On March 27, 2021, after a year of quarantining in our homes and only being able to run a virtual online auction, we decided to undertake the ambitious task of going ahead with our annual Cupcake Contest fundraiser. For anyone who’s attended this event in the past, you’ll know just how much of an in-person event it is. The annual Cupcake Contest is usually part of the WinterShines festival and it’s always a night that brings out a great crowd, all with the common goal of eating cupcakes! Nothing brings people together quite like the objective of consuming a saccharine treat. 

As a local non-profit dependent on fundraising to continue our programming, we knew that the 6th Annual “Dress It Up” Cupcake Contest presented by MNP would be an important one for us. Currently, our big focus has been making The Princess Shop more inclusive, especially by acting on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action that connect with the work we do. Having the funds necessary to accomplish our goals is all due to your help! Not only that, we knew that people needed a sweet pick-me-up, so after all the support you all give to us, it would be remiss of us to not give back to you!

So… we went for it! We had some wonderful bakers sign up to bake up to 500 mini cupcakes to make our event possible! As much as this is a contest for them, with the potential of being “crowned” Saskatoon’s Best Cupcake as their incentive, they all volunteer their time and energy to make the Cupcake Contest possible. The event wouldn’t be the same without them (I mean, literally, there would be no cupcakes to eat). 

Let’s meet the contestants and the treats they crafted this year:

Ally's Cake Creeations: Ally brought us a lemon cupcake with raspberry puree inside, topped off with a lemon buttercream with a hint of raspberry. To finish the look, the cupcake was sprayed with rose gold lustre dust.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allyscakecreeations/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allyscakecreeations 

Cakes by Britney: Britney crafted a chocolate cupcake with a berry filling, topped off with a berry-infused buttercream, chocolate ganache drip, berries, and a chocolate swoosh! 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cakesbybritney/ 

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/cakesbybritneygraf/ 

Cakes by Alix: Alix’s vanilla cupcake had a blueberry filling and was iced with blueberry buttercream and topped with meringue!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cakesbyalix/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cakesbyalix 

Ruby Lange: Ruby created a Biscoff cookie butter cupcake with a Biscoff cookie base, and a Biscoff swiss meringue buttercream. It was topped with a meringue heart!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubinfruits/ 

Caketopia Custom Cakes: Michelle and Margaret baked a chocolate cupcake with cinnamon coffee icing with a layer of dark chocolate on top!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caketopia_custom_cakes/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caketopiacustomcakes 

Jamie: Inspired by the peacock gown, Jamie’s cupcake was a light and fluffy champagne cupcake with champagne buttercream and a hand-painted, hand-made gum-paste feather on top!

Love and Butter: Aimee thought her dress resembled a firework, and with that in mind, she baked for us a chocolate cupcake, filled with coffee and raspberry, topped off with dark chocolate buttercream, mini-meringues, and glitter! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveandbutter_cakesbyaimee/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loveandbutter.cakesbyaimee 

After everyone had had a chance to vote, from the comfort of their own home, we were excited to announce that Love and Butter won both Best Overall and Best Look-Alike this year! Congrats Aimee!! Cakes by Alix took home the title of Fave Flava!

Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets to this year’s Cupcake Contest! Thank you also to our sponsors who made the event possible and the local businesses that added additional treats to the Upgrade Tickets:

Presenting Sponsor: MNP

In-kind Chef Sponsor: The Prairie Grazer

Cheers Sponsor: Crossmount Cider Company

Volunteer Sponsor: SIIT

Venue Sponsor: Station 20 West Community Enterprise Centre

Virtual Program Sponsor: SaskTel

In-Kind Radio Promotion: CFCR 90.5 FM - Saskatoon Community Radio

In-Kind Paper Promotion: Eagle Feather News

In-Kind Radio Promotion: Rawlco Radio

News Coverage: CTV Morning Live - Saskatoon

Event Host: Janella Hamilton

Event Photography: Infinity Events & Decor / Infinity Imagery

Behind-the-scenes, on our end, it was heartwarming to see all the pictures and stories we were tagged in as everyone enjoyed cupcakes from the comfort of their own homes. Hopefully, by next year, we can celebrate with Princess grads in-person, but until then, it’s amazing to see the community come together for a good cause, even when we’re not physically together.

Written by Bailey Woloshyn.

Approaching the fourth and final year of my Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Saskatchewan, I was eager to find a way to get involved in Saskatoon for the last eight months that I would live there. Having spent most of my degree driving from my hometown to Saskatoon on Mondays and back home again on Thursdays, my time spent in the city had been quite limited up until my fourth year. I wanted to change this by becoming active in the community and spending some time volunteering, even if it would be only for a short period. I came across an ad for The Princess Shop and was instantly intrigued by the Fairy Godmother Program since it was similar to mentoring I had done with Big Brothers Big Sisters in the past. After visiting The Princess Shop’s Facebook page, website, and learning more about the organization, I decided to apply. Due to the short-term duration of my commitment to The Princess Shop, Karen Robson, the previous Executive Director, and I decided that a Volunteer Representative position would be ideal as I could contribute to as many parts of the organization that I could manage. While I expected my time with TPS to be exciting and benefit the community, I did not anticipate all of the spectacular experiences that it would lead to for me!  

