It actually felt nice to hear the Sad Trombone sound effect again at last night’s 35th Gold Plate Dinner. It was a sign that, not only was the popular gala dinner back, so was its unique and exciting reverse elimination draw for $30,000 or a new Mercedes-Benz.
More than 500 attendees gathered at the Hellenic Meeting and Reception Centre on Prince of Wales Drive for a sold-out night filled with food, drinks, camaraderie and community while raising money for the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and the Hellenic Community of Ottawa. The premier sponsor was Dymon Storage.
Returning as event co-chairs were Aik Aliferis and Nick Pantieras from commercial real estate brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap. They took over the volunteer leadership role several years back from its founder, Steve Ramphos, who’s pretty much retired now from District Realty but serves as honorary chair of the event.
Organizers later said the dinner was looking to be “one of the best ever” in terms of how much money was raised. It was the first time the Gold Plate Dinner was held since 2019 due to the pandemic.
Over the years, the event has raised more than $2 million. The word philanthropy originated in ancient Greece. It means “love of humanity”.From left, Nick Pantieras, co-chair of the Gold Plate Dinner, with Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, and Aik Aliferis, co-chair of the Gold Plate Dinner, at the Hellenic Meeting and Reception Centre for this year’s gala dinner, which raised funds for the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and the Hellenic Community of Ottawa. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Jason Shinder, CEO of District Realty, with co-founder Steve Ramphos at the Gold Plate Dinner, which raised funds for the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and the Hellenic Community of Ottawa. Photo by Caroline PhillipsThe Hellenic Community’s spiritual leader, Fr. Alex Michalopulos at the Gold Plate Dinner. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Ashley Hopkins, CEO of Paradigm Properties, with Sarah Vandenbelt from Koble Commercial Real Estate and Brokerage, Stacey McMillan from KPMG, Candace Lerner-Fry from Marcus & Millichap, and Jacqueline Belsito, president of the Senators Community Foundation, at the cocktail reception for the 35th Gold Plate Dinner. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Stand-up comedian and actor Angelo Tsarouchas, who grew up in Ottawa and remains a great friend to the Hellenic community, was back to host the big night. Coming here from his home in sunny California, you’d think he’d need to pack a sweater or something, but it was actually hotter in our nation’s capital than back in Los Angeles.
The Gold Plate Dinner was well-prepared for the heatwave. Organizers installed multiple air conditioning units in the giant party tent set up in the parking lot, right outside the building. Attendees mingled inside the cool area before dinner. It also served as a nightclub-like venue for the after-party.
The Hellenic Community’s spiritual leader, Fr. Alex Michalopulos, took to the stage to lead a prayer at dinner before showing off his comedic chops with an Irish joke that left the crowd laughing (it started off with an attractive blonde entering a casino).
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe congratulated Aliferis and Pantieras for their leadership, and commended the Hellenic community for the “amazing work” its members do in Ottawa. Sutcliffe told everyone he has a soft spot for the Greeks due to their historical ties to marathons. Our long-distance-running mayor just finished his latest 42 km in last weekend’s Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, while also raising thousands of dollars for Ottawa Salus.
Daniel Alfredsson and his wife, Bibbi, at the reception for the 35th Gold Plate Dinner. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, host Angelo Tsarouchas on stage during the live auction with Gold Plate Dinner co-chair Aik Aliferis and former Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, whose padel tennis lesson, along with a signed jersey, raised $8,000. Photo by Caroline PhillipsDaniel Alfredsson signs a jersey for prominent Ottawa businessman Mike McGahan, who paid $2,500 in support of the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips
On the subject of raising funds, hockey hero and community leader Daniel Alfredsson has been a fundraising machine this week. He brought in $8,000 at the Gold Plate Dinner (the night before, he also helped to raise the same amount at the Ottawa Riverkeeper Gala).
Alfredsson’s offer to teach four people how to play padel — a racquet sport he’s been introducing to Ottawa – went for $5,500 during the live auction. He also signed a jersey on stage for Mike McGahan, chairman of CLV Group and InterRent REIT, for $2,500.
The former captain of the Ottawa Senators wasn’t the only former NHLer on stage that night. Shawn Rivers, president of Gunn Media, was one of 20 ticket-holders to take part in the reverse elimination draw.
The group could either unanimously agree to split the $30,000 pot or take home a larger share, provided they successfully avoided having their name pulled from the lottery drum. If their name was pulled, they had to exit the stage while the sad music (Wah wah wahhh) played. The contest is supervised by EY Canada tax partner Darrell Bontes.
If it gets down to one person, they can choose between the money or a new Mercedes from sponsor Star Motors (interestingly, Star Motors vice president and general manager Yves Laberge was a contestant, until his name was pulled from the drum).
Rivers was one of five remaining men who decided not to press their luck any further. They shared the $30,000, donating $4,000 back to the cause.
There was also a $10,000 Gold Ticket Draw that saw four winners share the prize money.The Gold Plate Dinner features the unique and exciting reverse elimination draw that begins with 20 contestants vying for $30,000 or a brand new car. Photo by Caroline PhillipsThe last handful of contestants in the reverse elimination draw discuss whether to split the $30,000 pot or continue to push their luck at the Gold Plate Dinner. Photo by Caroline PhillipsContestants in the reverse elimination draw wait with anticipation to see if their name is pulled from the lottery drum, thereby eliminating them from the chance to win $30,000 or a new car at the Gold Plate Dinner. On the right is Shawn Rivers, president of Gunn Media. Photo by Caroline PhillipsEY Canada tax partner Darrell Bontes pulls a name out of the lottery drum during the reserve elimination draw held during the Gold Plate Dinner. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Attendees of the Gold Plate Dinner included Heart Institute’s outgoing board chair, Paul LaBarge, founding law partner of LaBarge Weinstein, as well as incoming board chair, former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty. There was a good turnout of senior physicians from the Heart Institute, including Drs. Bernie McDonald, Rob Beanlands, Vincent Chan and Peter Lu.
