Action was fast and furious up on the Flames Central stage
By Markham Hislop

Organizers are calling the YYC4Haiti fundraiser at Flames Central Thursday night “a huge success” after packing the establishment on Stephen Avenue with over 1,000 people and raising more than $25,000 for Red Cross relief efforts.  Unfortunately, the Flames lost in a shoot out to the Phoenix Coyotes on the PPV big screen, but that didn’t dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm.  Master of ceremonies Steve Pollard led the charge, keeping the event moving along briskly, occasionally taking advantage of breaks in the hockey game.

Camilla Di Giuseppe, a news producer with CTV Calgary and one of the three media personalities who started YYC4Haiti, said that the event required over 600 volunteers to pull together. 

“We’re really proud of what we accomplished.  Success for an event like this isn’t just about the funds raised, but that the city came together so quickly to support it,” she said.

It will be a few days until the final tally is in, but the fund raising appears to have met expectations.  Items up for auction included the grand prize of a $15,000 four-day stay at the Okanagan Delta Grand Hotel and round-trip airfare (donated by Strategic Group), a round trip ticket for two anywhere Westjet flies, various Flames and other NHL hockey jerseys,  four club seats to a Flames-Anaheim Ducks tilt, a wedding planning package, lift tickets at local ski resorts, a Blackberry phone, health club memberships and a social media strategy package. 

The event began life just after the massive earthquake that devestated Haiti.  Di Giuseppe, Alex Ruiz and Angela MacIsaac were Tweeting about the disaster and what could be done in Calgary to support fund raising efforts.  Within hours the three had begun organizing YYC4Haiti via their social media networks, primarily Facebook and Twitter.  Attendees to the event were encouraged to sign up on the Facebook page and eventually more than 300 did so. 

MC Steve Pollard, with microphone, calls for bids on a signed Flames jersey

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