The Infinity Convention Centre was fit for an Indian emperor (and empress!) on Saturday night as it offered all the wonderful sights, sounds and tastes of India while serving as host venue for Ashbury College’s signature event, the Ashbury Ball: Taj Gala.
Many attendees in the crowd of 317 donned elegant Indian formal wear, from elaborate and colourful sarees for the women to regal sherwanis for the men, while others accessorized with exotic jewelry and scarves.
Attendees included our newly re-elected mayor, Jim Watson, whose two nieces graduated from the school and whose sister, Jayne, previously served on one of its boards. “I look around and everyone is so beautifully dressed,” said Watson before delivering his well-received zinger: “Justin Trudeau would fit in nicely with this crowd.” *
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You could feel the eternal love in the room with the giant ice sculpture of the iconic Taj Mahal, created by Ice Culture, a company based out of southwestern Ontario. The work of art weighed roughly 900 pounds and took about nine hours to complete.
The gala was co-chaired by Ashbury College parents Mashooda Syed and Nimroz Thawer, the latter of whom handles marketing and sales for Tasico Hospitality, a second-generation, family-owned hotel ownership and management company (its properties include the Days Inn hotels on Rideau Street and on Moodie Drive and the Best Western Plus on Richmond Road).
The evening raised a net total of more than $215,000 for Ashbury College, a co-ed private school of 700-plus students located in Rockcliffe Park. The proceeds will specifically be directed toward the school’s student financial assistance program and toward its $10-million campaign to create a new Centre for Science and Innovation at the school.
Ashbury broke ground on its new centre this past June. It was because of the ongoing construction work at the school that the gala was moved off-site this year to the Infinity Convention Centre, which is owned by a respected group of Indo-Canadians: the Sohal family and Anand Aggarwal.
The new science facility will: replace the school’s 45-year-old science wing, consolidate all the science classes in one area and be linked to the school’s creative learning centre. It will also offer university-level labs, as well as mixed-used classrooms, when it opens in the fall of 2019.
“Tonight is all about ensuring that we sustain and deepen the vibrant learning environment that exists on our campus, and that the school experience continues to be inspirational, innovative and accessible,” Ashbury College head Norman Southward said in his welcome remarks.
The gala, emceed by Ashbury College graduate and former head boy Adrian Harewood of CBC Ottawa News, featured an Indian-influenced dinner as well as live cultural performances. Returning as the main sponsors were Selzik.com and Star Motors of Ottawa and Mercedes-Benz Ottawa.
From the Ashburian community were campaign co-chairs John and Crickett Lindgren, Ashbury board chair Lori O’Neill, and Karen Haebe, president of The Ashbury College Guild, which is a parent volunteer organization.
The gala featured silent auction items as well as a live auction led by Ryan Watson with Raising the Bid. Up for grabs were: a gastronomic experience at Gusto Worldwide Media’s television studio; dinner for 10 with Belgium Ambassador John Verkammen and his spouse, Kathleen Billen, at their official residence in Rockcliffe; a weekend at the Kentucky Derby; a necklace pendant worth $4,500 donated by Howard Fine Jewellers & Custom Designers; a dinner for six hosted by Southward and his wife, Anna Rumin, at their home; and a private cocktail party with gift certificates at Sukhoo Sukhoo Couture, valued at $10,000.
There was also a dinner for eight at Chef Joe Thottungal’s Coconut Lagoon; a day with CTV Question Period host Evan Solomon, a $3,000 fur jacket from Pat Flesher Furs; a wine and cheese party hosted by Jacobsons Gourmet Concepts; a one-week stay at Peter Nicholson’s Grand Isle Resort & Spa in the Bahamas; a suite to a Sens game, followed by the opportunity for a bunch of students to get a behind-the-scenes look at what its takes to run an NHL franchise.
— caroline@obj.ca
* Prime Minister Justin Trudeau received criticism for overdoing it on his wearing of traditional Indian outfits during his visit to India earlier this year.
