La-la land comes to magical life at Classic Hollywood-themed Ashbury Ball

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La-la land comes to magical life at Classic Hollywood-themed Ashbury Ball

Published On: February 10, 2025By Caroline Phillips

Ashbury College hosted a blockbuster night on Saturday, bringing the glitz, glamour and timeless magic of Hollywood to the independent school in Rockcliffe Park for its signature fundraiser, the Ashbury Ball.

Students posing as paparazzi snapped away as guests arrived on the red carpet and made their way past the Walk of Fame, creating a mood of excitement before guests reached the registration table. Attendees next passed through an elaborate Hollywood archway, built by a group of dads. It led to a video wall showcasing such film classics as Casablanca and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

As for the faculty room, it was transformed into a stylish VIP lounge (if only it could stay that way forever, the teachers must have wished).

The gymnasium was a visual masterpiece. It’s where just over 300 guests gathered after being heralded by a pair of trumpeters to a dinner prepared by Essence Catering.

“I wanted something that was glamorous, that would bring joy to everyone,” 2025 Ashbury Ball committee chair and Ashbury alumna Justine Eyre-Nelson said of her vision for the event. “It’s the magic of Hollywood, and it’s accessible to all.”

As a Canadian-born actress and former model, Eyre-Nelson was perfectly cast for the volunteer leadership role. No one at Ashbury knows Tinseltown better than she and her husband, fellow actor John Nelson, a fetching couple with two boys attending the school.

Eyre-Nelson led a committee of 12 volunteers. It was virtually all moms, with some “heavy spousal backup”. The group spent months planning and organizing the signature fundraiser, which made a spectacular comeback after skipping over 2024.

John Nelson praised the committee’s efforts, saying: “The twelve of them, honestly, could start a corporation and rule the world.”

The dinner tables were assigned names from L.A. neighbourhoods. Top sponsors were gifted directors’ chairs. Stilt-walking performers served as roving entertainment, resembling quirky old gas lamps from a bygone era. They were from Montreal-based street theatre company Imagicario, which Eyre-Nelson and her husband happened to see perform at the Ottawa Children’s Festival last year.

Ashbury Ball chair Justine Eyre-Nelson delivered an inspiring poem that she wrote herself, celebrating the power of education in shaping children's futures. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Angela Singhal (Richcraft) and her husband, Jeff Smith, with her sister Monica Singhal and her husband, Kevin Yemm, also from Richcraft, and Tony Capello (Capello Systems) and his wife, Dia Capello (Valamode). Photo by Caroline Phillips

Sharing the title of presenting sponsors were luxury home seller Sezlik.com, represented by Charles Sezlik and his son, Sebastien S.; Star Motors of Ottawa – Mercedes Benz, represented by Jeff Mierins and his wife Tara-Leigh; and Mercedes-Benz Ottawa Downtown, represented by Arnie Mierins and his wife Vicki.

Other event partners spotted in the crowd included Sanjay Shah (ExecHealth), sisters Angela and Monica Singhal and Monica’s husband Kevin Yemm from Richcraft Homes, Anabel Bane from Foundation WCPD, Shawn Malhotra from Claridge Homes | Ottawa Builder, Ken Jennings from Jennings Real Estate Corporation, Julie Taggart from Taggart Realty Management, and Howard Silver from The Silver Group.

The chair of the Ashbury Board of Governors is Dr. Melissa Forgie, senior vice dean of medical education at uOttawa, while the president of the school’s Parents’ Guild is Charlotte Mee. Leading the Ashbury Foundation Board is Hugh H. H. Scott, executive director, strategic alliances for Innovative Medicines Canada.

A portion of the proceeds raised from the ball are supporting needs-based student financial assistance, which has grown to more than $1.5 million annually. Among the attending alumni to have benefited is Misko McGregorfrom Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg. The commerce grad from Queen’s University is now working at Cedar Leaf Capital, the first Indigenous institutional investment dealer in Canada. He also sits on the board of the Ashbury College Foundation.

Ashbury College head Norman Southward welcomed a crowd that included parents, alumni, teachers and staff. “We have an incredible school community,” he told the room. “Our students are at the front and centre of everything we do, and tonight is really about our students.”

The gala was also held in support of the work the school is doing to promote environmental stewardship and to develop a digital production studio for students.

The emcee and auctioneer role was local TV host and school alumnus Derick Fage, who was assisted by Ashbury students in showcasing some of the auction packages.

A couple of students played one-on-one basketball (the venue was a gym, after all) to promote the Toronto Raptors tickets up for grabs while another student, dressed as a burglar, prowled through the crowd as the Pink Panther theme song played. She was clutching a copy of Yousuf Karsh’s photographic portrait of Winston Churchill, also known as The Roaring Lion. It recently made headlines after being stolen from an Ottawa hotel before being safely returned. The live auction package was a dinner for eight hosted by Southward and his wife, Anna Rumin, in the Karsh Room at the Rideau Club — where the famous Churchill photo also hangs.

Rumin is part of a group of women volunteers who organize an annual luxury consignment clothing sale each spring that raises many thousands for Cornerstone Housing for Women. She was thrilled to spot one of the purchased items at the Ashbury Ball that evening — a Halston gown, which Holiday Little had snagged for the incredible price of $50.