Shining Through Centre fundraising Gala

Stars twinkled brightly as the generous supporters of autistic children attended the 11th annual Shining Through Centre fundraising gala. Guests clad in dazzling gowns and suits smiled over a decadent dinner and frolicked about at the Embassy Grand Convention Centre. Many would say that the gala was a “stitching success,” with the launch of Project LUCA (Loving and Understanding Children with Autism), which generated over $100,000. Project LUCA uses quilts and quilting as fundraising and educational tools in support of autistic children and their families. The puzzle piece is the worldwide symbol for autism, and quilts help to represent families and communities working to solve the conundrum of a complex developmental disability. www.shiningthrough.ca

Top, left: FROM LEFT: MC Barb DiGiulio (The Fan 590), with fundraising committee chair Dino Iannello Top, middle: Board member Anna Martini, with husband and former board member, Umberto Martini Top, right: Parents Denise and Edward Yee Above, left: Gala guests Mayor Linda Jackson with Ital Florist owner Eligio Paris Above, right: Raffaela Bozzato (centre), host of Spinning for Autism, which raised over $18,000 for Shining Through Centre this year