It’s a good thing seoplus+ is relocating to a larger office space because the digital marketing agency is going to need the extra room for the trophy it won Wednesday night.
It participated in and sponsored the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament held at Manor Lounge in support of the Senators Community Foundation.
As first-place winners, senior account manager Connor Neshcov and account manager Bachar Neema also scored honking big replica championship rings. They’ll no doubt choose to flaunt those bejewelled beauties around town at every opportunity. As well, the pair took home large gift baskets donated by the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club.
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From left, Connor Neshcov and Bachar Neema hoist their championship trophy, won at the inaugural Charity for Darts fundraiser held at Manor Lounge in support of the Senators Community Foundation on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
The men never expected to be the last team standing. “We came here thinking we were going to play a couple of games and then be done, and that would be it,” Neshcov told OBJ.social at the entertainment venue on Elgin Street. It serves as a restaurant, bar and a hotspot for such games as darts and bocce ball, or to solve one’s way through an escape room.
The evening was “a blast,” seoplus+ co-founder and COO Brock Murray said later. “It was really great to see the community come together and have some fun while supporting a great cause,” said Murray, who’s looking forward to putting the trophy at the company’s new office at Lansdowne, where they’re in the midst of moving to. “We’ll have to make sure to bring it back next year to defend the championship.”
The winners narrowly beat out John Robinson, president and CEO of boutique IT support company Intega IT, and his new business development manager Linnaea Briand. As a consolation prize, the second-place winners each won their own pickleball paddle sets, allowing them to take up another game that’s both fun and highly social. Intega IT was also a sponsor of the event.
“Overall, we came in not knowing what to expect, never playing darts before, so I was a little bit nervous,” Robinson told OBJ.social afterward. “Somehow, we ended up in second place.”
There was anecdotal evidence to suggest a pint of beer or a glass of wine helped to improve many of the players’ aim and accuracy that night.
The sponsors of the fundraiser also included Mirabel Management, Courtney Turk Interiors, Keynote Search and Meerkat Marketing. The goal was to raise $10,000 in support of the Senators Community Foundation, which funds programs and supports partner charities that have made a tangible and measurable impact on the lives of children and youth in Ottawa and Western Quebec.
From left, Darts for Charity co-organizer and sponsor Kyle Turk (Meerkat Marketing), with second-place winners Linnaea Briand and John Robinson (Intega IT), and Darts for Charity co-organizer and sponsor James Baker (Keynote Search) at the inaugural fundraiser held at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in support of the Senators Community Foundation. Photo by Caroline PhillipsManor Lounge, located on Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa, hosted the inaugural Darts for Charity event in support of the Senators Community Foundation on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsJohn Robinson, president and CEO of Intega IT, in action at the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament held at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in support of the Senators Community Foundation. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDarts for Charity co-organizer and sponsor James Baker (Keynote Search) watches the final game with Stacey McMillan, senior manager at KPMG Enterprise, and Senators Community Foundation president Jacqueline Belsito at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
The fundraiser was organized by James Baker, CEO and co-founder of executive search and recruitment firm Keynote Search, and Kyle Turk, CEO of boutique marketing firm Meerkat. They figured it was the perfect way to bring people together through a sport anyone can play, regardless of physical size, fitness level or skill set. You didn’t even need math — the scoring was all done automatically.
Turk got the idea from a networking social he attended last year at Manor Lounge, hosted by seoplus+.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who works just down the street, dropped in at the start of the event to chat with organizers and try his hand at a few practice darts.
The Senators Community Foundation was “thrilled” to be the recipient charity of the new event, said president Jacqueline Belsito. “It’s so nice to do something different,” she added. “I heard a lot of people say that they were going to put dart boards up in their offices. People also remarked on what a great team-building opportunity it was; so simple, so fun, and something that everyone can participate in.”
Funds raised will also help to move the needle on supporting families in the community, she pointed out.
From left, Darts for Charity co-organizer and sponsor James Baker, Senators Community Foundation president Jacqueline Belsito, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe (holding the championship trophy) and Darts for Charity co-organizer and sponsor Kyle Turk at the inaugural fundraiser for the Senators Community Foundation held at Manor Lounge on Elgin Street, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Excited to participate were Oliver Kershaw and Lindsay Hockey, both senior vice presidents at Colliers commercial real estate firm.
