MPI Charity Auction and Dinner 2023 – Oh, What a Night!

Charity Auction Co-Chairs Olivia Sylvester (left) and Michel Kafrouny (right)

On Thursday, February 9, 2023 the MPI Ottawa Chapter hosted our annual Charity Auction and Dinner at the Canadian Museum of History. The event took place in the gorgeous Grand Hall, where there were nearly 500 guests in attendance.

This event would not have been possible without the support of our partners. First and foremost, we would like to extend our gratitude to our partners. Thank you all!

Champion Partner:

Activator Partners:

Wine

Dessert

Motivator Partners:

Enhancer Partner:

Host Venue:

Caterer:

AV:

Annual Photography Partner:

Registration Partner:

Annual Media Partner:

As guests entered the venue, they were welcomed by the ‘Winter Wonders’ theme with snowflake GOBO lights, blue hues, silvery whites and real snow on the ground outside! With décor provided by Mastermind Events and Melissa Davies Event Decor, we were able to bring our vision to life.

The main objective of the Charity Auction is to raise funds for four charities; the Ottawa Food Bank/Moisson Outaouais, Hopewell Eating Disorder Support Center, and the Ottawa Network for Education (ONFE) School Breakfast Program. This year we raised over $32,000 dollars at the Charity Auction to support these wonderful, local causes and a donation was also made to the MPI Foundation.

Attendees were able to participate in both a silent auction and a live auction throughout the evening. Our auction sub-committee was phenomenal, and they were able to obtain so many amazing silent auction items to bid on.

For the live auction, we were so lucky to have Ryan Watson from Raising the Bid join us once again to auction off incredible getaway prizes that were donated so generously.

Charity Auction Committee Members [left to right]:

• Olivia Sylvester
• Marie Laplante
• Lira Buschman, CMP DES
• Michel Kafrouny, CAE
• Nick Litt
• Erin Blanchard
• Mark Millar
• Greg Palazek
• Nour Khaled
• Heather Lockwood, CMP, VEMM, Certified Sommelier
• Amanda Lewicki
• Rose-Marie Guerra, CMP DES
• Allison Collins
• (Committee Members not pictured: Brian Henry, Nadine Fortin)

I would like to extend my utmost gratitude to the Committee Members that were involved in this year’s Charity Auction and Dinner. I am so grateful to have worked with such an amazing group of go-getters! Everyone on this committee played an integral part in our success, and every member brought their unique ideas and perspectives to each moving part of this event. I am so proud of the Committee Members, and I am so blessed to have gotten the opportunity to work with and get to know each of them.

It also cannot go without mentioning how much support we received from the MPI Ottawa Board Members and Admin staff.  Thank you to all of those who were involved.

Article edited by: Darlene Kelly-Stewart, Stonehouse Sales & Marketing Services