CSI staff claimed we were going to throw the mother of all parties, and boy did we ever!
We drew a crowd of almost 700 people (!!). There were mothers, fathers, designers, accountants, lawyers, familiar and unfamiliar faces, and even a few unborn babies in attendance! Most accurately, there were people from all aspects of the community who came together to dance, raise a glass for social change, and help us celebrate the purchase of CSI Annex.
Cocktails and cheese (by the lovely Rebecca Doll) were served to investors at 6 pm and doors opened to a full dance party at 8 pm. The rest of the night is truly a blur.
Okay, fine! The night isn't a complete blur; I do remember these incrediblly important details:
Toronto's famous Goin' Steady DJs rocked the crowd. There were over 200 people on the dance floor at one point! The party truly wouldn't have been as epic with these guys knowing how to get such a diverse group of folk on the dance floor.
Vintage One, an urban winery in Toronto, sponsored the wine for the event. Their sponsorship enabled CSI to serve guests great wine and support a local enterprise. Guests and staff couldn't have been happier -- we even ordered a few cases of a custom, CSI blend of wine.
Steam Whistle Breweries sponsored the beer for the event. Steam Whistle has a long time relationship with one of CSI's incubated projects Green Enterprise Ontario. It was through them we thought to approach Steam Whistle, and we're glad we did because the room was hot and the cold Steam Whistle went down great.
Lighting for the night was created by LX Injected, a venture by Amanda Lynne Ballard and Jim Hutchison. Have you seen the photos of the space dressed in blue light? No? You wouldn't forget them if you had.
And, finally, I definitely remember that people were having an incredible time. Prospective tenants met current tenants, community members met new neighbours, conversations and connections happened all around me. And, perhaps most importantly, the crowd was full of smiling faces.
Cheesy, right? You bet! It was as if everyone in attendance was getting married -- to social innovation!
The community at CSI Annex is going to be a strong one. I know it. Thank you to everyone who came out! This party was amazing because of the wonderful people who showed up! The same is true for everything about CSI.
Demolition at the building finished today (!!), so the space will truly never be like it was the night of the party. We made history!
Photos from the night were taken by Sara Beasley; they're beautiful. Check them out here, you won't regret it!
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