2014 Festival Gala

 Last night we checked out the Festival Gala at the Liberty Grand. We figured that we have been blogging about Toronto's Carnival going on eight years now and we knew very little about this event. So we joined the media folks, and this is what we learned.

 The Gala is held annually and it's really a corporate type fundraiser in support of different charities. This year, the proceeds went to The Caribbean Children Foundation (TCCF) - a registered Canadian charity based in Ontario. Their mandate is to bring children from the Caribbean to Canada for medical treatment that is not available in their home country. Over the past 12 years TCCF has raised over $800,000 and 54 children have received life altering and lifesaving surgical care in Canada.

 The event was a good time, with El Dorado sponsoring the bar, and Scotiabank matching funds raised for the worthy cause. Besides the dinner and cocktails, there were Calypsonians, some big mas, costumed models and awards handed out.

The thing that I liked was to see our community and our festival come together with corporate sponsors  to support a good cause. This festival is not just a jump up thing. They were celebrating, encouraging and supporting positive initiatives within the community.

 So, if you are in a position where you need to wine and dine customers or associates, keep this event on the radar. Or, if you just want to get dressed up and support our community while enjoying the culture, this could be your ticket.