LADIESFUND®

The crème de le crème of Toronto high society gathered recently for the National Ballet of Canada’s 60^thanniversary Diamond Gala at the Four Seasons Centre, a night of dining and dancing that raised$1.25-million.

Lloyd Robertson and Principal Dancer Greta Hodgkinson

Outside the centre, mannequin style models wearing specially designed tutus posed in the blistering heat while the 1500 guests were greeted with chilled water bottles.  The red carpet was filled with the who’s who ranging from the Old Guard to some very avant garde party-goers.  Most of the women were wearing long ball gowns with some in sassy cocktail dresses.

Jorn Weisbrodt, Rufus Wainwright and Emmanuelle Gattuso

The night began with an overture from Polovtsian Dances by Alexander Borodin that was on the programme of the National Ballet’s very first performance on November 12, 1951.  This was followed by a welcome from Artistic Director Karen Kain who looked stunning in navy.  The ballet portion of the night than began with an hour-long performance of very special short works, particularly sets of pas de deux.

Bernice Royce and Victor Royce, President & CEO of Rolex Canada

First up where Xiao Nan Yu and Jiri Jelinek performing a sexy, sassy, modern pas de deux from Amarant, a ballet that had premiered in Belgium in 2011.  Husband and wife Guillaume Cote and Heather Ogden then performed a World Premiere of the very romantic Polar Night choreographed by Robert Binet for this special occasion.  This was followed by the World Premiere of Silence Screams Venom, a riveting tour de force choreographed by Principal Dancer Guillaume Cote that featured Greta Hodgkinson and four male dancers and is certain to make him an exciting, upcoming choreographer in the dance world.  It was the talk of the after party and created great twitter buzz.  Sonia Rodriguez and Aleksandar Antonijevi (who is celebrating his 20^th year with the ballet this year) partnered for a vignette from the evocative and humorous ’90s contemporary ballet Herman Scherman.  The night then returned befittingly to the more classical and aptly selection excerpt from Diamonds From Jewels by George Balanchine.  This featured the entire corps de ballet dancing to the 1967 traditional ballet.

Dance installation

Afterward, guests mingled at a cocktail reception featuring the night’s signature drink a lemon martini titled Skyy with Diamonds, and hors d’oeuvres such as mini cupcakes and smoked salmon pinwheels from North 44°.

The dinner onstage at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

Some notables spotted included Lloyd Robertson, Cleophée Eaton, Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, Ross Petty (husband of Karen Kain), Rex Harrington, Roz Ivey, Veronica Tennant, Victoria Jackman, Lydia Prince, Galen & Alexandra Weston, Elvio & Marlene DelZotto ,  John Macfarlane, Victoria Webster, Thor & Nicole Eaton, Lynda Prince, Jian Ghomeshi, Jorn Weisbrodt and Rufus Wainwright and Albert Schultz.

Principal Dancers Jillian Vanstone, Greta Hodgkinson, Heather Ogden & Xiao Nan Yu

Moi

About 550 of the guests were then escorted to the Four Seasons Centre stage for a special dinner prepared by celebrity chef Mark McEwan.  Table for 10 tickets for this special privilege ranged from $15,000 – $25,000.

Photos by Gary Beechey

This article was originally published in DelectablyChic!

Arts & Culture, Style, events, fundraisers, money and happiness, networking, philanthropy, special occasions, spending money, spending money wisely Albert Schultz, Aleksandar Antonijevi, Alexander, Amarant Guillaume Cote, ballet, Cleophee Eaton, Diamond Gala, Diamonds, Elvio & Marlene DelZotto, Four Seasons Centre, Galen & Alexandra Weston, George Balanchine, Greta Hodgkinson, GUILLAUME CÔTÉ, HEATHER OGDEN, Herman Scherman, jewels, Jian Ghomeshi, Jiří Jelinek, John Macfarlane, Jorn Weisbrodt, karen kain, Llyod Robertson, Lydia Prince, Lynda Prince, MARK MCEWAN, national ballet of canada, North 44°, pas de deux, Polar Night, Polovtsian Dances, REX HARRINGTON, Robert Binet, Ross Petty, Roz Ivey, Rufus Wainwright, Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, Silence Screams Venom, Skyy with Diamonds, sonia rodriguez, Thor & Nicole Eaton, toronto, Veronica Tennant, Victoria Jackman, Victoria Webster, world premiere, XIAO NAN YU

The highly anticipated 11^th Scrubs in the City fundraiser for SickKids Hospital was held at the Evergreen Brick Works.  This year’s theme was the Secret Garden and the organizing committee headed by Event Chair Molly Fitzpatrick – and including Caroline Cohen, Lauren Habib, Jacqueline Johnson, Sandra Keeley, Lucinda Kogan, Stephanie Lewis, Sylvia Mantella, Amy Milne, Julia Mordini, Suzanne Rogers, Patty Seigel and Kirsten van der Griend – played up both the garden and the secret elements to the fullest at this wonderful community environmental centre.

