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The Wild Ball was little
more than an idea suggested during a brainstorming session at
Toronto Wildlife Centre. As the idea of hosting an elegant
evening blossomed into a viable fundraising option, it soon
became clear that the success of the event would greatly depend
on the involvement of volunteers. At every stage of The Wild
Ball, from the initial planning to the final teardown,
volunteers were indispensably involved. Thanks to the countless
hours donated by so many people, The Wild Ball not only became a
wildly enjoyable night but also successfully reached the
fundraising goal for the event. Listed below are some of the
roles that volunteers played throughout the various stages of
The Wild Ball.
Pre-Event
There were several volunteers helping The Wild Ball event
committee (who themselves were volunteers) in the months leading
up to the event. These volunteers solicited auction items,
sourced donations for the actual event and helped inform TWC
donors, volunteers and the media about the event. Many of these
volunteers were happy to jump in where needed and worked very
hard behind the scenes to help ensure Toronto Wildlife Centre
reached its fundraising goals for The Wild Ball.
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Drivers
Throughout the weeks leading up to The Wild Ball, there were
volunteer drivers zipping around to all corners of the city and
beyond. Their spirited efforts ensured that all donations and
supplies were transported to the site of The Wild Ball, with
enough time for everyone to properly set up. During the night of
the event, the volunteer drivers once again came to the rescue
by making several last minute runs for “emergency” supplies. The
day after the Ball, the tireless drivers answered the call one
more time by returning all of the borrowed materials to their
rightful owners and transporting any remaining waste to the
proper disposal sites. Without the help of the volunteer
drivers, many of the generously donated items that
helped make the event such a success would not have arrived!
Setup
Starting at seven in the morning and continuing right up until
the beginning of the event, setup volunteers were at the Don
Valley Brickworks helping to create The Wild Ball’s elegant
atmosphere. Whether assembling the lighting and sound equipment,
hauling furniture out of trucks, chopping fruit, carrying
glassware or using the scissor lift to hang the picturesque
decorations, the setup volunteers worked resolutely to complete
the job. Judging by the feedback TWC received, the effort of the
setup volunteers was more than successful. Here is a sample of
what some of the guests were saying:
“Walking into the Ball that night, I was amazed at how beautiful
and sophisticated it all looked”
“The decorations and setup were fantastic, the venue was
extraordinary; everybody LOVED it!”
Thank you to all of the setup volunteers, who truly helped
create an elegantly wild night!
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Entertainment
Thank you very much to bands Glass Tiger and The Spoons, emcee
Ed Clark, Ann Rohmer, DJ’s Diego Fuentes and Traci Melchor, and
Habeeba Hobeika Egyptian Dance Company for generously donating
their time to help make this event a wild night to remember! The
guests at The Wild Ball were absolutely thrilled and many echoed
the sentiment that the entertainment was fantastic.
“Having exceptionally good entertainment donate their time to
such a worthy cause is a real inspiration.”
Food
Great food can contribute significantly to the success of an
event, and Stephen Gardner and his staff must be commended on the
incredible food they prepared for this event. The delicious hors
d’oeuvres that he and his staff made were served throughout the
night. Because the event space did not have cooking facilities,
Stephen and his staff did a fantastic job of creating excellent
finger foods were not only mouth-watering but perfect for the
limitations of event space.
The staff at The Friendly Thai volunteered tirelessly throughout
the evening making their delicious Pad Thai and keeping guests
very happy! Thank you as well to the Pizza Pizza staff for
keeping the pizza scrumptiously warm, the Merchants of Green
Coffee staff for providing such delicious and socially conscious
coffee, and the Eat My Words staff for volunteering your time to
keep those beautiful cupcakes coming all night long!
Servers
An integral part of The Wild Ball’s success can be attributed to
the friendly Volunteer Servers. Despite spending the entire
night on their feet (and a few did so in high heels!), the
Volunteer Servers continuously interacted with the guests in a
welcoming and cheery manner. Thanks to the proficiency and class
of the Volunteer Servers, the guests were tremendously satisfied
with the evening’s food service.
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Bartenders
With over three hundred guests at The Wild Ball, it was critical
to keep everyone in attendance well hydrated. The Volunteer
Bartenders went about this task with a charismatic flair that
not only fulfilled the guests needs but also helped to maintain
the positive mood of the evening. Because the Volunteer
Bartenders were exceptionally well-organized, line ups at the
bar were all but non-existent. Thank you to all the Bartenders
for not only keeping everyone’s glass full but also allowing
everyone to maximize their fun!
"The bartending volunteers were so enthusiastic, and really
added to the overall fun and festive atmosphere...I think they
played a big part in making the guests feel like they had a
great time and want to come back again next year."
Security
Maintaining order throughout the night at The Wild Ball was a
group of extremely dedicated (and large!) Security Volunteers.
Although nothing too “wild” took place at the Ball, it was
reassuring to know that a team of trained volunteers was
prepared to handle anything out of the ordinary. Their polite
nature and professional style (especially the shades) created a
sense of security that permitted guests to safely enjoy the
night’s festivities.
Auction
One of the busiest areas throughout the Wild Ball was most
certainly at the auction tables. Thank goodness there was an
exceptionally devoted set of volunteers at the tables, who were
able to manage the constant stream of prospective buyers.
Because of their friendly disposition and their ability to
handle all of the guests’ inquiries, the auction proved to be an
overwhelming success.
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General Support
Unbeknownst to the guests at The Wild Ball, many hardworking
Volunteers were taking care of the less “glamorous” tasks of the
evening. Whether directing traffic in the parking lot,
monitoring the state of the bathrooms or removing glasses from
tables, the General Support Volunteers did a fantastic job of
keeping the night running smoothly. As a direct result of their
efforts, The Wild Ball remained consistently elegant for the
duration of the event.
Teardown
When the evening’s music had concluded and most of guests were
well on their way home, the night continued (or was just
beginning) for a number of unfaltering Volunteers. With
expensive furniture needing to be safely stored away for the
night and equipment needing to be dismantled and loaded onto
trucks, the teardown volunteers valiantly extended their efforts
well into the wee hours of the morning. Armed with only the
strength of their arms and unbridled determination, the
volunteers managed to pack everything away and brought a
cheerful conclusion to a wildly successful night.
One final time, thank you to all of the volunteers who helped
make The Wild Ball a night to remember. Toronto Wildlife Centre
is so incredibly appreciative of all of your support and we hope
that you are all able to join us for next year’s event!
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