Red & White Ball

May 2, 2011

By Holly Archer

Photography by Kalynn Friesen

Last Friday, over 300 guests attended the 9^th Annual Red & White Ball, with event proceeds going towards Rethink Breast Cancer.

To date, the Red & White Ball has raised over $100,000 towards the breast cancer cause. Last year’s gala alone, raised more than $15,000.

Red & White Ball 2011.

Rethink Breast Cancer, founded in 2001, is a Canadian breast cancer charity, which sets itself apart through its bold awareness campaigns. Targeting young women, Rethink goes against the blanket support groups by distributing cute cue cards they call TLC cards, which advise women on prevention and health. Choosing to focus on positive change and lifestyle improvement, Rethink’s mission is to continuously pioneer cutting-edge breast cancer education, support and research that speak fearlessly to the unique needs of young women.

To date, the Red & White Ball has raised over $100,000 towards the breast cancer cause.

The charity gala opened its doors at 9 p.m. with an amazing reception sponsored by the Australian wine company Yellow Tail. Glasses of bubbly rosé were passed out to guests upon arrival. Appetizers included chocolate, vanilla and carrot mini-cupcakes.

Traditionally, breast cancer fundraisers have a pink theme (pink ribbon). The Red & White Ball’s dress theme is derived from the deconstruction of pink into its primary colours – red and white.

Most women opted to wear red dresses this year, although some wore white, including one guest who was clad in a white satin-finish dress that paid homage to the iconic Marilyn Monroe gown from the movie The Seven Year Itch. Another fashionista chose to mix the themed colours, and pulled off a more androgynous look, wearing red cigarette pants with a thin black belt and a white button-down, topped with a straw fedora.

Raffle prizes included an autographed Raptors basketball, a Blackberry pearl, restaurant vouchers for Biff’s Bistro, a semester’s worth of DJ lessons and a pair of tickets to the taping of a So You Think You Can Dance Canada episode.