Friends, food, and fun foster success for virtual Red & White Gala

Denim & Diamonds was the theme of the 2021 gala and the evening lived up to the name: it was both casual and fancy!

The pandemic forced the Parents Guild to take the normally formal event virtual, but parents, friends of the School, and staff members were more than eager to gather for the annual Red & White Gala from the comfort of their homes on May 29.

The day started with the seamless delivery of gourmet food packages prepared by the Food Dudes, chock full of cheeses, an assortment of dips and breads, macarons, wine, and a sparkling cocktail. The two-layered boxes contained much more than edible delights, such as a special wine glass stuffed with a linen napkin encircled by a sparkling napkin holder, and an SAC luggage tag.

A video scroll featuring student and school photos interspersed with sponsor logos launched the evening at 7:30 p.m., followed by a video of Roy Huang ’21 playing the bagpipes on Yuill Field. SAC’s I Am Andrean film was shown next, featuring Stephen Amell ’00, star of TV’s superhero series, Arrow.

Hockey legend and former Toronto Maple Leafs captain, Wendel Clark, was called on to introduce a greeting by Head of School, Kevin McHenry. Then, guests were treated to a video performance by Canadian country musician, Owen Barney. However, that wasn’t the end to the celebrity guests: a cameo by David Hasselhoff (of Baywatch fame) introduced the Pipes & Drums video performance. 

Gala Chair, Wendy MacEachern, announced the winner of the Golden Ticket draw, and the lucky winner was Bruna Pace, who, along with her husband, Steve Dengler ’87, had their pick from the super silent auction items.

The auction was a hit again this year, and the gala committee was happy to report every item on the block was sold. The auction took place for a week before the gala evening, with everyone in the Andrean community invited to participate from home. Winning bidders were able to pick up their items curbside at Science City on campus the following day. Some popular auction items included eight red SAC-crested Muskoka chairs; a 2021 SAC license plate; a red SAC upholstered chair; and a red, retro, SAC-crested fridge.

Then it was time to socialize in breakout rooms, and guests could mingle for as long as they wanted.

As fun and successful as the virtual version of the gala was, let’s all hope we can get together in person for next year’s 50th-anniversary function.