January’s party of the month was definitely The Big Give, a young professional-filled charity event that we hit after the IDS Opening Party on Thursday, January 23rd. Presented by Elizabeth Grant Skin Care, this year marked the third annual function, a not-to-miss one for Toronto’s stylish charity function regulars. The reasons for the Party of the Month designation are simple: the cause, the venue and the gift bags.
The Cause
The beneficiary for the evening was Look Good Feel Better (LGFB), a charity for women experiencing cancer. It always makes the accompanying price tag associated with charity functions easier to swallow when it benefits a cause close to home (though at just $70, the price tag was refreshingly less than most charity events we frequent). We all, unfortunately, know a woman who has struggled or is struggling with cancer. LGFB is organization that is dedicated to empowering women to manage the effects of cancer and its treatment on their appearance and their morale. Through workshops, experts teach the women to master simple cosmetic techniques, explore hair alternatives and learn about cosmetic hygiene, as well as nail and skin care, so they can look more like themselves again. All of the proceeds generated were given back to the LGFB Foundation.
The Venue
Ripley’s Aquarium made a much more interesting choice of venue than your typical hotel ballroom, where memories of one charity function often blend into another. It isn’t every Thursday evening that you get to party within 5.7 million litres of water among sharks, stingrays, green sea turtles and neon fish through tunnels of surrounding stunning tropical life. Of course backgrounds like that meant for no shortage of photo opportunities – whether in front of tanks of colourful fish or in a fish bowl made specifically for photographs, which was not for the claustrophobic or those prone to frizzy hair. The Big Give marked the first charity event to take place in the aquarium, and we suspect many will now follow. And no, it probably wont get old anytime soon.
The Gift Bag
We are never ones to believe that a gift bag has the power to make or break an event… but in the case of The Big Give, the gift bag (valued at over $500) definitely completed it and sent us home in even better spirits. Our favourites included the Eye Power Pads from Elizabeth Grant Skin Care (one of our favourite lines these days); Peptalash, the amazing alternative to eyelash extensions; le bouquet absolu fragrance from Givenchy and the Healing Hands nail and cuticle products. The bags were also sweet for the guys, and offered things like MKMen eye cream, Cromwell and Cruthers Shaving Oil, Elizabeth Grant Grant Homme Shower Gel, James Bond 00 cologne, and Axe Deep Space shower gel.
Other event highlights included raffle prizes like a big screen TV and weekend getaways, auction items that included items from Jessgo’s Saturday Morning series, a live art performance by Jessgo, catering by Barque Events, a Revlon Beauty Booth and an ample selection of vitamin water as a vodka mix.
All images by: Arthur Mola
#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)
Want more updates on the most Notable things happening so you know before your colleagues do? Get our exclusive newsletter here and follow us on Twitter for all the latest.