Dream Serenade 2024

Dream Serenade is an annual benefit concert at Toronto’s Massey Hall that began as the visionary work of Toronto parents Christie Greyerbiehl and musician/songwriter Hayden Desser. Created in 2014 as a way to thank and raise funds for their daughter's school, Beverley School, the popular annual event has now expanded to support other like-minded schools and care centres in the GTA. Through ticket sales, merchandise, silent auction and private donations, funds raised directly assist Toronto area families through the Dream Serenade Summer Bursary Fund. The Dream Serenade Summer Bursary is an initiative that provides financial support for Toronto area students with exceptionalities and their families to access summer programs and enhance their summer experience.

Dream Serenade has since become one of Toronto's most highly anticipated annual events, combining a celebration of this hard working community while raising money and awareness for schools and services for children with developmental and/or physical disabilities and their caregivers.  Past artists who have come together to celebrate this community and perform include Gord Downie, Feist, Sloan, City and Colour, members of The National, Gowan, Jim Cuddy, Barenaked Ladies, Kevin Hearn, Bahamas, Billy Talent, Elisapie, Serena Ryder, Sarah Harmer, Sam Roberts, William Prince, Glass Tiger, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Broken Social Scene, Stars, July Talk, Tanya Tagaq, Shad, Aysanabee and so many more! 

Thank you for your support of this initiative, we are very grateful for the opportunity to enhance the summers of so many deserving families in our community and look forward to continuing to reach as many families as possible in the future.

*Please follow us @dreamserenade for updates on our 2025 Summer Bursary and the 11th annual concert in the fall of 2025!

More information can be found at dreamserenade.ca

2024 Bursary Summary: We continued to build on last year's success of working with social workers to identify families in our community that could most benefit from a Summer Bursary and focused on congregated schools as well as schools supporting larger Developmental Delay Intensive Support Program student populations. In this first round of Bursaries, we were able to distribute 115 bursaries thanks to the help of 33 TDSB social workers. The public application further connected 55 families with a Bursary via lottery selection. In total, 170 Summer Bursaries were distributed this year supporting families at 51 schools across the Greater Toronto Area.

2023 Bursary Summary: In 2023 we were able to support more families around the GTA than ever before with our largest distribution of funds to date! A total of 200 $500 bursaries were distributed to families across the city, reaching 60 different schools. In an effort to reach the people most in need of support, we worked with 59 social workers who helped identify families who could most benefit from a Dream Serenade Bursary- 104 bursaries were distributed through social worker nominations. We also maintained the public application so families could apply online for support, as in past years; 96 bursaries were distributed through our online application.

2022 Bursary Summary: There was no concert in 2021 which meant that we used all of Dream Serenade's reserve budget and relied heavily on the donations from our CanadaHelps page to help continue a limited scope of our year-round programs. The money raised here went to fund 25 Family Relief Bursaries based on nominations from 7 congregated school social workers who connected us with families most in need of support. 

2021 Bursary Summary: In the Fall of 2020 the concert went virtual and all proceeds went towards continuing this COVID Family Relief Bursary program. Thanks to the generosity of donors and our virtual show audience, a record 246 bursaries (reduced to $300) were distributed to 84 schools in the GTA, with 239 of these bursaries going to families who had never received a Dream Serenade bursary before.

2020 Bursary Summary: In Spring 2020, Dream Serenade created the COVID Family Relief Bursary to better meet the needs of the community during a very challenging time. The new Bursary was able to provide support to 144 families at 55 schools across the Greater Toronto Area, and distribute 36 x $50 Food for Kids vouchers.  

WATCH: “The Sound of Learning: Striking a Chord for Children” CTV’s W5 Oct 27th 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqZIV3XqSKk

READ: "Dreaming up a plan to lend a hand - An annual concert has changed the lives" Globe and Mail 2017: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/a-dream-serenade-for-children-withdisabilities/article36912321/

10/10 Review from Exclaim Magazine: https://exclaim.ca/music/article/dream_serenade_featuring_hayden_feist_national_billy_talent_barenaked_ladies_sarah_harmer_jason_collett_more-massey_hall_toronto_on_october_25

5/5 N review from NOW Magazine  https://nowtoronto.com/music/concert-reviews/dream-serenade/

Please note:

• The Toronto Foundation for Student Success is acting as the financial trustee for this project.
• All funds donated will be directed to Dream Serenade, less any administration and credit card fees.
• All donors donating through Canada Helps will receive an automatic tax receipt to their e-mail.