On Thursday night, the city’s fashionable set was out in full force for a celebrity-filled good cause at CUBE nightclub for Walk the Oneway. Hosted by former Fashion Television host Glen Baxter, the evening raised funds for Diesel’s ONExONE foundation, a non-profit organization focused on improving the lives of children in Canada, the United States and abroad, as well as humanizing conditions in Haiti. The evening also supported OneUp Nation, an organization that encourages youth to volunteer to help humanity as a whole. The show featured stylish Canadian notables like Jully Black, Kardinal Offishall, Stacy McKenzie, Helene Joy, Gabrielle Sunshine Miller, Daniel Johnson, Cle Bennett, Lyriq Bent, Wilder Weir, Ray Ablack and Luke Byllk, and showcased Diesel’s fall/winter collection.
Funds raised from the show and silent auction will go towards a pediatric ward in a newly built hospital in Haiti, which the ONExONE Foundation has pledged more than $3 million towards. Founded by Joey Adler, CEO of Diesel Canada, the foundation is known for putting on some young professional favourite seen-and-be-seen events, like the hot ticket ONExONE TIFF gala that has drawn celebrities like Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Kate Hudson and even Brad Pitt.
Kardinal Offishall
In addressing the crowd of some 450 guests, Adler, who founded the charity seven years ago, said: “You can start with an idea but nothing happens until someone comes and supports it,” and pointed out some notable guests in attendance like Toronto’s Suzanne Rogers. We learned that Rwanda has only 12 pediatricians and that 1 in 5 children in Canada live below the poverty line, a number that is 1 in 4 among natives. The main goal of the foundation, then, is to keep kids “happy, healthy, educated and safe,”
Although the clothes were eye-catching, conversation-provoking and got us excited for the colder months ahead, Adler told the crowd “it is not about clothes, it’s about the people in the clothes who have come to support cause.” To nail that runway strut, runway veteran Stacy Mckenzie coached the celebrities as they worked it in coveted Diesel looks for fall. The celebs rocked signature Diesel denim, dresses, leather, motorcycle jackets, vests, coloured jeans and blazers.
Aristotle Andrulakis and Glen Baxter
Post-fashion show, guests mingled to the sounds of DJ Morgan Shim. The celebrity-filled booths included no shortage of Grey Goose and Jagerbombs. Short but sweet, the event ended at 10:30pm when the doors were opened to the public for another busy night at the popular new venue. The event was an undoubted success and raised over $30,000.
We caught up with Joey Adler post-show.
Why Did You Start ONExONE?
I was faced with a catastrophic moment in life with illness and the death of my husband, which made me contemplate the value of a single life. There was little value for one life, and I decided to start promoting value of one life.
Why do you think the foundation has been so successful in its seven years?
The whole concept resonates with people. People see a lot of value in the idea of one person, one life to make a difference. One person is infinitely powerful. A lingo slowly started to develop that centers on the empowerment of one.
Meghan Pritchard, Lavin Agency, and Anne Gatsinzi, ONExONE
How can young professionals get behind the cause?
Firstly, choose whether you would like to be involved domestically or outside the country. Child hunger and poverty is a huge problem in North America. A great cause to get behind is our Feeding our Children program, whereby 4,000 aboriginal kids are fed breakfast each day. Young people can adopt communities and contribute to providing these kids with meals for only a dollar per day. Give up a Starbucks drink once a week and you can feed a kid for a week.
Do you have any advice as how to balance a corporate life and making a difference in the lives of others?
It doesn’t have to take much to make a difference. If someone is having a horrible day, you have the power to change that by stopping him or her on the street and talking to them or smiling at someone in an elevator. Try to live your daily life by being in tune with the fact that you are not the only human in the planet.
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