The Beach Boys are apparently playing at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto tomorrow night for “the most successful fundraising gala in Canada.” It’s the SuperGala put on by the Grocery Industry Foundation…Together (GIFT), with half of the proceeds going to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of Canada (now Crohn’s & Colitis Canada).
They are hoping to raise $3,000 from this gala, but I guess they don’t want my contribution towards that amount. Because although I support CCFC and am on their mailing list, and they’ve told me the gala is taking place, they have not told me how to buy tickets.
There is nothing on the CCFC web site about this, only how to contribute silent auction items and how to volunteer to help run the auction. I called CCFC and was passed to someone whose mailbox was full and did not return an e-mail, but surely getting such key information as “how much” and “where to buy” should be more public.
After I Googled several different terms related to the gala, I found out that last year’s event had “4,000 glamorous guests.” Aha, so that’s it. Perhaps this is a closed event, by invitation only to a certain moneyed crowd to which I don’t belong. Oh well, looks like Saturday evening is open.
Update:
I finally reached the Grocery Foundation and found out why it was so hard to get details. The person I talked to explained, “We do not advertise the gala because the tickets are sold through the retailers and not to the public. We only showcase the gala on the website after it’s over.”
Upon further questioning, she revealed that the head offices of Sobeys, Loblaws, A&P etc. sell the tickets to their suppliers, not the public. Oh, and they are $700 each.