Fundomondo teams up with Missing Children's Network

Local childrens' play and learn area Fundomondo teamed up with West Island mothers in business and CTV at Plaza Pointe Claire yesterday evening, raising $1143 for the Quebec-based Missing Childrens' Network.

"We're all moms," explained Beckey Jones, president of Fundomondo. "We all live with the idea that one day, our children will go missing," she added as the main reason behind her choice of charity to donate to.

Jones, who co-owns Fundomondo with three partners, is celebrating the store's third anniversary this year. "It was a lot of work," she said, to put the evening together.

Several mothers in the West Island who own small businesses attended, presenting and selling wares that included everything from organic products to Tupperware party food, or even custom-made greeting cards.

Twenty per cent of all sales proceeds from the evening went to the Missing Children's Network. The latter's director-general, Pina Arcamone, said donations like that made by Fundomondo help keep the Network alive and well. "The network is the only organization that provides help for missing children in this province," Arcamone said, adding it not receives no government funding.

"We've been in operation for 20-25 years," Arcamone estimated. In that time, she said, the organization has been able to solve 622 cases with the help of its partners, other community organizations, the police, and the media.

Beyond just helping to find missing children, Arcamone said, the network also has teaching programs for kids all the way to their teenage years on how to remain safe and be cautious of their whereabouts. "Our goal is just to empower them," Arcamone said.

The organization also helps with integrating children back into their normale lives once they are found, giving parents advice on how to handle re-insertion into society, Arcamone said.

The evening was hosted by CTV news personality Christine Long. As a frequent visitor to Fundomondo with her own little ones, said it was easy for her to take on the responsibility once she found out about it. In fact, she volunteered. "I said: what can I do?" Long told The Chronicle<@$p>. She added it is easy to relate to the importance of the Missing Children's Network. "I have two kids. Now I understand the grief and the heartache and the fear," she said.

She also congratulated the local businesses out in full force, stating it is important to spend money locally.

The night also marked the second anniversary of Fundomondo's neighbour, Cookie Photo.