Glamping the night away to raise $450K-plus for…

Everyone was a happy camper at BGC Ottawa’s Glamping Gala, a sold-out fundraiser that brought 480 partygoers together for a fun and memorable night of food, drinks, dancing and socializing while also raising $450,000-plus to give more kids in our community access to the kind of opportunities and experiences that can change lives.

The glamping-themed event was heavy on glamour, light on camping (and all the associated hardships).

The fundraiser was co-chaired by BGC Ottawa board member Michelle Taggart, vice-president of planning and land development at Tamarack and Tartan Homes, and her good friend, Ottawa restaurateur Stephen Beckta. He’s the board chair of BGC Ottawa (formerly Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa).

Rounding out the organizing committee were Monica Singhal (Richcraft Homes), Sarah Grand (Engel & Völkers), Derek Noble (Huntington Properties) and former Shopify chief talent officer Brittany Forsyth-Wilson, founding partner of Backbone Angels.

“It came together in such an incredible way,” said Beckta, referring to both the tremendous group effort and the co-operation of the weather. “It’s like the skies parted just when we needed it.”

Had it rained, there was no shortage of party tents delightfully decorated with pretty lights, green foliage, camping gear and canoe paddles, along with cozy and comfortable yurts for sponsors to lounge inside of with their guests, complete with drinks and charcuterie.

The outdoor party was held on the expansive lawn just outside BGC Ottawa’s Tomlinson Family Foundation Clubhouse on Prince of Wales Drive, near Hog’s Back Road. Bylaw did pay a visit later in the night, similar to when the inaugural gala was held there in 2019.

The event included a vintage-looking Airstream trailer with tequila bar, as well as six food stations featuring Play food & wine, PURE Kitchen, Coconut Lagoon, La Bottega, Town and North & Navy. North & Navy made the recently revealed Canada’s 100 Best Restaurant list. So did Beckta’s eponymous Beckta Dining & Wine. Desserts included a doughnut wall by Maverick’s Donuts and s’mores-themed cookies by Toro Treats.

The event was presented by Mark Motors Group, a family-owned local business that sells Audi, Porsche, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati and Alfa Romeo luxury cars. Dealer principal Michael Mrak and his sister, executive vice-president Liza Mrak, attended. Also among the top sponsors were Howard Silver, founder and owner of the Silver Group, a residential rentals and commercial property management company, and husband and wife architects Robert Martin and Danica Robertson from Robertson Martin Architects.

Many people hit the dance floor once Shopify president Harley Finkelstein took to the stage to DJ. It’s how he got his start as an entrepreneur, working as many as 500 bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs in Montreal to pay for his undergrad degree, from about age 17 until 22. He doesn’t DJ as much anymore, but he still loves it.

“It gives me the greatest joy in the world,” he told OBJ.social.

Publicist Ginger Bertrand from Gab Communications was there with one of her celebrity clients, former CFL player-turned-television personality Brad Smith from Bachelor Canada, Chopped Canada. Social influencer Katie Hession donned the show-stopping dress she recently wore to the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala.

“It was a bold choice,” she said good-humouredly of her outfit repeat. “But I’m all about sustainability now.”

The focus of the Glamping Gala was to raise money in support of Camp Smitty run by BGC Ottawa near Eganville. The organization sends some 400 children and youth there each summer for free to experience the magic of summer camp.

Taggart and Beckta took a moment to publicly thank the sponsors, BGC Ottawa staff, volunteers and attendees. Their remarks were brief but very sincere and meaningful. 

Taggart acknowledged that, growing up, she used to think of BGC Ottawa as merely an after-school program for kids. Since joining the board, she’s come to realize the full extent of its impact.

She spoke about her conversation with nine-year-old Asha from BGC Ottawa, and of how the girl was first drawn to BGC Ottawa for its art program. Asha subsequently joined the homework club and now dreams of doing the leadership program and of one day going to college or university with assistance from the BGC Ottawa scholarship program.

“The programs are truly life-changing for these kids, and really that’s what it’s all about,” Taggart told her audience.

Beckta shared his own personal story of being welcomed by BGC Ottawa at its former Centretown location during a particularly tough time in his childhood. 

“I started going to the club when I was eight years old. My home life was very rocky. I didn’t want to be at home. There were fights. There was divorce. I just didn’t want to be there.

“So, I found a place after school, on weekends where I could go and I could feel supported, I could feel seen, I could feel heard and have mentorship – people who really believed in me and believed in my future.”

Beckta said BGC Ottawa ultimately helped him to see a better path for himself.

“I had choices, I had opportunity,” said the hard-working, self-made owner of Beckta, Gezellig and Play restaurants. “Opportunity changes everything.”

Taggart is part of the family-owned Taggart Group of Companies, a major player in the construction and real estate business. Her family made a $1.4-million donation last year to help run BGC Ottawa’s newest clubhouse in South Ottawa. Efforts to raise money for operating costs continue.

The co-chairs asked attendees of the Glamping Gala to consider making a one-time gift of $5,000 as part of the Medallion Wall at the new Taggart Parkes Family Clubhouse (incidentally, they also put their money where their mouth is).

More than 30 hands shot up with offers from Finkelstein and Lindsay Taub (as a tribute to their two young daughters), Inflector Environmental CEO Jeff Clarke, Mad Radish founder David Segal, IMI CEO Rudi Asseer, The Foundation WCPD president Peter Nicholson, Lundy Construction CEO Sean Lundy, Angela Singhal from Richcraft, the aforementioned Derek Noble and Howard Silver, multiple members of the Taggart and Parkes clan in attendance that night, and others.

As partygoers danced the night away, Sanjay Shah from ExecHealth and his wife, Dr. Bella Mehta, reflected on what a great time they were having. The experienced gala-goers liked the vibrant atmosphere, casual feel, the new faces and the cause of helping kids.

“And there’s no speeches,” said Shah with a hint of relief.

– caroline@obj.ca