Inside Motorcycles was honoured to be among the distinguished guests invited to A Night In Red, a fundraiser hosted by Rev It Up For SickKids on March 6 in Toronto.
Held at Forget About It Supper Club in the heart of Toronto’s entertainment district, A Night In Red was a Ducati-themed charity event for the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Upon arrival at the formal soirée, guests were offered a Ducati-insipired cosmo cocktail and photographed with a gorgeous 1199 Panigale S; each woman was also given a rose. The evening featured great food, an open bar, live DJ, cigar rollers, an auction and the chance to mix and mingle with fellow motorcyclists, enthusiasts, representative from SickKids Foundation and corporate sponsors, including representatives from Ducati.
The live auction included a rare Ducati Corse Arai RX-7 Carbon Fibre helmet that fetched an impressive $4,500, a Ducati Dainese leather riding jacket, a David Yurman watch and a trip to Italy that included tickets to the EICMA motorcycle exhibition and a tour of the Ducati factory. When all was said and done, A Night In Red raised $25,000 toward Rev It Up For SickKids’ long-term initiative and outlined their five-year commitment to the Hospital in the amount of $500,000.
L to R: Rev It Up For SickKids Committee members Alex Lombardi, Sal Oliveti, Loredana Oliveti, Joseph Manzoli and Joe Linardi.
“Our mission is to improve the lives of children and their families,” said Salvatore Oliveti, Co-founder of Rev It Up For SickKids. “As a team, we endeavour to raise funds that will provide the necessary care these kids need and deserve. To reach this goal, we have chosen to organize a unique event that combines our desire to give back with a hobby we are deeply passionate about: motorcycling.”
The evening’s Grand Marshall, Miss Jillian Smith, delivered an emotional speech to the crowd. Jillian’s little sister Sarah passed away in March of 2011 from cancer. The evening was also dedicated to Francesco Federico, the child of Angelo and Laura Federico, who passed on the evening before our event – a mere three months after birth.
Funds raised at Rev It Up For SickKids events go directly to Camp Oki (Canada’s first and only summer camp for children with congenital heart disease), The Sarah Smith Fund (to help research treatment of brain tumours) and finally to the purchase of several NIRS machines, leading edge technology for non-evasively measuring oxygen levels in patients. This equipment will be located in the “Rev It Up Foundation” room located on the Cardiology floor at the hospital.
“We believe that every child has the right to be healthy,” added fellow Co-Founder Joe Linardi. “Through our ride, and events like A Night In Red, we aim to make that a reality.”
“It’s important for us to be involved with worthy causes such as Rev It Up For SickKids,” said Inside Motorcycles General Manager David Weber. “Being involved in motorcycling rides and charity events allows us to support wonderful programs like this, while doing what we love.”
The 2013 Rev It Up For SickKids ride, hosted by Ride Motorcycles and Kahuna Powersports, will be held on July 14. The top-secret route runs from Vaughan to SickKids Hospital before ending up at Rusty’s in Collingwood. For more information, visit revitupforsickkids.com.
Cigar rollers at the front door offered upsome fine cigars that enhanced the high class vibe of the night.
A Ducati Monster sat near a front window of the Forget About It Supper Club, one of three models on display.
Red lighting, red Ducatis and guests all wearing a splash of red resulted in a unique vibe to the night.
Ducati’s own Chris Pearson was on hand to talk about the fine Ducati items up for auction, including the Ducati Corse Arai RX-7 helmet that fetched $4,500.
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