» disco gala
VERIATION MUSIC
STAYING ALIVE
“Disco is music for dancing, and people will always want to dance.” – GIORGIO MORODER
WRITTEN BY KELLY TABANGI
This statement may just be the pushing
force behind the great success of the Veriation Music Staying Alive Disco Gala.
It all started 10 years ago with two great
friends who shared a love and passion
for music. Together, Mario Bartelli
and Leo Veri organized a disco themed
party for all their friends and family.
Only a few hundred people attended
the original party, but each year, word
continuously spread and soon enough,
everyone was waiting eagerly to join in
on the excitement.
The demand continues to grow with a
sold out crowd of 1000 people, and at
least 500 on the waiting list hoping to receive a chance to attend. Each year, the
party welcomes new guests, as well as
dedicated fans and sponsors who have
been there from the very beginning, a
decade ago. Everyone loves an amazing
party accompanied by amazing music, and the Veriation Music disco gala
checks all the boxes.
With great success comes great opportunity. Mario & Leo’s objective has always
been to throw an amazing party entertaining as many people as possible, of
course always with the intentions of giving back to the community. Their foundation of choice is Sick Kids Hospital.
Over the years, the Staying Alive Disco
Gala has helped donate and make a difference in the lives of many children
and their families while also providing
an unbelievable experience for all of
their guests.
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• fredi spring 2016
Don’t be fooled, however. The Staying
Alive Disco Gala is not your traditional
fundraiser. The disco theme is carried
out through every aspect of the party.
The grand hall is decked out in disco
décor and all the top disco songs are
blasted throughout the night. Almost all
the guests attend the night sport their
best disco attire. For the duration of the
night, guests enjoy a full course dinner,
open bar, spectacular live band, silent
auction, photo booth, and amazing
ra e pri es including trips and even a
car giveaway! Once dinner begins, the
guests reminisce on stand out moments
highlighting some of the top TV shows
and songs from the 70s and 80s.
t may have just started off as a simple
party, but the Staying Alive Disco
Gala has turned into so much more
than that. It has become an outstanding annual event, anticipated by more
than 1000 people. As soon as the
night is over, the guests can’t wait for
the next year’s party to begin all over
again. With the event’s continuous
growth, Mario and Leo are proud to
have raised $190,000 to date for the
Sick Kids Foundation.
Many people believed that this year’s
gala marked the end of an era, but fortunately for them, this is not the case. As
Mario and Leo say, “As long as people
want to party, we will continue to give
them the best party possible.”