The Arthritis Fire Ball^™: An evening of passion, purpose and profound generosity

Arthritis Society Canada’s second annual Arthritis Fire Ball™, held on Saturday, November 4, at Fairmont Royal York, was an evening of passion, purpose and profound generosity that raised $400,000 to support the six million people in Canada living with the disease.

The glamour and glitz of this soirée were undeniable – all made possible because of the generous support of our sponsors. 

Hosted by CTV News Toronto co-anchor, Michelle Dubé, this black-tie affair offered guests stunning musical performances, a live band and dancing. The incredible Nicolina captivated the audience with her incredible voice and Randall Adjei, Ontario’s First Poet Laureate, shared his eloquent and inspiring poetry, set to song with vocalist Christina Smith.  

Featured guest Diana Gazdar shared her inspirational story, celebrating the strength, resiliency and perseverance of people living with arthritis, moving the audience to tears. “The hardest part of having arthritis was having to choose whether or not to have a family that I wanted and living a lifetime of pain,” Diana shared in a video played during the event. 

Trish Barbato, president and CEO of Arthritis Society Canada, introduced a national plan driven by Arthritis Society Canada to align the arthritis community in order to end the agony of arthritis once and for all. She shared, “We need to start thinking differently about arthritis. We have embarked on a journey to engage 1 million Canadians to build a nationwide 10-year Arthritis Action Plan – the largest co-created plan in Canada.”  

“Arthritis affects 1 in 5 Canadians – of all ages – including children. It is definitely not what you think it it. It causes excruciating pain, it’s debilitating, and there is NO cure,” she added. “It’s time to change the narrative of this disease.” 

See the photo collection

About Arthritis 

Arthritis affects 1 in 5 people in Canada (1:4 women and 1:6 men) and is a leading cause of disability. Most people, however, underestimate its seriousness. Arthritis causes excruciating pain, restricts mobility and diminishes quality of life. It impacts people of all ages, including children, and more than half of people living with the disease are under age 65. 

About Arthritis Society Canada   

Fueled by the trust and support of our donors and volunteers, Arthritis Society Canada is Canada’s national health charity fighting arthritis with research, advocacy, innovation, information and support. We represent the six million people in Canada living with arthritis today, and the millions more who are impacted or at risk. Without action now, the number of people in Canada living with arthritis will grow to nine million by 2040. Arthritis Society Canada is accredited under Imagine Canada's Standards Program. For more information, visit arthritis.ca. 

For more information or to arrange interviews: 

Jenny Ng 
Senior Manager, Public Relations & Media, Arthritis Society Canada 
jng@arthritis.ca, 416-455-1182 

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