For Bridgepoint Health Foundation’s eighth annual benefit—held Saturday and dubbed "Fandango! Con Amore"—organizers filled the Regency Ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel with lemon trees, a market stall stocked with produce from Longos, and strands of white lights for an evening inspired by Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
"Our audience and our guests have a strong affection for Europe. Italy is for so many people in Toronto a favourite destination. It allows us to be very lively,” event committee chair Ann Kerwin said of the theme. “We try to incorporate the various cultures that are representative of Toronto and of our population at Bridgepoint.” (Past galas have adopted French and Indian themes.)
In preparation for the gala, the committee researched the culture and food of the Amalfi Coast, said Julie Goobie, development associate at Bridgepoint. “I think the biggest challenge is to impress the Italian community. We want people to feel like they are on the Amalfi Coast,” she said. “The Italian theme goes right through from the decor to the passed hors d’oeuvres and the entertainment.”
The committee called on Placido Dias of Dias Design to design the event, which drew 430 guests and raised $440,000 for the foundation. Strands of white lights hung from the ceiling in the reception space and a lemon tree sat in the middle of the bar. Two yellow awnings marked the entrances into the silent auction area and the dining room, and a market stall laden with fresh produce like those commonly found on the streets along the Amalfi Coast, added to the Italian theme.
Inside the dining room, Dias used yellow and turquoise linens to top tables. Hand-painted chargers marked each place setting; topiary trees adorned with hanging tea lights served as centrepieces; and ceramic bowls held a mixture of eggplants, onions, and lemons. A mural depicting the Amalfi Coast served as a backdrop for the stage, and decorative fish hung from the ceiling, lit to create a ripple effect reminiscent of the sea. “Dias really set the tone for our decor. We wanted to reflect the sea and the earth,” Goobie said.
Entertainment included an accordion player and performances by singer Mark Masri, the Italian band Euro Blue, and the Tarantella dancers.
