It was anything but an ordinary Saturday night.
The
mission was simple - to raise over $100,000 for Answering TTP (Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura) Foundation. The
ammunition was plentiful. Poker, blackjack, and roulette tables were
supplemented by and a host of exciting silent auction items including
theatre tickets, pet-sitting services, and oh, yes - trips to Portugal,
Las Vegas, and Casino Rama! However, there was a snag. The
rainclouds overhead collected and threatened to spill down onto the
front and back yards of the Kodatsky home, where Sydney & Alec Kodatsky have
hosted the event for the past three years.
But perseverance and well-placed tents prevailed!
For the first time, the Chance & Change Game Night boasted a Master
of Ceremonies, Elaine Lui, who runs her incredibly popular website laineygossip.com
and, of course, is a reporter on CTV's etalk. Better known as Lainey,
she won the crowd over with her banter, humour, impersonations of a
lounge singer, and sincere commitment to raising awareness of rare
diseases.
The night began, and bidding and gambling were well
underway. Lainey put her money where her mouth was, offering to donate
hundreds of dollars - if anyone could beat her at Texas Hold
'Em. Brave partygoers took her up on it (Lainey's a well-known
gambling aficionado) while the rest of the group perused the bid sheets,
strategizing and waiting to land the perfect jewellery, set of DVDs or
basket of cookies.
As the night grew to a close, the guests debated
whether they'd preferred the mini grilled-cheeses or lamb chops that had
passed their way, and prepared for their final bids -- and to see who
would win the raffle draw for the ultimate prizes - including a Land
Rover weekend and a Las Vegas vacation. When the tickets had been
pulled and the bids had been tallied, Chair Tammy Robertson announced
the great news - we did it! Over $100,000 raised for TTP in just a few
hours! The group celebrated, Lainey happily donated $500 to the total
(but didn't want to admit she'd actually lost the game - it's a matter
of pride!) and guests grooved to Way2Social as the night began to wrap
up. 
Rain? Doesn't bother us. Huge donation goal? No sweat. Fights over the last grilled cheese? (I can't swear to it, but I bet it happened.) Plans for next year's Chance & Change night are already underway, and we can only go up from here.
Written by Duana Taha.
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