Kershaw, who’s originally from Newport, Wales, loves darts. So much so that he attended the PDC World Darts Championship held at Alexandra Palace in London a few years ago. He also has a family dart board at home in the basement.
Unfortunately, the Colliers team was knocked out before making it to the end. “My professional dart dreams have been dashed,” quipped Kershaw. “I guess I’ll stick to real estate.”
Joanne Kudakiewicz, community relations manager at Desjardins FSIN, high fives Brad Ezard, who recently joined Confederation M&A as a new partner, at the inaugural Darts for Charity held at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in support of the Senators Community Foundation. Photo by Caroline PhillipsConnor Neshcov and Bachar Neema from seoplus+ show off the championship rings they won at the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament held at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in support of the Senators Community Foundation. Photo by Caroline PhillipsRichard Massie, president and CEO of Halpenny Insurance Brokers, participated in the inaugural Darts for Charity event organized by Meerkat Marketing and Keynote Search at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom the Ottawa Senators hockey club/Senators Community Foundation were, from left, Kyle Gourgon, Jennifer Cameron, intern Ella Durno, Jacqueline Belsito, Christine Clancy, Kati Parrott, Daniel Iasenza and Brendan Du Vall at the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament held at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in support of the Senators Community Foundation. Photo by Caroline PhillipsCourtney Turk, president and interior decorator at Courtney Turk Interiors, in action at the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament held at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in support of the Senators Community Foundation. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDart tournament player Stephanie Aloia (right) from Keynote Search, high fives her colleague Brenda Kirkwood at the inaugural Darts for Charity fundraiser organized by Meerkat Marketing and Keynote Search at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsBrad Ezard, who recently joined Confederation M&A as a new partner, and Joanne Kudakiewicz, community relations manager at Desjardins FSIN, participated in the inaugural Darts for Charity event organized by Meerkat Marketing and Keynote Search at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsJohn Robinson, president and CEO of Intega IT, hugs his business development manager, Linnaea Briand, after they advance to the finals at the inaugural Darts for Charity fundraiser organized by Meerkat Marketing and Keynote Search at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Oliver Kershaw and Lindsay Hockey, senior vice presidents at Colliers, had fun with the classic “collared shirt” dart player outfit, at the inaugural Darts for Charity event hosted by Meerkat Marketing and Keynote Search at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsBrock Murray, event sponsor and co-founder and COO of seoplus+, in action at the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament held at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in support of the Senators Community Foundation. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Kyle Gourgon, who’s in charge of corporate partnerships for the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, with Richard Massie, president and CEO of Halpenny Insurance Brokers, KPMG Enterprise senior manager Stacey McMillan, and Halpenny Insurance Brokers CFO Jennifer Look-Hong, at the inaugural Darts for Charity event organized by Meerkat Marketing and Keynote Search at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsOliver Kershaw, senior vice president at Colliers, in action at the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament held at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in support of the Senators Community Foundation. Photo by Caroline PhillipsBrendan Du Vall, vice president of ticket sales and service for the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, appeared very focused while playing in the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament held at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in support of the Senators Community Foundation. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, seoplus+ account manager Bachar Neema and senior account manager Connor Neshcov with Intega IT business development manager Linnaea Briand and Intega IT president and CEO John Robinson — the two final teams in the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament held at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in support of the Senators Community Foundation. Photo by Caroline PhillipsMeerkat Marketing, together with Keynote Search, hosted the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament at Manor Lounge on Elgin Street, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsKati Parrott, who’s the new senior director of marketing for the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, participated in the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament at Manor Lounge on Elgin Street, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsSeoplus+ account manager Bachar Neema in action at the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament held at Manor Lounge on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in support of the Senators Community Foundation. Photo by Caroline PhillipsAngie Racine from Sleepwell Property Management participated in the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament at Manor Lounge on Elgin Street, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsParticipants in the inaugural Darts for Charity tournament held at Manor Lounge on Elgin Street celebrate with a post-game shooter. Photo by Caroline Phillips
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