The St. Mary’s Ball
74 years of Grandiose Tradition
A Tribute to Out of Africa – An Evening Out of this World!
The 2011 St. Mary's Ball raises close to $1.7 million
On November 10, the St. Mary’s Ball transported almost 750 guests to another time and place. The moment they entered Windsor Station, they travelled back to 1925, at the foot of the Ngong Hills, just outside of Nairobi in what is now Kenya. They found themselves in the era of British Colonialism, surrounded by the backdrop of one of the most cinematographically acclaimed movies, Out of Africa.
The evening began with cocktails on the front porch of Baroness von Blixen’s house followed by a gastronomic dinner inside the famous home. All through the night, guests were swept away in the celebration of the grandeur of African traditions and the uniqueness of Colonial style.
Entertainment included the People’s Gospel Choir, Lorraine Klaasen and her musicians as well as a group of African dancers. Guests danced the night away to the beats of Paul Chacra and his band “1945”.
Thanks to a generous lead gift of $500,000 from National Bank, the proceeds of this fabulous evening totalled close to $1.7 million to be directed towards St. Mary’s development project involving construction on the South and West sides of our Hospital. This includes the decongestion of the Emergency Department as well as the building of two new floors and is in line with our tradition of striving to find ways to better serve our patients and their families.
Below is an excerpt of the 2011 St. Mary's Ball photo gallery.
For more photos, or to order your copies, contact Warren Zelman at wz@warrenzelman.com, 514.804.7979 or visit www.warrenzelman.com
Do not hesitate to contact the St. Mary's Hospital Foundation at 514.734.2694 or at fondation.stmary@ssss.gouv.qc.ca.
Click here for highlights of the 2009 St. Mary's Ball.
Click here for highlights of the 2010 St. Mary's Ball.
For more information about this event, please contact Nathalie Kamel at 514.345.3511 ext 5196 or nathalie.kamel@ssss.gouv.qc.ca.
History of St. Mary’s Ball
The Auxiliary of St. Mary’s Hospital hosted their first annual dance at the Montreal Hunt Club in 1937 and netted $713.31 for hospital projects. Ten years later it was billed as The St. Mary’s Ball and eventually became a prestigious occasion at which doctors and Board members were able to introduce their daughters into Montreal society as white-gowned debutantes. Honoured guests such as Pierre Elliot Trudeau and Senator John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie, have attended over the years, as well as many Governor Generals and Lieutenant Governors.
Since 2001, St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation has led this time-honoured tradition of rallying the Montreal corporate and community leaders for what has become the flagship event of the year… THE single largest fundraiser that showcases the Hospital and the compassionate patient-centered care that St. Mary’s is renown for.
