PIA 2025: A Night to Celebrate Generosity in Action
Last night, 400 community members gathered at the UNB Currie Centre for the Fredericton Community Foundation’s annual Philanthropy in Action Celebration, an unforgettable evening celebrating our community and the generosity that makes it so special.
This year’s event honoured Brenda and David Sansom, two champions of community giving whose volunteer spirit and steady leadership have left a lasting mark across the greater Fredericton region. In Brenda’s words:
“Anything that David and I have done has simply been something in our community that needed doing. Plain and simple. So, we did it... with all sorts of help.”
Their generosity perfectly captured the heart of the evening, reminding us that the power of philanthropy lies not only in grand gestures, but in every act of stepping up to make our community a better place.
A Night to Remember
The evening welcomed 400 individuals, including representatives from 48 local charities. Guests were treated to spectacular performances by Fredericton-born Broadway star Tony LePage, joined by Courtney LePage and backup singers Katelyn Goodwin and Lucas Gutierrez-Robert. They opened the night with a stirring number from Come From Away, surprised the audience mid-evening with another song from the show, and Tony closed the night with a vibrant rendition of New York, New York, leaving the entire room inspired and energized.
Raising Support, Together
Attendees celebrated the shared impact we’ve made and supported it further through our virtual silent auction and raffle. Thanks to this outpouring of community support, the event raised an astounding $124,763, surpassing last year’s total and helping us continue to fund local charitable causes in our community.
With Gratitude to Our Sponsors and Partners
This evening would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors, partners, and donors. A big thank you to the twenty community-minded businesses who generously supported the event, and a special thank you to our Title Sponsor, Stewart McKelvey, who has supported the Philanthropy in Action Celebration every year since its inception in 2010.
Thank you also to the 50+ businesses and individuals who generously contributed to the virtual raffle and silent auction. You all contributed to the success of the evening!
A special shout-out to our Event Sponsor, UNB, who hosted us at the beautiful and inviting Currie Centre, and whose chefs and servers our attendees with a truly memorable meal.
The Power of Us
To everyone who joined us, donated, shared, or cheered us on, thank you. This celebration is a reflection of what we can do when we come together with open hearts and a shared commitment to making our community stronger.
Your generosity fuels real change. It keeps local programs running, supports the everyday heroes at our charities, and ensures that no one in our region gets left behind.
From all of us at the Fredericton Community Foundation: thank you for believing in the power of generosity. Let’s keep growing, together.
Learn more about the Foundation’s work and how to get involved at fredfdn.ca.