Pink bras, pink sweets, pink-wearing rap stars and a sea of pink-clad young professionals (YPs) – it was all at the Pink Party, which went down uptown on Friday night at The Castlefield (2492 Yonge). Kicking off with a special VIP portion at 8pm, the event, as expected, attracted some of the city’s most notable YPs, who united for the love of the breast and breast cancer survivors in an unforgettable party, made complete with performances by one-time Discman staple Naughty By Nature and by Canadian Juno Award-winning band The Sheepdogs.
Now in its fifth year, The Pink Party in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation has grown from a small bash held in Paul Etherington’s backyard to a major fundraiser. You’ve heard a lot about Paul Etherington from us lately; he is the young professional behind the beloved motionball charity and also a new contributor on Notable.ca for all charity-related wisdom. Kristin Kreuk, who played Lana Lane on Smallville, joined Etherington this year as co-host, looking even more stunning on the stage as she does on screen.
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. In response to his mother’s breast cancer battle, Etherington launched The Pink Party in 2010 with 80 friends and an iPod dock. It is now one of the hottest tickets on the YP charity ball scene. This year was no exception.
As guests filed in, they mingled over the silent suction items, which included things like cool band tees, impressive sports and music memorabilia (Etherington is a connected man, after all), certificates from some of the city’s hottest restaurants, framed art, tickets to everything from sporting events to the ballet, and a lot more.
Making for ample picture taking by both the large number of media in attendance and by the crowd was the Calvin Klein Underwear fashion show. Rocking some of the brand’s underwear – from sexy to simple pieces – were the healthy and fit-looking models, all of which were so hot that it was tough to pick our favourites (we know you do it too).
Of course, one of the biggest draws was the performances by The Sheepdogs and Naughty by Nature. The Sheepdogs played with just as much energy and passion as they would on any stage, offering the guests one of the most intimate performances they will see of the popular Canadian band. It was the nostalgic performance by Naughty by Nature, however, that really got the crowd moving. It was impossible not to, with the assortment of old-school classics, from 90s hip-hop that transported us back to the halls of our high school, to rock classics like “Sweet Child of Mine.”
Aside from the entertainment, another popular element (making a return from last year) was the Bra Bandit game, where guests, some more seasoned at the art than others, had to unhook four bras off mannequins as fast as they could with one hand. The person with the lowest timed score (we are still not certain who this was, but have a feeling it was a dude), won a $200 Best Buy Gift Certificate – who says practice doesn’t pay off?
Other highlights included the signature candy station that featured all of Bulk Barn’s finest, a late-night pizza delivery, the difficult-to-turn-away-from performance by electronic violinist Dr Draw and the sounds of DJ Tom Wrecks, which had the crowd dancing until the lights came on. The event also meant a chance to network, flirt and rock out with fellow YPs.
Not surprisingly, social media channels quickly flooded with very pink photos from the evening. Pink attire was encouraged (the dress code called for pink casual) but by no means enforced and meant things like pink t-shirts, ties, pocket squares and socks for the guys, and either staying casual in jeans and a t-shirt for the ladies, or amping it up in hot pink or pretty blush cocktail dresses… even a few bright pink wigs.
Guests stayed late into the evening, thanks to the amazing vibe, along with the candy station sugar high and the energy boost offered by Naughty by Nature’s blast from the past performance and drinks like Rock Star and vodka.
Until next year…
#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)
All images from: IShootStills.com
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