For a big crowd in Toronto, April Fool’s Day, 2011 was no joke, but it was a lot of fun. That evening, over 450 people gathered at the Berkeley Church for the 8th Annual East Coast Charity Ball, presented by the Daytrippers Children’s Charity and East Coast Connected. The Charity Ball, sponsored by Alexander Keith’s and the provinces of Nova Scotia and PEI, is a favourite spring tradition for many Atlantic Canadian ex-pats and their Toronto friends. It’s known as the place to be to show your fancy getup, to meet friends new and old, and to support a great cause.

Lucky attendees who arrived early for the dinner portion of the evening were treated to a Scotch tasting, courtesy of Macallan and Highland Park. Guests looking to give a little extra, but not wanting to throw their hat in the heated ring of a live auction, participated in a silent auction, which featured a wide range of exciting gifts from generous businesses.

Following a round of socializing and drinks by Keith’s, attendees gathered for dinner. Charity Ball Chair Ian Finley spoke of the wonderful reasons why everyone had gathered at the Church, and thanked the committee for organizing the event. He then introduced Mike Comisarow, Executive Director of Daytrippers, who addressed the growing need for organizations to support children in need. The Berkeley Street chefs prepared a delicious meal of braised short ribs and Timbale, with fine wines provided by Ontario’s Black Prince Winery and water by Eska.

The “main event” of the dinner was, of course, the live auction. Lending his expert services was auctioneer Josh Gold, who has been the event’s official MC for three years running. The auction included a 10-person private Scotch tasting, and a regional “competition” between the Maritimes and Ontario, to see who could raise more money to fund school trips. Pitting East Coasters against Torontonians – an annual tradition for the live auctions at the Charity Ball – Gold won over the crowd with his humour and skilful guidance of the bids. (And for the record, Toronto won the bidding!)

By 8:30, dinner had wrapped up, and the gala party began. More guests flooded in, eager to celebrate on their feet in fine attire and fine form on the dance floor. For anyone who didn’t get their fill at the dinner, Maritime Lobster set up a bar to cater to those hungry for butter-dipped claws and Digby scallops.

The gala event was an exciting time, filled with laughter, dancing and socializing. The crowd packed the house, filling the floor with good cheer until the wee hours of the morning. At the end of the night, guests and donors had raised over $20,000 for Daytripper’s.

Many thanks to all who attended the dinner and the gala event. (And make sure you take a peek at our photo gallery below to see if you were photographed by our photographer Graham Huber.)

Make sure to get your tickets early for the 2012 Charity Ball!

For more information about the Daytrippers Children’s Charity, please visit http://daytrippers.ca/.