"High Tea with Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke will celebrate International Women’s Day while raising funds for the SurreyCares Community Foundation." - Tom Zillich, Surrey Now-Leader
Join Us for a Special International Women’s Day High Tea with the Mayor!
Reigning Miss Canada Tanpreet Parmar will join other keynote speakers at an International Women’s Day celebration and fundraiser in Surrey.
At Civic Hotel, the High Tea with Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke will raise money for SurreyCares Community Foundation on Friday, March 7, with tickets sold for $150 each, or $1,400 for a table of 10.
The aim is to "celebrate women who inspire, lead and empower our community," with event emcee Keri Adams (CTV news anchor) and guest speakers Indra Bhan (Surrey Board of Trade), Janet Brown (former journalist, now with Surrey Urban Mission) and Seema Tripathi (UNITI).
Net proceeds support SurreyCares Community Grants, which have funded more than 300 Surrey charities over the past 30 years.
Lisa Werring, executive director, calls SurreyCares "the charity for charities" in Surrey.
“We are thrilled to have Tanpreet’s participation in this event... Tanpreet is a passionate mental health advocate, and a spokesperson for the Stigma Free Mental Health Society.”
- Lisa Werring, SurreyCares Community Foundation ED
Werring says the maximum capacity is 180 for the High Tea event, with around three dozen seats still up for grabs, as of Tuesday. Details are posted on surreycares.org/events.
Net event proceeds support SurreyCares community grants, which have funded close to 300 Surrey-area charities over the past 30 years.
“Each of our remarkable speakers demonstrate that leadership is not just about titles, it’s about impact," Werring said. "It’s about lifting others, creating opportunities, and ensuring that every woman and girl in our community has the support to rise and lead. When women lead, communities thrive. When women are empowered, they empower those around them—whether in government, business, media, or social services."
International Women's Day (IWD) is recognized on Saturday, March 8, 2025, with an "Accelerate Action" theme this year.
"Since 1911, IWD belongs to all who care about women's equality," says a post on internationalwomensday.com. "Celebrate women's achievement. Raise awareness about discrimination. Take action to forge gender parity. All IWD activity is valid, that's what makes IWD so inclusive."