As they made their grand entrance, Special Olympic Athletes – the indisputable stars of the show – were met with cheers and high-fives. Their presence undoubtedly contributed to the infectious energy that characterized this year’s motionball Toronto Gala presented by the AIRMILES Reward Program. So did a touching performance from Karl Wolf and empowering comments from everyone from motionaball founder Paul Etherington, to Olympic champion figure skater Tessa Virtue.
Now that we’re deep in the hazy days of summer, there has been time to reflect upon the first half of the year in Toronto – in particular, on the city’s lively social scene. Between functions that fell flat, over-the-top galas that won’t be forgotten and fundraisers that generated important dollars, some events stood out from the rest.