A celebratory group of 160 Trinity College School parents, alumni, past parents and staff gathered for the Taste of Trinity gala the evening of Saturday, October 21st, and helped raise funds for future renovations to the historic W.A. Johnson Block. This was the first such event held at the School since fall 2019, and guests were thrilled to have the chance to gather together!
Cirne Commons was transformed for the evening, complete with lanterns, greenery and wine barrels that complemented the food and wine pairing theme. The TCS culinary services team created incredible food – from tarts stuffed with gorgonzola, bacon and a maple balsamic glaze, to bourbon braised beef – served at stations throughout the hall. As guests circulated around to the different stations, they found each course was paired with wine, exquisitely selected by the experts at Gibson Family Group to best enhance the flavours. Current parents gave their time as wine pourers and staff volunteers served food over the course of the evening. Both food and wine received rave reviews from attendees.
For those wishing to enjoy their wine experience even further, there was a chance to stop by a booth hosted by Gibson Family Group to visit with a sommelier and learn more about wine tasting, and how to recognize the different notes in each vintage.
As well, guests enjoyed perusing the silent auction, tracking their bids through the Mobilbid online system, and taking part in an energetic live auction. Live auction items included two Toronto Maple Leafs packages, one which featured dinner and a tour of Scotiabank Centre with TSN broadcaster Gord Miller P’23; a package featuring Speech Day parking, chapel and seating perks along with tickets and hotel stay for the grad dinner & dance; a TCS branded fridge; and dinner at The Lodge with Stuart Grainger, head of Trinity College School. Special thanks to Rob Magwood ’94, who filled in at the last minute as auctioneer when his brother Tim ’88 fell ill. Rob did a wonderful job, and had everyone laughing and enjoying the competitive bidding! While funds from the event are still being tallied, the auctions alone brought in more than $27,000.
The evening was made possible by the efforts of many people. Leading the way were the event chairs: Jennifer Petrolito P’27 (staff), Taryn Ito ’93 P’26 ’27, Lisa Bailey P’21 ’23 ’24 and Katie Traugott ’17 (staff).
Gratitude goes to the philanthropy & alumni office; to the TCS facilities & IT services team for all of their hard work to help set up Cirne Commons, especially Mark Den Biesen for his close work with the organizers; and to the faculty, staff and administration who attended and supported the event. And, of course, our thanks to the sponsors who made the evening possible, and the many volunteers who gave of their time.
This community-wide effort resulted in an absolutely wonderful evening. Cirne Commons was transformed and attendees loved the elegant, warm glow of the space. The food and wine were a smash hit, and the auctions provided a great deal of fun competition. But, most of all, there was the joy of being able to connect with old and new friends, in the spirit of giving back to the School. Thank you to everyone who contributed to an amazing event!
