On Friday, February 3rd, Toronto’s next generation of charity supporters will emerge glammed-out and ready to party at the 11th annual motionball Gala at The Carlu in Toronto. This year’s motionball, Welcome to the Nightlife, promises to bring the city’s finest young professionals and charity circuit regulars to this must-attend event, guaranteed to kick off the 2012 charity gala series properly. The crowd will include an assortment of like-minded and driven young professionals brought together 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 Gala.
This year, Toronto’s motionball Gala will be bigger and better than ever as guests sip complimentary drinks and dance the night away to the sounds of DJ Kissette and Skratch Bastid. To get those dead-of-winter temperatures rising, motionball will include an Under Armour Underwear Fashion Show that features some of the city’s sexiest models. The show may leave eyes hungry but bellies won’t be; guests can get their Valentine’s Day chocolate fix a little early with a heavenly chocolate dessert buffet and a comforting midnight buffet to satisfy any late night cravings. Ladies need not worry about hair falling flat or that annoying eyeliner eye crease thanks to hair and makeup touch-up stations. If you didn’t get quite what you had hoped for this holiday season or are looking for the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift, an impressive silent auction includes such coveted items as a Toyota car, trips to Fiji, New York City, and Costa Rica; hotel and restaurant packages; spa retreats; Leafs and Raptors tickets; plus much more. The best part? Guests get to mingle directly with the athletes they support.
Other confirmed dates for the 2012 motionball Gala are: Calgary Feb 24th at Flames Central, Vancouver Date TBD, and Halifax is launching this year Date TBD.
motionball is the brainchild of best friends and brothers, Paul, Mark and Sean Etherington who hold a lifelong attachment to the Special Olympics Canada. If the name sounds familiar, it is. Paul just so happens to be the recipient of the Young Professional of the Year award at our first ever Notable Awards. 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 Ethrington, 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 2012 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. Since 2002, motionball has organized and executed more than 55 events in six major Canadian cities and has generated over $2,500,000 for the SOCF to date. That’s quite impressive for a charity that is only 11 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.
For more info on the motionball Gala in Toronto and to buy tickets, click here.
For information and tickets in other cities, click here.
Photos courtesy motionball