Sam Roberts and Elisha Cuthbert Steal Hearts at the Pink Party

Some of the city’s most notable young professionals (YPs) united for the love of the breast, breast cancer survivors and the colour pink on Friday evening at The Pink Party. Now in its fourth year, The Pink Party in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation has grown from a small backyard bash to a major fundraiser at the Capitol Event Theatre, headlined by the Sam Roberts Band and hosted by Canadian stunner and actress Elisha Cuthbert, who turned heads in a bright, long and figure-hugging pink dress.

The sold-out event drew more than 650 pink-clad YP guests, who enjoyed a 70-minute performance by the Sam Roberts Band, live music by Enriquez, sets by DJ Efsharp and DJs Pump and Hedspin, an open bar stocked with Barefoot wine, Amsterdam beer and Iceberg Vodka, plus Red Bull (an added bonus), and a well received pink candy buffet. Heaven.

The dress code was refreshingly more casual than the typical charity event, but the colour pink was encouraged. This meant pink t-shirts, ties, pocket squares and socks for the guys, and either jeans and a t-shirt or a casual pink dress for the ladies.

The Pink Party offers a chance to celebrate life and raise funds for a disease that has affected almost all of us in some way. Host Cuthbert reminded the crowd that breast cancer does not discriminate, informing the crowd that breast cancer represents 26 per cent of all cancer cases in Canadian women. One in nine women are expected to develop breast cancer and one in 29 women are expected to die from it. The good news? There has been a 40 per cent decrease in deaths since its peak in 1986 due to earlier screening, advances in screening, and improved treatment.

The Pink Party founder Paul Etherington has raised millions for the Special Olympics Canada Foundation through his national non-profit motionball (one of our favourite charity galas of the year) and certainly understand the impact of breast cancer in the family. In response to his mother’s breast cancer battle, he launched The Pink Party in his backyard in 2010 with 80 friends and an iPod dock. In addressing the crowd, Etherington thanked his mother, saying she “gives hope to all who have cancer through things like diet, faith, a strong support network and advanced medical professionals.”

A highlight was, of course, the performance by the Sam Roberts Band, which offered a relaxed Muskoka-esque feel to the evening, in stark contrast to sometimes stuffy charity events. A passionate Roberts kept the audience’s attention, and even inspired the tossing of what were intended to be “decorative” pink bras on stage. Not by us, of course. An alluring luxury silent auction was difficult to resist and offered carefully curated experience packages. Hot silent auction items included Mohammad Ali signed boxing shorts, a two-night VIP getaway to Las Vegas, a foursome to the Georgian Bay Club, a $1,000 Shell gas certificate and four platinum second row Leafs tickets. 

Other Notable guests included the always reliable life of the party Cabbie Richards, who loves to “borrow” our camera; Call Me Fitz, Saving Hope actor Husein “Huse” Madhavji; KISS92.5’s high energy Devo Brown; jewellery designer Shay Lowe; and the always flawless Melissa Grelo of CP24. The event will net over $25,000.

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