Hilary Farr

Burt’s Bees Massages

Toronto’s medical community was joined by the business and social elite as well as celebrities like Hilary Farr (host of Love It or List It), to support this worthy cause.  Hosted by Mary Kitchen, Entertainment Anchor for CityNews, the night was full of pampering, culinary delights as well as plentiful surprises.  From the Burt’s Bees massages and Mombacho Cigars to the decadent hors d’oeuvres to the surprise concert by Shawn Desman to the flower cookies to the aerial performance to the raffle and silent auction to the non-stop groovin’ by DJ Floh Back Productions.

Flower Cookies

This was truly a night for fashionistas as all gathered together in their sexiest and sassiest outfits for this year’s cocktail party.  The event began with a VIP reception but quickly transitioned to a very happening party full of adventurous, trendy partygoers.  As guests mingled, aerial performances and some unexpected characters made an appearance. The biggest thrill came when Shawn Desman performed a high energy concert that really revved up the crowd.

Arial performances (image provided by Scrubs in the City)

Performance by Sean Desmond (image courtesy of Scrubs in the City)

The décor was very well thought out with the photo booth being a rose wall and the dessert being flower sugar cookies in all colours, just like a rose garden.

Over the past decade, over $1.7 million has been raised by Scrubs to support the the highest priority needs at The Hospital for Sick Children. This year’s proceeds went to The Urgent Care Unit.

This article was originally published in DelectablyChic!

events, fundraisers, health, philanthropy, special occasions, spending money wisely, women leaders AMY MILNE, BURT'S BEES, Caroline Cohen, DJ FLOH BACK PRODUCTIONS, EVERGREEN BRICK WORKS, HILARY FARR, Jacqueline Johnson, JULIA MORDINI, KIRSTEN VAN DER GRIEND, ladiesfund, LAUREN HABIB, LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT, Lucinda Kogan, MARY KITCHEN, Molly Fitzpatrick, Patty Seigel, Sandra Keeley, Scrubs in the City, SECRET GARDEN, SHAWN DESMOND, SickKids, Stephanie Lewis, Suzanne Rogers, SYLVIA MANTELLA, tudawood, URGENT CARE UNIT

The 15th Annual Butterfly Ball in support of Boost for Kids Foundation was held at the ever trendy Evergreen Brick Works, raising more than $125,000 in just one night.

Debbie Fenwick, Priscilla Low & Maureen Greenstein

Over 300 of Toronto’s most glamorous, fashionable, powerful philanthropists, socialists and trendsetters came out to support this very important fundraising initiative for Boost Child Abuse Prevention & Intervention. The Presenting Sponsor of the Event was Rogers and Honourary Chair was Suzanne Rogers, who was dressed in a stunning white and pink princess ballgown.

The twenty-person 2012 Butterfly Ball Committee included Victoria Webster (last year’s Honourary Chair), Vanessa Mulroney, Jennifer Saunders, Lynn Factor and Lesley White, among others. The VIPs in the crowd were numerous and included Celebrity Chef Cory Vitiello and Sommelier Anton Potvin.

John Tory, Butterfly Ball MC

The evening began with a cocktail reception followed by a sit-down dinner, catered by Celebrity Chef Mark McEwan. There were welcoming remarks by MC John Tory, Honourary Chair Suzanne Rogers, followed by a special live performance by A Girl in the Sky. DJ Danny Floh entertained until there was a very successful live auction coordinated by Auctioneer Jay Mandarino. Sunrise cruise, trips to the Bahamas, raptors tickets and lots of private dining were auctioned off at well above their reserve prices. A highlight of the night was when Boost support Police Chief William “Bill” Blair, C.O.M., personally came on stage to donate special emergency unit training packages that promised to have lots of fun toys as well as lunch.

The event was artfully decorated with the butterfly theme throughout the setting of Evergreen Brick Works, a location which proved to be a big hit. The cocktail reception was boisterous and fun and so was extended slightly beyond the original set time. Dinner was simply exquisite and a first course of phyllo cup with woodland mushrooms following by a choice between braised beef short rib or pan seared halibut. Dessert was an extremely popular banana strudel with chocolate ice cream and sponge toffee.

