Wild colours, bell bottoms, platform shoes and disco balls greeted leaders from the Canadian business and entertainment communities and 650 guests as they joined Sheridan to celebrate at the 2008 black tie Groovy gala dinner on October 23, 2008.
For Immediate Release: November 24, 2008
Brampton, Ontario
Wild colours, bell bottoms, platform shoes and disco balls greeted leaders from the Canadian business and entertainment communities and 650 guests as they joined Sheridan to celebrate at the 2008 black tie Groovy gala dinner on October 23, 2008.
The gala, now in its second year, put the spotlight on outstanding education, people and achievement, and recognized innovators in the arts, business, community services, and technology. The 2008 Gala was a huge success, raising significant funds to support Sheridan’s students and the over 100 programs it offers. It was also the backdrop for the public launch of the Sheridan Student Capital Campaign.
"To date, the campaign has raised $25 million towards the $30 million fund raising goal which is aimed at raising the bar for our students, now and in the future, by providing an exceptional educational experience," said Sheridan President and CEO, Dr. Robert Turner.
Actor, comedian and Sheridan '82 grad, Patrick McKenna took on the wardrobe of John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever to welcome guests for a night of great food, music and entertainment. Notables in attendance included former Premier, the Honourable William Davis, Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion, Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell, newly elected Oakville MP Terence Young, Mississauga MP, Bonnie Crombie, Mississauga-Brampton South MPP Amrit Mangat, Real Estate Developer Peter Gilgan, Ron White President, and Ron White, President Ron White.
"The Sheridan Gala was an outstanding success and our thanks go out to all the staff and volunteers that worked so hard to make the night such an enjoyable experience for everyone," said Dr. Turner. "Sheridan puts a major emphasis on celebrating people and achievements and this kind of night is a wonderful opportunity to showcase student talents to our stakeholders. We want everyone in the communities Sheridan serves to know about the outstanding work of our corporate and community partners."
Gala Honouree
Panavision Canada took the spotlight as Sheridan’s top honouree for the evening. Panavision’s long history with Sheridan, and their outstanding reputation and work advancing the development of motion picture and television equipment, exemplifies their commitment to excellence and continually positions them as a leader in the Canadian motion picture and television industry.
Innovation and Achievement Awards
Four awards were presented to people, organizations, and community groups that have demonstrated a commitment to Sheridan while leading their fields in innovation and achievement. During the evening, Sheridan recognized ‘Big Picture’ thinkers in:
- Arts, C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures;
- Business, AMEC Canada;
- Technology, Siemens Canada Limited; and,
- Community service, Alzheimer Society of Peel.
The evening’s exceptional entertainment was provided by students from Sheridan's Music Theatre Performance program and included musical numbers from Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody, Donna Summers, ABBA, Bay City Rollers and Bee Gees. All told Sheridan students played an enormous role in the Gala from creation of the award recipient videos, costuming, auction solicitation, administration, graphics and caricatures. Sheridan also welcomed support from many alumni through volunteer committees, auction donations, photography and audio visual services.
Guests rounded out the evening by bidding on 186 items available in the Gala silent auction where a studio setting displayed works of art created by Sheridan's Craft & Design faculty and alumni.
Work is already underway for the 2009 Sheridan Gala.
Media Contact:
Susan Atkinson
(905) 845-9430, ext. 2096
susan.atkinson@sheridanc.on.ca