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| West Island Community Shares Executive Director Caroline Tison, the Red & White Evening organizing committee, and members of the WICS board of directors present the cheque for $214,000 that was raised on January 25. |
For West Island Community Shares (WICS), their Annual Red & White Benefit Evening is a
January tradition that attracts West Island business and community leaders for
an evening of great food, fabulous prizes, and a good time in the warmth of the
40 Westt Steakhouse.
And this year’s 12th
edition of the event is no exception, as more than 300 people gathered to raise
a record amount of $214,000, that will go towards the 40 West Island-based
community and charity organizations that are under the WICS umbrella, which
helps 1 in 5 West Island residents in need every year. The amount will go
towards WICS’ 2015-2016 fundraising campaign, which they hope to raise $1.2
million by March 31.
Co-chaired by Susan
Handrigan of Scotiabank, Chirfi Guindo of Merck Canada and John & Paul
Broccolini of Broccolini Construction, the Red & White Evening treated its
guests to a wide array of delicious hors d’oeuvres, endless raw oysters at the
restaurant’s rawbar, and a sumptuous four-course dinner. As well, guests got to
bid for a large assortment of gifts at the silent auction, from jewellery to
fine wines and liqueurs to gift baskets to some unusual items, such as a Keurig
coffee machine with 400 assorted K-Cups (pictured on the right) and the chance to fly a prop plane solo
for one hour from the St. Hubert Airport (under the qualified supervision of a
flying instructor).
As well, the
evening included a live auction, where guests got to bid on five unique, once-in-a-lifetime
experiences, including a VIP tour of Trudeau Airport for 12 people (which went
for $2,500), an exclusive private home dinner prepared by 40 Westt’s executive
chef for 10 people (which sold for $12,000) and a private go-karting lesson for
four people with champion NASCAR driver Alex Tagliani, plus his racing helmet
(which sold for $5,000); and to promote this racing experience, Tagliani was on
hand during the cocktail reception to take selfies with the guests (as he did with me, pictured below).
This year’s Red
& White Evening had a sort of bittersweet feeling to it, as it was the last
one presided by WICS’ longtime Executive Director Caroline Tison, who will be
stepping down from her post following the conclusion of the fundraising
campaign this spring. I have known Ms. Tison since I started covering WICS
events six years ago, and she is known for her hard work and dedication to the
goals of WICS, and her friendly, personable approach to everyone she meets,
whether they be a donor, business leader, a member of the media, or the people
from the organizations that benefit from WICS’ efforts. She is one the main
reasons why West Island Community Shares has been such a respectable model of
what a community organization should be like.
For more
information about what West Island Community Shares is all about, go to www.partageaction.ca.
* * *
February is Black
History Month, and this year marks 25 years that this celebration of the
achievements of Montreal’s Black community in particular and the global Black
community in general will take place with over 150 cultural and social
activities throughout the city.
The theme for this
year’s edition of Black History Month is “Rise and Shine”, and will be
represented by three prominent spokespeople: veteran singer Ranee Lee, comedian
Eddy King and hip-hop artist and anti-racism activist Webster.
Highlights for the
silver anniversary edition of Black History Month in Montreal include: An
exhibition at the Salle Georges-Emile-Lapalme of Place des Arts called “Black
Muses”, which will celebrate 12 inspiring women singers who made their mark in
the world of Canadian music (Feb. 5-28); the annual Monnaie Money Talent Show
at the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall (Feb. 27); the launch of the book Words and
Poems by Doudou Boicel, who owned and operated the legendary St. Catherine
Street nightclub Doudou’s Rising Sun (Feb. 4); a live celebration of Black
women’s hair with the Eccentric Tribal Fashion Hair Show (Feb. 25); a screening
of the film “Honour Before Glory”, which recounts the story of the first
Canadian all-Black military battalion which was formed during World War I (Feb.
7); and the Croisee des Bossales Ball, a formal ball and international
epicurean event that will take place at the Theatre St. James on February 13.
For more
information on these and the other events that will be part of the 25th
edition of Black History Month in Montreal, go to www.moisehistoiredesnoirs.com.
