The Spinal Cord Injury Ontario celebrated a milestone anniversary on October 15 with a gala at the Grand Luxe Event Boutique. Titled "True North," the benefit paid homage to all things Canadian. "We are celebrating our 70th year as an organization, and wanted to have a theme that tied in with our history" said event manager Lynn Mineque. "As well, we’ve ran fund-raising galas in the past that celebrated other cultures and they were a hit, so we know that our supporters enjoy cultural themes."
The evening drew 250 guests and raised $125,000. Here's a look inside the event, which celebrated Canada through tribal dancers, maple syrup, and more.
"We had a lot of fun booking the entertainment, and we ensured that the talent represented different aspects of Canadian culture," said Mineque. To lead guests from cocktails to dinner, dancers from the troupe Tribal Vision performed a ceremonial dance while leading guests into the ballroom. Other entertainment included upbeat tunes from the East Coast fiddlers, a set from Canadian comedian Ron James, and covers of classic Canadian songs from local band No Sugar Tonight.
Photo: Robert Blakely
"When it came to designing the decor, we wanted guests to experience the True North Canadian theme throughout the whole event," said event manager Lynn Mineque. The reception area housed a hand-painted teepee, which referenced the indigenous tribes of the plains of North America.
Photo: Robert Blakely
The evening also included a group singing of the the national anthem, "O Canada." A Mountie (a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police), saluted the country's flag while guest sang and later mingled with guests.
Photo: Robert Blakely
The stage was the focus of the ballroom. "We wanted people to feel like they were at a cottage up in Muskoka in Ontario or in Flin Flan, Manitoba," said Mineque. "We had a dock as an extension of the stage and had live trees and a man-made pond surrounding it." To the side of the dock was a 16-foot canoe, which was part of the live auction.
Photo: Johanna Carlo
To enhance the natural feel, tables were decked with tree branches. The dinner offered traditional Canadian fare such as Alberta beef short rib, rosemary and sage duck confit, and "Holland Mash" made with kale and collard greens.
Photo: Johanna Carlo
Guests received themed gifts. "We wanted our guests to take away a memento that they would enjoy, reminded them of the gala, and that was quintessentially Canada," said Mineque. "We decided to go with delicious maple products, including syrup, butter, and dressing. All the bottles had our logo on them to remind them of the True North gala experience."
Photo: Johanna Carlo
