TORONTO, March 4, 2015 /CNW/ -
STORY:
- Hundreds of young professionals prepare to party at one of Toronto's best St. Patrick's charity balls to raise tens of thousands of dollars to help those less fortunate in Toronto's rapidly growing and gentrifying downtown west.
- One of Toronto's largest charitable food banks is preparing for its 3rd annual St. Patrick's themed Lucky Ball fundraiser. The downtown party attracts hundreds of young and stylish downtown residents paying $100 each with 100% of the proceeds going to serve the clients of the Fort York Food Bank (contributing >20% of FYFB's operating budget). Despite the name, Fort York Food Bank actually serves the entire downtown west community (essentially from Yonge west to Dovercourt and Bloor south to the lake) and is located in the up-and-coming DuWest neighbourhood.
| MEDIA INFO: |
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| WHAT AND WHO: |
3rd Annual Lucky Ball fundraiser celebrating the spirit of St. Patrick's Day and benefitting the Fort York Food Bank |
| WHEN: |
Thursday, March 12 from 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. |
| WHEN: |
Revival Bar, 783 College St (southeast corner of College St. and Shaw St., east of Ossington) |
| More Info and Tickets: |
luckyball.ca (see backgrounder below) |
| Twitter: |
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| Hashtag: |
#Luckyball2015 |
| Facebook: |
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| Video for broadcast/embedding: |
Fort York Food Bank Youtube channel or bit.ly/1F9w0oh |
| Photos from previous Lucky Balls: |
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STORY OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD OF EVENT
- Radio: Interviewing Board chairman Chris Murphy on the importance of this event to the community the food bank serves and how the event ties the growing community together.
- TV/Print/Online: Visiting the Food Bank during community lunch and doing a story on the programs and volunteers, and the help provided by this fundraiser, which is supported by the neighbours and businesses in the community.
- Providing notice of the event in your local calendars.
STORY OPPORTUNITIES NIGHT OF EVENT
- TV/Print/Online: Availability for live hits, taped visuals/interviews, photography with interviews of Lucky Ball Committee members and attendees for nightly/morning stories.
WHAT LUCKY BALL NEEDS:
- People to buy tickets and party! The Lucky Ball recorded an incredible turnout of 400 guests and 33% growth in just its second year in 2014 and this year is expected to be even bigger and better.
- Silent auction donations
- Gift bag items
- Corporate sponsorship dollars which provide prominent recognition of the company in marketing collateral
- If people can't attend but want to help, tax receipted charitable donations through fyfb.com
ABOUT LUCKY BALL:
Launched in 2013, the Lucky Ball is the largest and most prominent fundraising event for the Fort York Food Bank (FYFB), generating more than 20% of the charity's annual cash operating budget. The Lucky Ball recorded an incredible turnout of 400 guests, primarily young professionals living in downtown Toronto, and 33% growth in just its second year in 2014 and this year is expected to be even bigger and better. The cocktail attire event provides attendees with great music by multiple DJs, gift bags, open bar and hors d'oeuvres and has become a noted kick off to the St. Patrick's Day weekend while increasing FYFB's connection to the downtown west community we serve.
EFFICIENCY WITH DONATIONS:
Consistent with FYFB's tradition of focusing on efficiency, no paid fundraising is undertaken, and all proceeds raised from the ticket sales for Lucky Ball go to support FYFB's charitable programs. The generous donations of sponsors cover the costs to hold Lucky Ball.
In general, almost 95% of every donation to FYFB throughout the year goes towards programs, as the agency only has one paid staff member and leverages a large volunteer corps including board directors. For five consecutive years Charity Intelligence has rated FYFB as one of its top charities for excelling in financial transparency, accountability to donors and cost-efficiency.
ABOUT FORT YORK FOOD BANK AND WHO WE SERVE:
FYFB was founded in 1998, and is a grassroots charitable organization that directly assists families and individuals in need who live in downtown Toronto. The charity is non-denominational, receives no government funding and is not politically aligned. FYFB is volunteer-driven, with only one paid staff member and is one of the largest food banks serving Toronto. FYFB serves over 1,200 clients every month, approximately 40% of whom are recent immigrants or refugees and 15% are children. The typical client survives on $3 per day after housing costs and spends 82% of their income on basic necessities. FYFB provides vital services that can help prevent homelessness within this vulnerable population, by feeding the hungry through the provision of groceries and hot meals and helping people get on track by offering a variety of supportive services in a safe environment so they can find jobs, safe housing, and appropriate social/community programs. Being a local organization, FYFB staff and volunteers take the time to speak with clients that come through the door, as each client contact is an opportunity to establish trust and identify core needs beyond the immediacy of food.
SOURCE Fort York Food Bank
Video with caption: "The Lucky Ball is the largest fundraising event for the Fort York Food Bank, a non-denominational and non-government funded charity that directly assists families and individuals in need in downtown west Toronto. 100 percent of the proceeds from the Lucky Ball go to support the food bank’s programs. (Video courtesy of TMX Equicom)". Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A2z-Lb4nmo
Image with caption: "400 people gathered at the second annual Lucky Ball benefit for Fort York Food Bank in 2014, 33% more than its inaugural year. Organizers expect this year’s party on Thursday, Mar. 12 to be even bigger. The event has become a noted kick off to the St. Patrick’s Day weekend while increasing FYFB’s connection to the downtown west community it serves. (Photo courtesy of bestoftoronto.net) (CNW Group/Fort York Food Bank)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150304_C4527_PHOTO_EN_12831.jpg
Image with caption: "Lucky Ball 2015 (CNW Group/Fort York Food Bank)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150304_C4527_PHOTO_EN_12832.jpg
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2015/03/04/20150304_C4527_PDF_EN_12828.pdf
MEDIA CONTACT: TIM FORAN, 416-986-8515; [email protected]
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