Elizabeth Roscoe, senior vice president at Rubicon Strategy, was there as board chair of the Heart Institute Foundation while its president, Lianne Laing, told OBJ.social how much she’d been looking forward to the return of the Gold Plate Dinner. She joined the foundation about a year or so after the last dinner was held.
“There’s been so much excitement around the office since we learned the event was coming back,” Laing told OBJ.social. “When you look around the room, there are so many donors and families here who have helped to build the Heart Institute, and so many major philanthropists and grateful patients who have been touched by it.”
Pantieras is on the board of the Heart Institute Foundation for his second time. The married father of three credits the heart health centre with saving his life after he had a heart attack at age 37 while playing hockey.From left, former Hellenic Community of Ottawa president Jim Reklitis and his wife, Penny, with Nick Pantieras, co-chair of the Gold Plate Dinner, which raises funds for the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Photo by Caroline Phillips
The evening also saw Jacqueline Belsito, president of the Senators Community Foundation, and 2023 Forty Under 40 recipient Brendan Du Vall from the Ottawa Senators hockey club help auction off an Ottawa Senators hockey package. It sold twice, to the top two bidders, for $7,500 each.
A VIP trip for two to New York City was purchased by Candice Lerner-Fry, first vice president of leasing with Marcus & Millichap.
On a final note, it was a relief to see Stephan May, managing director of Welch Capital Partners, made it back safely from his recent trek to the Mount Everest base camp in Nepal. Not only was he successful but he also raised $6,000 for ALS.
Stand-up comic and actor Angelos Tsarouchas, who grew up in Ottawa, was back to host the Gold Plate Dinner at the Hellenic Meeting and Reception Centre. Photo by Caroline PhillipsGowling WLG lawyers, from left, Jacob Polowin, Daniel Sikakane, Wayne Kerrick and Michael Polowin at the reception for the Gold Plate Dinner. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation board member Leslie Mise, general manager with Mark Motors Group, and Paul LaBarge, chair of the board at the Heart Institute and founding law partner at LaBarge Weinstein LLP, at the Gold Plate Dinner held in support of the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation board chair Elizabeth Roscoe and past chair Barbara Farber with former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty, incoming board chair of the Heart Institute, at the Gold Plate Dinner. Photo by Caroline PhillipsBrazeau Seller Law partners, from left, Harold Feder, Fred Seller and Ron Prehogan at the Gold Plate Dinner, which raises funds for the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Brendan Du Vall, senior director of ticket sales and services for the Ottawa Senators hockey club, with Mourad Gazalé, owner of automation installation and design company Domoticka, and his wife, Dona Gazalé, at the Gold Plate Dinner. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Kevin Yemm from Richcraft Homes with Ron Vered from Ron Eastern Construction/Arnon Corporation, at the cocktail reception for the Gold Plate Dinner held in support of the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Photo by Caroline PhillipsThe Gold Plate Dinner attracted several senior physicians from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, including (from left) Drs. Bernie McDonald, Rob Beanlands, Vincent Chan and Peter Lu. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Ottawa lawyer Danny Fernandes with Perley-Robertson Hill & McDougall lawyers Anne-Marie Magneron and Martin St-Onge at the Gold Plate Dinner held in support of the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Photo by Caroline PhillipsOttawa businessman Charlie Saikaley with Tanya Ziadeh, wife of the ambassador of Lebanon, and Majida Saikaley at the Gold Plate Dinner held in support of the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Photo by Caroline PhillipsSteven and Linda Kerzner from Palmer Recycling with Dr. Vincent Chan, a cardiac surgeon at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, at the Gold Plate Dinner. Photo by Caroline PhillipsReza Algha, left, and James Byck, from premier sponsor Dymon Storage, with Lianne Laing, president of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation, at the Gold Plate Dinner. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Will Chan, chief information officer at InterRent REIT, with CLV Group president Oz Drewniak and Mike McGahan, chairman of CLV Group and InterRent REIT, at the Gold Plate Dinner held in support of the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Jessica Greenberg from Osgoode Properties with Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) director Danielle Simpson, Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist owner Jennifer Mulley, and Emily Jamieson, V-P of corporate philanthropy and community engagement with the CHEO Foundation, at the Gold Plate Dinner. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Drew McMillan, president of Ages Group of Companies, with Paramount Properties CFO Warren Heaney and Paramount Properties principal Ken Ages at the Gold Plate Dinner held in support of the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Bruce Raganold, director of business development for Welch LLP and a partner at Welch Capital Partners, with Stephan May, managing director of Welch Capital Partners, at the Gold Plate Dinner held in support of the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Ray Charron, vice president of finance, development and construction at Gatineau-based Brigil with president and founder Gilles Desjardins, at the Gold Plate Dinner held in support of the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Photo by Caroline PhillipsAik Aliferis, co-chair of the Gold Plate Dinner, with his partner, Samar Saab, at the Gold Plate Dinner held in support of the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Photo by Caroline PhillipsThe Gold Plate Dinner featured a cocktail reception, and later an after-party, in the giant tent (with air conditioning) set up outside the Hellenic Meeting and Reception Centre. Photo by Caroline Phillips
