On Monday, January 30th, West Island Community Shares held the 13thedition of its Red & White Benefit Evening. Historically, the evening is sold out well in advance and this year was no exception. Ms. Leanne Bayer, Executive Director and Ms. Nada Nasreddine, President of West Island Community Shares are pleased to announce that the 2017 edition of the Red & White Benefit Evening raised$200,000. Since 2005, the event has raised close to $1.5 Million.
“It was an amazing evening with 300 business and community leaders joining our honourary co-chairs in support of West Island Community Shares,” said Ms. Bayer who took the helm of Community Shares last August. “It shows that together, we can really make a difference. My vision is to have all West Island businesses support us and our community.”
This year’s co-chairs were Ms. Diane Giard, Executive Vice President, Personal and Commercial Banking, National Bank of Canada; Mr. Martin Gauthier, President, Sid Lee Montreal; and Ms. Isabelle Hudon, Executive Chair, Sun Life Financial Quebec and Senior Vice President, Client Solutions, Sun Life Financial Canada.
Ms. Nasreddine thanked the co-chairs for their support. “One of our biggest challenges is the myth that there are no needs in the West Island,” she said. “In reality, 1 in 5 residents turns to a community group for help to cope with hunger, cancer, bullying, substance abuse and more. The proceeds of the Red & White Benefit Evening will go to 40 local community groups that help these residents in need. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this event.”
Ms. Jamie Orchard of Global News Montreal was the Master of Ceremonies and she thanked the other event partners for their support including: West Island Pharmaprix owners/pharmacists who sponsored the wine (Nada Nasreddine Pharmaprix Beaconsfield/Kirkland; Suzanne Fradet, Pharmaprix Pierrefonds/Île Perrot; Faouzi Fassatoui, Pharmaprix Dollard-des-Ormeaux; Marco Vernacchia, Pharmaprix Pointe-Claire and Souren Bedrossian, Pharmaprix Stillview/St-Lazare); Raymond, Chabot, Grant Thornton for sponsoring the dessert; Broccolini Constructon, Roxboro Excavation, Spinelli Lexus Pointe-Claire & Lachine for being Gold-Level sponsors and Aqua Spa Lyne Giroux (flower sponsor), PME-MTL (cocktail sponsor), Le Groupe Maurice (volunteer meal sponsor) and Clio Bookstore (oyster bar sponsor).
Mr. Geoff Kelley, Minister Responsible for Native Affairs and MNA for Jacques-Cartier was in attendance.
The Red & White Benefit Evening features cocktails, an oyster rawbar, and a four-course gourmet meal. A live and a silent auction as well as a raffle – with prizes and items all generously donated – also contribute to the event’s success. The first prize for the raffle was a trip for two to a Club Med North America destination donated by Club Med Business.
The Montreal Marriott In-Terminal Hotel donated a $1,500 gift certificate redeemable at any Marriott Hotel in the world; Aqua Spa Lyne Giroux donated a $500 gift certificate as the third prize and Cargair offered a flying lesson with a qualified instructor.
The live auction included a “Chef at home” experience with 40 Westt executive Chef Stefanos, a flight simulator experience from Bombardier, Pasta-Cuisine experience with opera singer & chef Davide Bazzali, go-karting experience with professional race car driver Alex Tagliani, and a day on Parliament Hill with Francis Scarpaleggia.
The proceeds of the evening will go towards West Island Community Shares’ 2016-2017 annual fundraising campaign which runs until March 31, 2017. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.communityshares.ca.
