The Centre for Child Development holds a spot near and dear to our hearts. The Gala of Hope is an annual inspiring event that has raised over $1.4 million over the past 16 years through the generosity and contributions of gala guests, donors and sponsors.

For over 60 years, the Centre has been helping children with special needs reach their potential. The team provides therapeutic services to more than 2,700 children each year with the help from ocupational therapists, speech-language pathologies, physiotherapists, early childhood educators, dieticians, social workers and more.

The Centre is a privately funded not for profit organization, and relies solely on donations and fundraising events like the Gala of Hope to give back to the children who benefit from the Centre.

This year's Gala of Hope was a Yellow Brick Road theme with all the Emerald City charm you could imagine (check out how fitting our?boxwood decor pieces were for this fun look), including a champagne reception, cappuccino bar, four course dinner, silent and live auction goodness and tons of inspiring stories of spirit and strength of the children supported by The Centre for Child Development.

Greenscape Principal, Corinne Kessel was in attendance at the Gala this year, with her sweet Katchen, who is a proud ambassador for The Centre. As a baby, Katchen was born with Radial Aplasia - a congenital defect which affects the formation of the radius bone.?A child born with this condition has either a short or absent radius bone in one or both arm(s). Radial aplasia also results in the thumb being either partly formed or completely absent from the hand. Katchen has benefitted from the support of The Centre since she's been born, with the help of occupational therapists and specialized splints that will continue until she is an adult. She was feeling the Dorothy vibe for the Gala of Hope, and brought a ton of awareness and support for the Centre.

This year, the Gala of Hope welcomed celebrity and child advocate Sophie Tweed-Simmons, her father, Gene Simmons and mother,?Shannon Tweed. The Gala of Hope not only benefits?The Centre for Child Development, but Sophie's Place Child & Youth Advocacy Centre as well. Sophie?s Place Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC) allows children and youth aged 0-18 to report their experience of physical, mental or sexual abuse in a child-friendly space where they feel safe and welcome.?In order to keep providing these services to our youth, both Centre's?need the community to pitch in and help. It takes $150,000 a year to run Sophie?s Place. The Annual Gala of Hope goes a long way to help raise that money. Not to mention the $20,000 bid for a bass guitar, dinner with Gene Simmons, and a lap dance by Shannon Tweed!

Check out more photos from the event here!