While there was a silent auction, much of the fund-raising strategy centred on selling V.I.P. sponsor booths at three levels, called gold, silver, and bronze. To maximize funds raised, the design team took care to outfit C Lounge with as much V.I.P. seating as possible. The strategy proved successful, with sponsors such as TD, Cormark, and BMO purchasing gold booths for $10,000. Based on booth sales and online donations alone, Front Street Capital had surpassed its goal of raising $100,000 before the event even started. Due to this success, the company is planning to make Summer Solstice an annual fund-raising event.
A challenge for this event, and for many others recently, was the unpredictable weather. Each corporate sponsor that had purchased a booth outside also needed one inside in case of rain. Front Street Capital ended up having to turn away sponsors because of this limitation. Despite the forecasts for thundershowers, the evening ultimately remained practically rain-free.