Here are some of the wonderful places I would never have visited if it wasn’t for The Princess Shop: 

• Amigos, for The Princess Shop’s Trivia Night (and delicious nachos!) 
• Sports On Tap, for the Steak Lunch Fundraiser where we watched the Rider Game and enjoyed a fantastic meal 
• Saskatoon Fashion & Design Festival at the Delta Bessborough, representing TPS in an excellent fundraising opportunity

• The Saskatoon Farmers Market for the Fourth Annual Dress It Up Cupcake Contest 
• Hilberg & Berk at the Midtown Plaza, for their International Women's Day Reception 
• The Homestyles Home Show at Prairieland Park where TPS volunteers sold 50/50 tickets as a fundraiser 
• TCU Place, for the 12th Annual Glass Slipper Benefit for Princesses  
• Wet Paint Pottery, for our team Glass Slipper Windup  

 

• Countless Saskatoon and area businesses to drop off requests, pick up donations, and meet our supporters, as well as phone calls to businesses around the province where I was able to introduce owners and managers to TPS and find new donation opportunities  
• And of course, The Princess Shop, where I was a part of countless meetings, dress appointments, Glass Slipper planning, training, and spending time in office.  

Being part of The Princess Shop allowed me to not only become part of the community in which I lived, but to experience the beautiful city of Saskatoon in a different way! Every week, I was able to see more of the city, meet people who amazed me with their generosity and support, and learned the true meaning of ‘community’ through volunteerism by working towards creating an enhanced graduation experience for all of the beautiful graduates who allow TPS into their lives.  

I am so thankful for the opportunity that I had with TPS and without a doubt, I recommend volunteering with this fantastic organization. The volunteer team, led by the Executive Director, is a dedicated, supportive group of women and I feel so fortunate to have worked alongside these inspiring individuals for eight months. Although I have moved away from Saskatoon and had to move on from The Princess Shop, my time there has left a lasting impression on me. Being part of TPS allowed me so many cool opportunities and I want people to realize it isn't just time-consuming work to volunteer, its also your ticket to experience so many great events while helping out! I am ecstatic to watch this organization grow and change, and I cannot wait to see how far it goes!  

On Wedneday, April 10, 2019, the community came together to support our province's at-risk female-identified students for their graduation day and beyond by attending The 12th Annual Glass Slipper Benefit for Princesses presented by K+S Potash Canada at TCU Place in Saskatoon.

The Glass Slipper Benefit is our biggest fundraiser and one of the most important nights of the year to provide a significant portion of funding for our programs. This is just one of the reasons why we have such gratitude for our amazing list of sponsors. Without the help of these sponsors, this evening wouldn't be possible. Without further ado, we'd like to take a minute to thank the following: To our Title Sponsor, K + S Potash Canada, our Dinner Sponsor Orano Canada, Entertainment Sponsor Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation, and to all of our Supporting Sponsors Loraas Disposal, MLT Aikins, MNP, and Strata Development... THANK YOU!

For the second year in a row, we held a live auction to raise scholarship funds for Princess Graduates continuing on to post-secondary education. Last year, we raised $9,300 in scholarship funds (three separate donations), and this year, we raised $15,000 for scholarships from eight donors! This is beyond our fundraising goals for programs so we are ecstatic that we can provide more support to our graduates, many of whom are single mothers! Stay tuned on this blog for a closer look at these scholarships in the near future.

The Glass Slipper also provided guests with an opportunity to play Hillberg & Berk Plinko (or, Blingko as we like to call it), that consisted of winning prizes from Sparkle Ball Earrings, to Pen Sets, gift cards, and jewelry cases! It was a fun and fabulous addition to our event! 

Entertainment was provided by Scott's Flyers and sponsored by Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation. Scott's Flyers performed Acro Yoga under a chandelier of dresses on a stage set in the centre of the room among a sea of guest tables. 

A lot of work and donations go into the event as well. The Princess Shop would like to extend a heartfelt thank you and appreciation to all of the following sponsors for their generous support of the 12th Annual Glass Slipper Benefit for Princesses:

26 Lentils

A Head of Time

ah girl by Allie Kell

Airline Hotels

Amy Thiessen - Younique

Ashryla Boutique

Aurora Houseboats

Awasis Boutique

Basic Bleach

Beneath It All Lingerie

BioMechanics Personal Training & Massage Therapy

Black Fox Distillery

Blossoms Florals

Broadway Shoe Repair

Build-A-Bear

Byond the looking glass gems

CAKe. hair design

Calistaprints

Candle Lake Golf Course

Carver's Steakhouse

Checks n Balances

Cindy Moleski Photography and Framing

City Perks Coffeehouse

Congress Beer House

Conrad Devine DJ

Cravings Maternity & Baby Boutique

Cuelenaere LLP

Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation

DancEgypt Dance Co.

