Key organizing partners with the inaugural Gold Hearts Gala Mayor’s Ball gathered at the Fairmont Château Laurier today for a cheque presentation to Ottawa Food Bank CEO Rachael Wilson.

A giant novelty cheque, used for the photo-op, revealed a massive donation from the gala’s proceeds, totalling $1,261,249 (plus change). Those funds will help the charitable non-profit organization bring relief to thousands of local families struggling to put food on the table.

“Take that straight to the bank,” quipped Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who was joined by the hotel’s general manager, Geneviève Dumas, and Catherine McLaughlin, the hotel’s events and activations manager.

Also to play a major role in that memorable night, held in late January, was the Ottawa Community Foundation (OCF), led by president and CEO Michael Maidment. The non-profit acts as a bridge between donors and local causes, helping individuals, families and organizations establish endowment funds or make targeted charitable gifts.

During the gala, Maidment surprised nearly everyone in the room when he announced a donation by the OCF of $1 million to the cause.

What made today’s gathering more exciting was the confirmation that the charity gala will return next year. When McLaughlin asked the mayor whether he was still committed, he immediately responded: “Sure, how could we not? It was fantastic.”

The Gold Hearts Gala Mayor’s Ball was a shining example of the public’s “incredible generosity”, said Wilson of the numerous community and business leaders who rallied behind a cause in urgent need of support. “You could really feel it that night, being in a room with people who really cared and understood what the challenges are.”

Wilson said the overwhelmingly positive support at the gala continues to motivate her as she leads the organization through some of its most difficult times. “When you have those challenging days, and you’re trying to think about how you’re going to make things work, you think back to that room and that support that was there.”

It continues to be echoed throughout the city, she added.

Reflecting on that night, Maidment remains proud of the role the Ottawa Community Foundation played. “We believe that philanthropy can change a community, and that’s what we’re all about.”

“For us, it was doing what we’re meant to do, and I’m thrilled we were able to do it.”

Maidment, the former CEO of the Ottawa Food Bank, has stayed in close contact with Wilson since stepping away in 2020, leading to her promotion. He understands how increasingly challenging the situation has become for the food bank. At the gala, he also shared with the audience that, growing up in Newfoundland, his family experienced food insecurity for a time (his parents would skip dinner so there’d be enough for their sons to eat).

The only people in the room who knew about the $1-million gift announcement were Wilson, the mayor and Maidment (his wife also knew, of course, but kept the secret safe). That meant none of Maidment’s dinner guests had a clue, including Ottawa MP Yasir Naqvi and business leaders, financial/wealth advisor Duane Francis, James Baker (Keynote Search) and Matt Carr (Gifford Carr Insurance). “We kept it under wraps,” said Maidment of his effort to create an element of surprise. And it worked, beautifully.

From left, Ottawa Community Foundation CEO Michael Maidment, Ottawa Food Bank CEO Rachael Wilson, Fairmont Château Laurier general manager Geneviève Dumas and Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe at the inaugural Gold Hearts Gala Mayor’s Ball held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Jan. 31, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WCPD, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Infinity Convention Centre, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel and RBC.

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