For the eighth annual Gerry & Nancy Pencer Brain Trust gala last night, organizers selected a familiar venue, which they dressed almost entirely in black to coincide with the evening’s "Noir" theme. “It works very well for the numbers and they do a marvelous job for us,” event consultant Bonnie Gottlieb said of the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex.
Some 900 guests trekked down to Exhibition Place in the pouring rain for the fund-raiser to benefit the Gerry & Nancy Pencer Brain Tumor Centre at Princess Margaret Hospital. The couple established the trust after Gerry was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 1997. “Nancy wanted for the Brain Trust and the Brain Tumor Centre to be known, to build its identity,” Gottlieb said of the annual gala. “Each year we do try and come up with a unique concept, something different from the year before. Noir seemed to be right for this year."“We create a visual identity and follow it through. It starts with our corporate backing right down to the signature Noir cookie, created by A Couple of Squares in London, Ontario,” she said, noting that even the cookies were decorated with the event's tag line, "Sexy, Sleek, Sumptuous." “We work very hard during the year to secure sponsors to keep our proceeds as high as possible while at the same time providing a wonderful party for the patrons,” Gottlieb said. “We have sponsors who underwrite our magazine, our decor. We try to get as much of the event underwritten as possible.... We hope to net in excess of $600,000.”
Bill Fulghum of Church Street Flowers dressed the venue in white and black, with furnishings from Contemporary Furniture Rentals. Silver beading created two curtains at the entrance to the room, where a Spyder 300 Motorcycle—one of the live auction items—sat on display. A series of tall chrome and glass tables, topped with clear glass chandeliers, sat between two rows of black leather sofas, positioned back to back. Mirrored baroque end tables, topped with simple white flowers, and shiny black Louis Ghost chairs sat atop a long white carpet that ran the length of the lounge area.
A glossy black acrylic dance floor, positioned between the stage and the DJ booth, sat in the middle of the room. Four screens projecting black-and-white images consistent with the Noir theme provided a backdrop for the four black bars, topped with white flowers in black vases. Black and white fabric draped the walls, with the Noir logo projected onto the wall behind the lone food station inside the venue.
Outside, a tented walkway led guests to the silent-auction room, where Rodney Smith presented items based on a series of themes, including jewelry and fashion. The evening also included a draw for a black-and-white diamond necklace valued at $23,000 and a live auction hosted by Tanya Kim of E Talk.
Event sponsors included Cott Beverages, TD Securities, Goodmans LLP, Magna International Inc., Proprint Services, Iceberg Vodka, Halpern Enterprises, Roy Foss Motors, Office Central.
Correction: The story has been updated to properly credit the company that supplied the cookies at this event.
Some 900 guests trekked down to Exhibition Place in the pouring rain for the fund-raiser to benefit the Gerry & Nancy Pencer Brain Tumor Centre at Princess Margaret Hospital. The couple established the trust after Gerry was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 1997. “Nancy wanted for the Brain Trust and the Brain Tumor Centre to be known, to build its identity,” Gottlieb said of the annual gala. “Each year we do try and come up with a unique concept, something different from the year before. Noir seemed to be right for this year."“We create a visual identity and follow it through. It starts with our corporate backing right down to the signature Noir cookie, created by A Couple of Squares in London, Ontario,” she said, noting that even the cookies were decorated with the event's tag line, "Sexy, Sleek, Sumptuous." “We work very hard during the year to secure sponsors to keep our proceeds as high as possible while at the same time providing a wonderful party for the patrons,” Gottlieb said. “We have sponsors who underwrite our magazine, our decor. We try to get as much of the event underwritten as possible.... We hope to net in excess of $600,000.”
Bill Fulghum of Church Street Flowers dressed the venue in white and black, with furnishings from Contemporary Furniture Rentals. Silver beading created two curtains at the entrance to the room, where a Spyder 300 Motorcycle—one of the live auction items—sat on display. A series of tall chrome and glass tables, topped with clear glass chandeliers, sat between two rows of black leather sofas, positioned back to back. Mirrored baroque end tables, topped with simple white flowers, and shiny black Louis Ghost chairs sat atop a long white carpet that ran the length of the lounge area.
A glossy black acrylic dance floor, positioned between the stage and the DJ booth, sat in the middle of the room. Four screens projecting black-and-white images consistent with the Noir theme provided a backdrop for the four black bars, topped with white flowers in black vases. Black and white fabric draped the walls, with the Noir logo projected onto the wall behind the lone food station inside the venue.
Outside, a tented walkway led guests to the silent-auction room, where Rodney Smith presented items based on a series of themes, including jewelry and fashion. The evening also included a draw for a black-and-white diamond necklace valued at $23,000 and a live auction hosted by Tanya Kim of E Talk.
Event sponsors included Cott Beverages, TD Securities, Goodmans LLP, Magna International Inc., Proprint Services, Iceberg Vodka, Halpern Enterprises, Roy Foss Motors, Office Central.
Correction: The story has been updated to properly credit the company that supplied the cookies at this event.
The Noir-themed gala
Photo: BizBash
Bill Fulghum of Church Street Flowers dressed the venue in black with white accents.
Tall glass tables topped with clear glass candelabras sat between two rows of black leather seating in the main space.
Four large screens served as the backdrop to the four black bars in the main room.
Disco balls and large black feather balls hung above the black acrylic dance floor courtesy of Contemporary Furniture Rentals.
Organizers projected the Noir logo onto the white fabric backdrop behind the food station at the rear of the main room.
Floral arrangments of white tulips topped the food stations and bars throughout the main event space.
Food stations in the courtyard area offered a variety of items including wasabi salmon pizza, Thai red chili vegetable curry, seared yellowfin tuna, and tea-smoked spare ribs.
The live auction included a Spyder 300 Motorcycle valued at $5,200.
The silent auction, created by Rodney Smith, featured 170 items grouped in themes like jewelry, fashion, house and home, and food and restaurants.
Models dressed in black greeted guests at the entrance to the main room.