Darlene McGrath, B.ED. CRA-RT

Delta Bessborough

Delta Hotels by Marriott

Details at home

Dino Box YXE

Divide N Conquer Paintball

elizabethLyn Jewelry

End of the Roll

Enterprise Rent-a-Car

Etceteras

Fitness Focus

Float Now

Foreverly Yours Baby Boutique

Freba Pottery

Fresh Living

Galon Insurance

Garden Four Seasons

Gerald Murray Photography

Green Tree Beauty

Gregg Bamford

Handy Special Events

Hawood Inn

Hillberg & Berk

Honey Bun Cafe

Hudson's Canadian Tap House

Hugo Alvarado, Artist

Huskie Athletics

Icon Shoes

Ilovekickboxing

Impact Marketing

Impact Marketing

Infinity Management

Inland AV

Janella Hamilton

Joi Photography

K+S Potash Canada

Karie Kazakoff

Karma Cafe & Conscious Eatery

Kayla Goshulak - Seacret

Kayleigh Cole Designs

Kelly Block MP

King me Boardgamery

KR Jewelry

Lauren Ethridge - Artist

Laurie Brown

Lead Pilates

Leopold's Tavern

Living Sky Studios

Long & McQuade

Loraas Disposal

Mar's Mini Golf

Metric Design Centre

Midtown

Midtown

MLT Aikins LLP

MNP

Modo Yoga Saskatoon

Ness Creek Music Festival

Newborn Feathers

Nipawin Evergreen Golf Course

North Prairie Magazine

North Ridge Development

Novo Esthetics

Oakwood Nissan

Om Improvements

Orano Canada Inc.

Panago Pizza

Paramount Day Spa

Patricia Katz

Paw Shots

PCL Construction

Peach Poppy Designs

PersephoneTheatre

PickNics Catering

Pizza Hut (Concorde Food Services)

Pop and Tot Cloth Diaper Service

Primal Pasta

proACTIVE Fitness

Quinn & Kim's Grower Direct

Rachael Meckling

Rawlco Radio

Rayacom Printing

Rebecca King Designs

Recreation Supply Co

Redline Harley Davidson

Remai Modern

Remnant Steel

Revamp Hair Salon

Rider Store

Riverbend Plantation

Rock Ridge Paintball and Laser Tag Games

Rosie & the Riveters

Ryde YXE Cycle Studio

Saboroso Brazilian Steakhouse

Saskatchewan Rattlers

Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club Inc.

Saskatoon Blades

Saskatoon Home Magazine

Saskatoon Inn

Saskatoon Loves Pilates

Saskatoon Pilates

Saskatoon Residential

SaskPower

SaskTel

Scoles Fine Arts & Framing

Scott's Flyers

Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan

Sheila's State of the Art Flowers

Sheraton Cavalier Saskatoon

Shift Development Inc.

Silvers Local Market

Simply Restored Furniture

Sokyrka, Theresa

SoulPower Fitness

Stan Garchinski

Steeped Tea- Marea Olafson

Strata Development

Summit Sports + Health

Sunsera Salon & Spa (Grey Ave)

TCU Place

The Centre Mall

The Hollows

The Loft Hair Studio

The Sandbox in the City Clothing Co.

The Spot Restaurant and Lounge

The Whimsy Store

Those Girls at the Market

Three Farmers

TimberJaxe Throwing

Tonic

Trail Appliances

Travelodge Hotel

Tunnels of Moose Jaw

Twisted Goods (Centre Mall)

Two Fifty Two Boutique

UNA Pizza + Wine

Viahera Canada

Visions Salon & Spa

W Bridals

Wiegers Financial

Winston's English Pub

Wyant Group Raceway

Our event wouldn't have the same impact without the generous donations from organizations like this in our community. We are proud to be located in Saskatoon where the people are as kind as they are generous, allowing us to spread the impact throughout our wonderful province. Thanks to these sponsors, The Princess Shop has helped 1,030 students in our community!

Special thanks to Janella Hamilton of CTV Saskatoon for emceeing the evening. A huge thank you is also well-deserved by our Keynote speakers Alyshia and Jessica, who moved us to tears and spoke beautifully about their experiences and challenges; thank you for sharing them with us. 

Stay tuned on our social media for the End of the Roll Pink Carpet Photos courtesy of Gerald Murray Photography and event photos by Joi Photography!

Once again, from our community of volunteers and Princesses past, present, and future..... from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU. Our community thrives because of your generosity.