The Foundation’s tenth anniversary fundraiser, held in The Great Hall of The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto on 14 September 2023, was sold out.
The event began with bespoke cabaret cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the lounge followed by performances by Foundation award winners and their friends. Emerging artists and Charter Women’s Award winners Hadley Mustakas and Senn Gelinas were joined by five other students in Sheridan College’s Musical Theatre program as well as Glenn Gould School violinist Tiffany Yeung and inaugural poetry award winner Gordon Taylor. After the hour-long concert, the artists mingled with members of the club and friends over dessert and coffee.
Award winners, from left: Hadley Mustakas, Senn Gelinas and Gordon Taylor
Foundation President Marianne Fedunkiw opened the evening by thanking donors for their steadfast support and she recognized Charter Women Jean Edwards and Katie Hermant as well as past and present volunteer Board members: Judith Davidson-Palmer, Kimberly de Witte, Mark Herron, Catherine Hurley, John McKellar, Richard Mortimer and Wendy Rowney.
Cabaret organizers and Board members Marianne Fedunkiw, Kimberly de Witte and Wendy Rowney
Fedunkiw also read a greeting from Charter Woman Lisa Lambert who could not make the celebration and announced the winner of the 2023 Poetry Award, emerging poet Em Dial before turning over the microphone to the event’s artistic director, Hadley Mustakas.
Great artists need great patrons. The event raised more than $1,200 for the Foundation.
Thank you to all who contributed to make the evening such a success.