Circle of 7 hands out $84,000 to community organizations

Cheque presentations to Circle of Seven charities.

A financial boost for dozens of community organizations in Windsor-Essex.

Circle of Seven handed out a total of $84,000 to community groups in the region.

Circle of Seven President Tony Haddad says 23 groups received funding Tuesday morning, and an additional 27 received funds over the course of the year.

The money was raised in 2025 at the circle’s annual John Ferguson Memorial Golf Tournament and its Denim & Diamonds Gala, two signature events for the group.

Haddad says the organizations do so much for the community.

“We’ve funded some over the years; some are repeats, and some approach us with applications for funding assistance for the programs they’re delivering,” says Haddad.

He says the circle heard from some additional groups this year.

“These groups know who we are,” he says. “We’ve been in the community a long time, and some come forward, some we hear about, and we’ll reach out to them to see what we can do to help. So it’s a variety through the efforts of my colleagues on the circle and those organizations that know what we do and how we can help them.”

Groups that received funding today include Autism Windsor-Essex, United Way, Riverside Miracle Sports Field, St. Vincent de Paul, Downtown Mission, Salvation Army, and Children’s Aid Society.

Circle of Seven is a group of dynamic, community-minded men and women who work as a team to enhance lives in the Windsor-Essex region.

The circle celebrated its 30th anniversary last year and has contributed over $4 million to local organizations and individuals, focusing on health and welfare, youth, sports, and the arts.