Behind the Scene: Charity of Hope Organization – Jazz for Lovers
Behind the Scene: Charity of Hope Organization – Jazz for Lovers
The soothing sounds of jazz entertained scores of people, at last night’s Charity of Hope – Jazz for Lovers event. The night began with the musical stylings of the Frank DiFelice Quintet as servers delivered light appetizers: bacon-wrapped jalapeños and asparagus. Guests continued to enter throughout cocktail hour, showing up fashionably late, and finding seats in the beautifully decorated and intimate setting of Mercasa Banquet Services at Rossini Lodge. Once everyone had found their seats and gotten comfortable, Lisa Markle took to the stage to make announcements for the evening’s proceedings. She proudly announced the mission of the Charity of Hope Brantford Chapter and introduced the board members who organized the evening. She then thanked all of the sponsors and volunteers, without whom the event could not have been possible.
MPP Dave Levac was then welcomed to the stage to present a scroll, honouring the actions of Charity of Hope Brantford. Guests were then presented with a succulent, silken tomato basil bisque with a heart shaped Macedonian feta grilled crouton, while the MC brought a young Charity of Hope beneficiary named Cherise Baker to the stage. She shared her emotional and touching story of how much of an impact the Charity of Hope has had on her; and she committed to give back to the charity that has given so much to her.
“So many people have given up on going to college or university, they have given up hope… but along comes this charity, that’s why they’re here; to give hope.”
Cherise Baker
It was then time for dinner. Pan-seared beef fillet, butter poached Yukon Gold potato croquette, paired with green beans. Perhaps one of the only times the room was quiet was as everyone was enjoying their meal. Lisa brought Tom Mercante to the stage to present the beneficiary of the evening, ‘Brant Food For Thought” program, with a cheque for $5000, as part of The Charity of Hope’s commitment to support and encourage the youth of our city. The band, which had entertained throughout the evening, then made an announcement “to dance the night away” and continued to play until the late hours of the night.
As the event drew to a close, Tom announced that the evening’s event was able to raise over $30,000, and that Charity of Hope Brantford plans to reintroduce the funds back into the community over the coming months. To learn more about the Charity of Hope, or to become a volunteer, please visit them at: www.charityofhope.com and make sure to Be Seen supporting upcoming Charity of Hope Events.
The Charity of Hope Brantford Chapter would like to thank the following:
Charity of Hope Brantford Members:
Tom Mercante, Brian Witteveen, Craig Woodrow, Patsy Whicha, Javier Torres, Liliana Camacho, Kayla Martins, Ian Ladd, Paul Petrella, Deb Lawrence, Brad Markle, Julie Grech, Lisa Markle.
Jazz for Lovers Sponsors:
Scotiabank
NAPA Auto Parts
3M
CARSTAR Brantford
HUB International
Brantford Nissan Inc.
CARSTAR Corporate
Discount Car Rental
Millard, Rouse & Rosebrugh
BMO
Gino Ingraudo, C.A.
HollisWealth
Mercante Inc.
Uniparts OEM
Food Sponsors:
Liaison College staff and students, for preparing the evening’s dishes.
Petit Gourmet Food Company, for the soup.
Strodes BBQ & Deli / Strodes Express, for the beef.
SWEET Bakery, for the desserts.
Submitted by: Joshua Wall
