December 2014 Newsletter
62nd Annual President's Ball
Our annual President's Ball was an extraordinary evening of celebration and achievement, honouring community, tradition and excellence.
As always, the focal point of our gala celebration, sponsored by Scotiabank, was to honour exceptional indivudals or groups in our community with Awards of Excellence. Congratulations to this year's award recipients and thank you for your unique contributions to your industry. Each winner was kind enough to share their experience with us on the following videos.
Presidents Award: Lenny Lombardi
Business Excellence Award: Cortellucci Family
Community Leader Award: Diane Dupuy
Professional Excellence Award: Greg Sorbara
Before the awards, our gala evening began with cocktails and appetizers, sponsored by TD Bank, in the mezzanine overlooking the Liberty Grand courtyard. Guests mingled, enjoyed wine sponsored by Colio Wines and visited appetizer stations and the silent auction, while enjoying the background tunes of our live jazz band.
Once everyone was seated for the dinner reception, our Master of Ceremonies, Rick Campanelli, Co-host of ET Canada, kicked off the evening's festivities. A beautiful rendition of both the Canadian and Italian national anthems honoured our proud heritage as did the heartwarming speeches from each of the award recipients. After the multi-course dinner, guests immediately hit the dance floor and at the end of the night enjoyed a mid-night snack and dessert buffet.
This event would not have been possible without the support of our presenting sponsors, RBC Royal Bank, KPMG LLP, TD Bank and Scotiabank, our event sponsor, Liberty Entertainment Group, wine sponsor, Colio Wines and our corporate sponsors. Thank you to the President's Ball organizing committee, CIBPA staff, volunteers and especially Co-Chairs Lou Panacci, Frank Strippoli and Executive Director Diana Panacci, for their tireless work, and to our Honourary Chairs, Ralph and Rose Chiodo, long-time CIBPA members and supporters.
Finally, thank you to all our honoured guests for attending and sharing this special evening with us.
Please visit our photo album for the event HERE. We look forward to seeing you next year!
Grazie,
Eddy Burello, CIBPA Toronto President
Highlights
CHIN TV Post-Ball Highlights
Thank you to CHIN TV for covering our 62nd Annual President's Ball and sharing the highlights with us!
Education Foundation
The President's Ball raises funds for our CIBPA Education Foundation, which support the next generation of business leaders in their post-secondary studies. Past bursary recipients share their story in the following video.