers all of the amenities we need for our members and guests," said Jack H. Jones, Imperial Potentate of Shriners International.
In addition to the business meeting at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, there are several free, fun public events throughout the course of the sessions.
- Motorcycle Ride For Kids (July 4) - Shriners and their Ladies will tour the scenic and delightful villages and towns of the hills and valleys surrounding the Greater Toronto Area, all while raising money for pediatric health care. - Imperial Session Public Opening (July 4) - Experience the anticipation, excitement and ceremony of Shriners gathering together. - Unit Competitions (July 5) - The kids will love watching the Shriners as they compete against each other in their annual unit competitions that include clowns, marching bands, skits, show riding and trick riding with horses, and funny little cars. - The Annual Shriners Parade (July 6) - Hundreds of Shriners from all over North America will participate in this fun-filled family event that will flow down University Avenue.
Shriners International
Shriners International is a fraternity based on fun, fellowship and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth with approximately 340,000 members. Visit http://www.beashrinernow.com to learn more about becoming a Shriner.
The fraternity supports Shriners Hospitals for Children(R), a pediatric health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Children up to age 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment.
For further information: about the 136th Imperial Council Session of Shriners International, please contact: Katherine Griggs, PUNCH Canada, (416) 360-6522 ext. 237, [email protected]; Jessica Patriquin, PUNCH Canada, (416) 360-6522 ext. 245, [email protected]
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