Montrealista Diaries: Cupcakes for a Good Cause

"We like to give, and we give a lot, even those who can't afford it." -Bono

How was your weekend? Mine was filled with school work and cupcakes. Yup- you read right. And no, I didn't go on a cupcake bender as a result of school driving me crazy. That's just sad.

I attended Cupcake Camp Montreal, which is a fundraiser benefitting organizations like Jeunesse J'écoute and Tablée des Chefs. The event included an array of donated cuppycakes from bakers all across the island, and was held at Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth. Swanky huh?

Okay, so I have a confession: if the event weren't benefitting such good causes, I would have probably left after half an hour. Before getting in, I waited 40 minutes in line outside (frrrrreeeezing) on Rene-Levesque and another hour inside the hotel. A friend of mine also waited quite a while, and never even got in. What kept me from bailing? Well, it was my new twinkly-eyed friend Morgan, a little girl ahead of me in line, who convinced me by saying: "Think of all the red velvet and sprinkles!" How could I leave?

I still can't get over how much Montreal has turned into a cupcake crazed city! Don't get me wrong, I love them as much as the next person, I just never expected to wait almost two hours for them. But I suppose that's the beauty of Montreal. We like to say we're tough skinned, but then amid swarms of crowds and amped up kids, stressed out parents and impatient line-dwellers, we still have a soft spot for helping people out. And being that it's almost the holidays, we have this restless need to give back. All of the volunteers were so sweet! I didn't run into a single short tempered person, both inside the hall and out. I was just waiting for someone to blow their fuze and tell me to stick my cupcake you-know-where. It didn't happen. All I saw were smiles and laughter. It was nice to see.

Here's what the line looked like outside (it got progressively longer):