Fête Chinoise celebrates Chinese heritage, Fullscript Senators Gala raises funds for front-line children and youth services

Fête Chinoise Signature Event, Feb 7, Toronto

Back for its 11th edition on the evening of February 7 was Fête Chinoise Signature Event, a cultural gathering that celebrates Chinese heritage and marks the Lunar New Year. A swish reception and extravagant black-tie dinner was held in the ballroom of the Ritz-Carleton Hotel for a couple of hundred, and later, more guests joined for a larger event that spread across the hotel’s principal rooms, encouraging those in attendance to explore and get lost in the evening’s cultural activations which were set up in a gallery style. Chefs including Braden Chong of Mimi Chinese and Eva Chin of Yan’s Dining Room popped up alongside traditional art makers like knot artist Zoe Siu and Master Hui Ka-hung, who’s medium is paper. There were a bevy of performances throughout the evening including one by Ryan Huang, a young Canadian piano prodigy and Lang Lang Foundation scholar, singers Tyler Shaw, Jackie Li, and Lesley Chiang and Alex Porat also all took to the stage. Each year the event highlights community organizations with smilier missions to Fête Chinoise: this year it was the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver who were recognized for their community outreach initiatives and work to present Chinese-Canadian stories across Canada and the Scarborough Health Network, which is embarking on a major fundraising campaign to redevelop and expand its Birchmount hospital. Funds from the evening’s silent auction will support these two orgs in addition to the Fête Chinoise Cultural Foundation. Among them out for the fête: Former Canadian Senator, The Honourable Dr. Vivienne Poy; Chinese Canadian Museum CEO Dr. Melissa Karman Lee and board chair Grace Wong; model Ishie Wang; Toronto and Markham’s respective mayors Olivia Chow and Frank Scarpitti; former Toronto Mayor John Tory; and of course, Deborah Lau-Yu, the event founder and head of the Fête Chinoise magazine.

Fullscript Senators Gala presented by Bell, Jan 29, Ottawa

The evening of January 29 saw the Ottawa Senators swap their skates for tuxedos as they were on hosting duties at the annual Fullscript Senators Gala, presented this year by Bell. The evening raised more than $850,000, funds that will be directed to front-line services in Eastern Ontario and Quebec which support children and youth. Since its inception in 2020, the Senators Community Foundation (SCF) has supported organizations including the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Boys & Girls Club, Ronald McDonald House, in addition to local sport and breakfast programs for kids. Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer and his wife Lucie, were there and on unofficial hosting duties, the pair spoke during the event to the power of community and the positive changes funds from their foundation have provided over the years. The foundation’s president Jacqueline Belsito was there too and shared similar sentiments earlier in the evening. In between courses Kyle Braatz, CEO of presenting title sponsor Fullscript hosted a lighthearted fireside chat with players Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto, jazz and soul vocalist Kellylee Evans also performed and a lively live auction added to that impressive sum raised. Among them out to support: Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and his wife Ginny; Megan Wright, CEO of Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice, which the foundation supports; philanthropist Barbara Crook; Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and his wife, Emma; former Ottawa Senators centre Lars Ellar; and current Senators Coach, Travis Green.