Charity Spotlight: Toronto motionball Gala 2013

On Friday, February 8th, beloved YP event motionball transforms Muzik in Toronto into an icy winter wonderland as it kicks off the 2013 charity ball season in glammed-out, black tie optional style. motionball 2013, Winter Wonderland presented by Air Miles, will surely draw the city’s finest, most stylish young professionals and charity circuit regulars to this must-attend event. The crowd always includes an assortment of like-minded, driven and connected YPs united for an evening of networking, mingling and a good cause. motionball is a non-profit organization that benefits the Special Olympics Canada Foundation (SOCF), a charity whose objective is to provide funding for athlete and volunteer recruitment and training for each provincial and territorial chapter through a series of nationwide sporting and social events, including the motionball Galas.

This year, Toronto’s motionball Gala will be bigger and better than ever, as 2,000 guests sip complimentary drinks and dance the night away to the sounds of Skratch Bastid and DJ Efsharp, while mingling with each other along with the athletes that the cause supports. Some of those athletes will be fresh home from the World Games in South Korea, and hopefully donning some shiny hardware. The Winter Wonderland is complete with an Iceberg Vodka Ice Lounge, an “ice” dance floor, a mixology bar from Wesdloge, a performance by Crash Dex and a 44-piece symphony orchestra that will be performing a Beatles montage. As usual, there is the VIP reception beforehand (starting at 7pm), a more intimate food and cocktail-filled event before the doors open to the rest of the party guests at 9pm. The VIP reception features a gourmet buffet dinner with interactive food stations and exclusive entertainment. 

motionball is the brainchild of best friends and brothers Paul, Mark and Sean Etherington, who hold a life-long attachment to Special Olympics Canada. Since childhood, the Etherington brothers have volunteered at fundraising events organized and executed by their parents, who co-founded the Sports Celebrities Festival, an organization that has raised over $25 million for Special Olympics Canada since 1983. “We noticed a lack of integration between supporters and the athletes they support and created motionball in 2001 to facilitate this,” said Paul Etherington, Co-founder and Chairman of motionball. “The motionball mandate is to introduce the next generation of donors, volunteers, and sponsors to the Special Olympics movement through social and sporting events that integrate young professionals with Special Olympics athletes.” 

The objective for the 2013 gala is to sell out in advance with 1500 guests and to raise over $250,000 for the SOCF, a goal that is not unrealistic given motionball’s history of success. Paul Etherington tells us that they hope to raise over $300,000 with the Toronto event if all goes well. With the impressive silent auction, this goal seems promising. If you are looking for the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift (or just to spoil/reward yourself), silent auction items range from platinum Toronto Maple Leaf tickets to courtside Raptors tickets to spa packages to trips to the Caribbean to signed jerseys and 50-inch 3D TVs and iPads… the list goes on. There is also a VIP raffle for a three-night getaway to NYC during the early part of the evening and the raffle prize for the general admission is a three-night getaway to Las Vegas. 

Since 2002, motionball has organized and executed more than 70 events in seven major Canadian cities and has generated over $3,000,000 for the SOCF to date – impressive for a charity that is only 12 years old. motionball continues to thrive in its efforts to educate, integrate and celebrate, encouraging Canadian YPs to come together and raise funds and awareness of the Special Olympics in Canada.

If you’re planning on hitting the Toronto gala, we advise you act quickly! The event is already over three quarters sold out and has sold out for the past seven years. Other dates for the 2013 motionball Gala are: Calgary, February 22nd at Flames Central; Vancouver, date TBD, and Halifax, date TBD.

For more info on the motionball Gala in Toronto and to buy tickets, click here.

For information and tickets in other cities, click here.