Written by Dahlia Merlo on 28.03.16

For some, International Women’s Day was about being fierce, a #girlboss, and relating to loads of Beyoncé memes. For others, it was a question of being a survivor and a fighter from one day to the next. That was the case for 260 homeless and refugee women on Wednesday, March 9th.

Ardene International Womens Day Charity Fundraiser (1)

Ardene invited 160 women from 27 women’s shelters and 100 refugees to an all-expenses paid shopping spree, courtesy of Ardene. They merged at Ardene’s Decarie location and enjoyed a full day of shopping. Ardene had a large selection of winter clothing, accessories, and spring and summer items for them to choose from. Talk about a dream shopping spree!

Ardene International Womens Day Charity Fundraiser (6)

Ardene donated a total of $110,000 worth of merchandise! Women helping women – if that’s not what International Women’s Day is all about, then what is?

La rue des femmes, Chez Doris, and Native Women’s Shelter were a few of the organizations who attended this event. Ardene had great support and help from the women from The Shoebox Project for Shelters as well as Action Réfugiés Montréal.

Ardene International Womens Day Charity Fundraiser (8)

This isn’t the first time Ardene catches the charitable bug. They are heavily involved with Canadian charities and organizations like Plan Canada’s Because I am a Girl, Childhood Cancer Canada, and the Starlight Foundation. Not only that, but Ardene lets its customers in on their ventures with various in-store and online initiatives.

Ardene International Womens Day Charity Fundraiser (10)

We remember Ardene from our childhood, the small store that we could spend hours in, trying to find that perfect pair of earrings. Since 1982, they’ve expanded to 400 stores across Canada and have done a lot of good with their success.

To find out more how you can be involved with Ardene’s future charitable ventures, or to read up on past events, click here or check out their hashtag #ARDENECARES for on-the-spot updates.

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