White Flint used silent, vibrating pagers to notify its shoppers when their tables were ready in The Cheesecake Factory — or when three hours of supervised play had passed, and it was time to retrieve their children.

The Galleria at South Bay hosted its Parte Rama dance party to encourage (and thank) local high school students for partying safe and sober. Attendance was limited to 800, and tickets were sold for $5. The school with the most students in attendance also received $250 for their Associated Student Body.

In July 1994, Tropical Storm Alberto ravaged Florida and Georgia. Infinitee Communications Inc., an Atlanta-based company, designed and sold 800 T-shirts to make a $4,000 contribution to the American Red Cross.

Together with the Sheriff’s department and local school districts, Eastern Hills Mall sponsored a School Bus Safety Fair. The event cost $351 and resulted in a six percent increase in mall-wide sales.

The Galleria at South Bay sought to help the homeless get back on their feet, using a mobile sales cart. Homeless people are employed not only to make items for sale, but also to man the cart itself.

Bayfield Mall, having a record number of fast food outlets within a one-mile stretch and more than 40,000 vehicle movements per day, was a perfect location for United Way’s fundraising event.

Hamilton Mall transformed the upper level of its center court into a magical gift workshop, giving kids the opportunity to experience the joy of giving. The cost to take part was $1, which went to The Children’s Seahorse House Auxiliary. Projects included potpourris, ornaments, reindeer ears, and even decorated dog bones for their pet.

Bramalea City Centre, Scarborough Town Centre, and Yorkdale Shopping Centre teamed up to give kids the gift of reading, and teach them safety tips in case they became separated from their parents in a mall. An original 24-page color book was commissioned for the promotion; all sales proceeds benefited Read Canada.

Breton Village has developed a reputation for tying into a good community cause—the Special Olympics. The mall hosts a Festival of Trees promotion, beginning with a two-week public display of designer Christmas trees. Shoppers can vote for their favorite for a $1 contribution to the Special Olympics. The trees are later sold to the highest bidder at an auction gala.

Penn Square Mall’s “Club Santa” has successfully combined fun and festive. Initially designed to help ease the anticipation of waiting for Santa to arrive, the club has grown into something greater.