Party decor

Fashionistas came out in full force with summer cocktail dresses in bright coloured the favoured look for the evening, despite it being an unseasonably chilly evening. Solid colours in citrus shades were the most popular with often daring pairings such as white dresses with bright orange stilettos. Men were very suavely dressed with most in traditional formal suits but some favouring the latest trend of dapper pocket kerchiefs sans ties with formal dress shirts.

To donate to this special organization that protects children, please click here.

This article was originally published in DelectablyChic!

fundraisers, philanthropy, special occasions A Girl in the Sky, Anton Potvin, Bill Blair, Boost Child Abuse Prevention & Intervention, boost for kids foundation, Cory Vitiello, DJ Danny Floh, Jay Mandarino, Jennifer Saunders, John Tory, Lesley White, Lynn Factor, MARK MCEWAN, Police Chief William Blair, Rogers, Suzanne Rogers, The 15th Annual Butterfly Ball, Vanessa Mulroney, Victoria Webster

Toronto Taste, Second Harvest’s annual food fest at the Royal Ontario Museum is truly a must attend and this year tickets sold out over a week in advance.

2012 marked the 22nd year of this event and 1400 Torontonians paid $250 for a ticket to this fundraising tasting of dishes by the top chefs around the city. Each ticket purchased to Toronto Taste provided 250 meals to Torontonians in need and this year the event aims to raise enough funds to provide 700,000 meals for Toronto’s hungry.

Party inside the ROM

The event’s motto:  Pairing cuisine with compassion.

This year’s tasting featured 60 of the city’s top chefs and 30 outstanding beverage purveyors.  Held both indoors and outdoors at Royal Ontario Museum the event was hosted by Food Network’s Bob Blumer and   recording artist Roger Mooking, who is also a Food Network personality.

Mooking stated to DelectablyChic!, “All the great chefs in Toronto and we never get to see each other and hang out, but this is the one time of the year where you see all the chefs in one place.”

“It’s a dirty little secret,” he added, “but everyone is competitive and coming with their A game.”

Roger Mooking and Bob Blumer

Blumer added, “I do a lot of things in my day to life centred around me and my career so such more pleasure doing for Second Harvest because it’s about sharing with the community. Being a host of this event for the past five years is my way of thanking Toronto for all the great things I pull from the city itself. Its almost more fun than doing my own job.”

Guests had personal access to the city’s top chefs including Food Network hosts Mark McEwan, Michael Smith and Lynn Crawford.

“I’m having great time. I love coming back seeing fellow chefs. Second Harvest one of my chosen charities and I’ve been here since its inception 22-23 years ago,” stated McEwan.  “Coming here is such a treat and the food scene in Toronto keeps getting better and better with the chefs more clever than ever.”

Louisiana Macarons

Crawford added, “I’m a Toronto chef and very involved with the cause. Chefs have a responsibility to give back and it’s overwhelming to see amount of chefs out this evening with all their passion. Great cause.”

As one of the few top female chefs in the world, Crawford wanted to inspire DelectablyChic! Readers, adding, “Success in our field is not about gender, but commitment, drive and passion. You just have to work hard and love what you do and keep thinking how can I be better tomorrow.”

“We’ve been in the business now 36 years, starting out in my mother’s home.  Now we have a large factory and mass produce while maintaining quality control.  We’ve supported Toronto Taste since it began and support Second Harvest Year round,” shared Dufflet Rosenberg of Dufflet Pastries, adding, “We’re tough cookies.”

Dufflet Rosenberg

Organizations and personalities that took part included ACE Bakery, C5, Buca, Cave Spring Cellars, Woodlot, Eron Novalski,  Dufflet Rosenberg, Sotto Sotto, The Tea Emporium, Scaramouche, Patricia Cohrs and Ciao Wine Bar.

Favourite tastings included Scaramouche’s tuna tartare delicacy, Rodney’s Oyster House‘s oysters, Dufflet Pastries‘ Maple Budino and Nicole’s Sinfully Good Rum Balls.

Since the start of Toronto Taste, it has raised more than $4 million to support Second Harvest’s food rescue program.  Second Harvest is a charitable organization that for the past 27 years has been taking donated, perishable food, which would have otherwise gone to waste, and delivering it to more than 200 social service agencies in Toronto.

The Daniels Corporation returns as Presenting Sponsor for the 17^th year running.

This article was originally published in DelectablyChic!

events, fundraisers, shopping bob blumer, delectablychic!, DUFFLET PASTRIES, Dufflet Rosenberg, LYNN CRAWFORD, MARK MCEWAN, Michael Smith, Roger Mooking, ROM, Second Harvest, Toronto Taste, TORONTO TASTE 2012