July 2000 - Nr. 7
Polo Ball 2000
The 15th annual Black and White Polo Ball, one of the major
highlights of Toronto’s summer social calendar, was a "smashing
success" at the Royal Ontario Museum on the 6th of June.
Thanks to the reply of over 600 guess and 50 volunteers over 150,000
thousand dollars was raised with all funds being contributed to a perpetual
endowment fund called the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario Endowed
Polo Chair at the University of Toronto. The current recipient is Dr. Peter
Lui, a world-renowned expert in congestive heart failure.
Since its inception those many years ago, the Black and White Polo Ball has become a popular event attracting many of the up-scale 25-50 Torontonians.
This
years ball staged an elegant evening of gourmet cuisine – catered by Jamie
Kennedy, Gourmet Magazine-lauded chef, as well as entertainment, a live
auction, dancing, fine wines and a fashion show by Yorkville boutique, Hoax
Couture, with its Canadian designers.
A spectacular backdrop for this event was provided by the entire first floor of the magnificent Royal Ontario Museum and included access for the guests to the new art exhibit, Kingdom of the Sikhs.
Guests
also had a chance to bid on a great variety of valuable items in the silent
auction, or on the fine wines in a separate auction, organized and operated
by the LCBO. One of the wines that attracted my attention was a 1993
Jacoboam Cuvée Dom Perignon whose initial bid was set at $1900.00. If you
then had any money left over and wanted something in a special whiskey you
could see Bill Samotie, from Savant Communications, who had a 50 year old
Glenfiddich Scottish Whiskey for a mere $114,000.00 CDN. This was Bottle #
231, one of 500 that were laid down just before the beginning of World War
II - at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scottland - and signed by
Mr. Sandy Grant Gordon, chairman and great grandson of the Company’s
founder. Each is set in a hand-crafted oak box in keeping with the oak casks
in which the Glenfiddich was matured and each bottle comes with an engraved
set of title deeds giving the holder certain rights and privileges within
the family-owned distillery.
The world’s wealthiest sophisticates own the very few bottles left in worldwide circulation. Many have been consumed since the 1989 bottling: At important international functions, at major corporate celebrations and at serious Scotch Whiskey events around the world. Aficionados and connoisseurs have kept some. Some are kept as investments or estate heirlooms.
However, one young lady bought a 30year old bottle this evening for her boyfriend who collects old whiskey. Well, in another 20 years that bottle should also be worth a pretty penny. What a dowry!
The
first Black and White Polo Ball was held in 1986 in conjunction with Polo
for Heart, a weekend tournament with international polo players in support
of the heart and Stroke Foundation. Initiated as a small party for the
visiting players, the event has now evolved into an impressive gala evening
with corporate support provided by sanofi-synthelabo, John Labatt, Corby’s,
the National Post, Toronto Life, Barter Card, hyperpromotions.com, the LCBO,
Urban Event Catering, Mark J. Mooney & Associates Ltd., Pike’s Tent
and Awnings and Hoax Couture.
"The annual Polo Ball has always been, and will continue to be, a fun-filled evening unmatched by any other event" said co-chair Brett Evans. I am tempted to agree with him. - r.k.a.
