Maple Leaf Trust Dinner Dance 2011

March 3rd 2011 was a great evening for the Maple Leaf Trust and the Canadian community here in the UK. The Maple Leaf Trust Dinner Dance was a black tie affair for 70 very happy and generous guests. The evening started with champagne and delicious canapes with soft jazz background music. We had one hour to mix and mingle and to oggle the wonderful display of auction and raffle items.

Dinner was a three course affair with wines from the fabulous vineyard of Mission Hill. Over the course of the dinner, our friendly and enthusiastic volunteers sold raffle envelopes with some containing the winners for prizes and some sadly not. But the Maple Leaf Trust certainly was the biggest winner as our guests were quite happy to take their chances at perhaps picking a winning envelope. The Silent Auction was a huge success as well with all items making their estimate or surpassing it. We are thrilled to say that the evening generated an increase in funds from the previous years.

Thank you to all who gave so generously on March 3rd.

Our fabulous singer Victoria Beebee was able to get nearly everyone up onto the dance floor. I even noted that the High Commission Staff were enjoying the dancing as well as our guests.

It truly was a fun evening for all but more importantly it generated sufficient funds to alllow the Maple Leaf Trust to meet the target for the annual disbursements of funds in June to our two charities, the Veterans Support Committee and the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund.

The spectacular success of this event was the result of a very dedicated Organising Committee, the gracious hospitality of the High Commissioner and his wife, and the staff of the High Commission who ensured that the evening flowed seemlessly. Of course, we thank our countless donors for their lovely auction and raffle items. We also thank the corporate sponsor TD Securities and our special sponsors: Mission Hill Wines, Anthony Von Mandl, Canadian Affair, Bob and Anne Van Gieson, Victor and Mona Dahdaleh, Karen Johnson, John and Karen Murphy, Ernst and Young.

Next year we hope to welcome our guests from the Canadian community to the 60th Annivesary Ball at the Savoy on May19th, 2012. You won't want to miss it!

Submitted by Patty Bell