Boobyball Ottawa raises $70,000 for Rethink Breast Cancer

Images by Ali Matthews and Danica Shamoy Photography.

If you happened to walk by Lago Bar & Grill at Dows Lake this past Saturday, you may have thought you were transported to a different world. There were fire dancers, dinosaurs and men and women dressed in their best tropical duds making their way inside.

All the tropical finery was for the legendary Boobyball, kicking off its second, sold out, Ottawa fundraising bash in support of Rethink Breast Cancer. This one night raised over $70,000, crushing last year’s total of $58,000. The theme was Paradise City and it was truly a wild night.

The animal sightings didn’t end at the door – Lago was completely transformed into a jungle paradise. We spied zebras, tigers, golden fruit, vines hanging from the rafters and palm fronds, feathers and glitter tucked in every corner. That isn’t even counting the guests!

“This year's theme was Paradise City and we saw guests wearing everything from tropical costumes to printed gowns,” said Alexandra Gunn, Boobyball PR & Media Relations for Ottawa and Fashion Editor for OLM. “Ottawa knows how to bring the style factor!"

One brand that was spotted the most in the crowd was the National Boobyball Sponsor, TOPSHOP. Prior to the event, TOPSHOP went above and beyond to host a shopping evening in Hudson’s Bay at the CF Rideau Centre for partygoers to get their outfits locked down while donating some proceeds to Rethink Breast Cancer.

“TOPSHOP pioneers the new and the next through fashion and technology and so Rethink was a natural choice of charity partner; they understand how to reach a young, busy audience and the power of positive, fear-free, bold messaging across multiple platforms,” said Cathie Kelly, Senior Vice President, TOPSHOP TOPMAN. “We admire how Rethink continue to revitalize the breast cancer movement and motivate young people to take responsibility for their health."

Rethink Breast Cancer Executive Director, MJ DeCoteau is incredibly proud of this partnership, “not only have they championed our cause and work, but they add such a stylish touch to our event.”

In addition to a stellar planning committee, the annual fundraiser brought out politicians, television hosts and local influencers including notable guests such as Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and CTV hosts Melissa Lamb and Megan Shaw.

Like every epic party, there were beats by DJ PAQ and cocktails by Tito’s Vodka, Meiomi Wines, Beau’s, Palm Bay, Shiny Apple Cider and Bacardi but it was all the ‘extra’ that made the night even more special.

We are talking hair glitter, braids, feathers and waves by Society Salon and the talented Stefania Capovilla; a full-on ball pit complete with golden fruit accessories; a flash tattoo station stocked with golden tigers, palm trees, and flamingos; not one, but TWO photo booths with tons of fun accessories and immediate gratification of print outs and animated gifs; a fabulous manicure bar by The Ten Spot; and a oxygen bar with ‘flavours’ like Revitalizing, Serenity and Chillin’ to keep party goers sharp.

It is this passion and attention to detail that has made Boobyball so successful. Since 2002, Boobyball has raised over $4 million dollars in Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa and Winnipeg for Rethink Breast Cancer’s work for young women concerned about and affected by breast cancer.

This kind of success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The Ottawa committee has been working for months on making this the perfect night. "It is always really cool to see our committees hard-work and ideas come together,” said Kathleen McGuire, Boobyball Co-Chair. “We had an absolute blast bringing Paradise City to Ottawa! We are so thankful for all the local support in sponsorship, prizes and to everyone who joined us for Ottawa's second edition of Boobyball, we cannot wait to bring the event back in 2017!"

As the night came to a close, the Boobyball Ottawa Committee had yet another win with their gift bags. These stocked gift bags conveniently also served as a hangover repair-kit. Highlights included a Panera Bread bagel, foot cream by Amope, Giant Tiger jelly beans and CDN nail polish.

For more about Boobyball, visit www.boobyball.com.