About Ashleigh McKenna
After first subscribing to sweetspot.ca to get to know her new city, Ashleigh McKenna now gets to help find the sweet stuff worth sharing as Editor and General Manager. Go behind the scenes from favourite manicure spots to product sneak peeks and more.
Cruising for a Cause
girl about t.o. canada
(Oct.14.09)
When a party combines a guaranteed good time, a great cause (and a bestie on the ticket-selling committee), how can you RSVP no?
Enter this month's Boobyball 8: CRUISE and so I broke out my heels and hit the (metaphorical) deck in support of Rethink Breast Cancer.
Since the packed party has stayed on my mind (my sequined skirt is still hanging over a chair waiting to be dry cleaned), I thought I'd share some highlights:
1. Not leaving port. The theme may have been cruise but the party (thankfully) stayed landlocked. Atlantis Pavillion was the perfect spot for a water vibe that didn't run the risk of sea sickness. (Even if we didn't realize this until the night before.)
2. People in costume. Just because I decided to stick to cocktail party stuff didn't mean everyone was as uninventive. I saw sailors, wet suits, inner tubes and even one brave dude wearing a rubber dingy.
3. International build-up. This YouTube PSA (written and directed by Boobyball co-chair, MTV's Aliya-Jasmine Sovani) hit the Internet and was quickly picked up by everyone from The View to The Huffington Post. A little controversy always adds to the conversation.
4. Late night eating. Thank you Poutini's for serving cheese curd concoctions well into the wee hours.
5. BIG proceeds. Not just literally (though it did sell out). The money raised this year goes directly to the just-launched Booby Innovation Grant and Rethink's ongoing programming (60/40 split). The call is for young survivors to submit BIG ideas to help others battling the disease.
6. Fun with flowers. The Blowdry Lounge was on hand to pin in faux blooms (totally painless - er, unless you forget to take out the bobby pins before falling asleep that is).
7. Friends first. KP and I had a great time but the bigger friendship story is how the event began. The Society's Ashleigh Dempster and Amanda Blakley threw the first bash eight years ago for their friend Sarah O'Regan, a breast cancer survivor first diagnosed at 23. That's a pretty sweet start.
Thought that was sweet? You'll enjoy: