A line up for this year’s Schulich French Toast Breakfast formed before the doors even opened and volunteers were kept busy throughout the event serving plates full of freshly made goodness.
Even before tallying the amounts, organizers knew their numbers would be up. A total of 264 servings of French toast were handed out throughout the morning for an increase over last year of 10 per cent. The event raised $753.09 for the York Cares United Way Campaign.
Sandra Osti of Student Services & International Relations at Schulich serves up a delicious breakfast
“I knew right away that we were going to surpass last year’s participation rates,” said Sharon Chisholm of York’s Schulich School of Business, who organizes the event. “We had to make new batches four times so we wouldn’t run out.”
The first rush came from students eager for a tasty breakfast before heading off to their classes. They were serenaded, along with all who followed, by the music of fellow student James MacDonald, who is taking his MBA at Schulich.
James MacDonald
There was an additional element of excitement this year when alumnus John Bankes (LLB/MBA ’77), drew the winning names for several prizes, including the grand prize of a trip for two to anywhere Air Canada flies across North America. The grand prize, which Bankes donated, went to Professor Sonia Lawrence, director of the Institute for Feminist Legal Studies at Osgoode Hall Law School.
Alumnus John Bankes announces the winner of the grand prize along with Campaign Co-Chair Lisa Gleva
Other winners included Charles Greene, who won the iPod Nano, donated by Data Integrity; political science Professor David Leyton-Brown, master of Calumet College, who won the York golf bag; theatre Professor Belarie Hyman Zatzman of the Faculty of Fine Arts who won “Lunch for 2” at the Schulich Executive Learning Centre Dining Room; and David Gibson, digital media support specialist in Learning Technology Services, who won the book, Las Nubes Conservation in the Cloud Forests of Costa Rica.
Sonia Lawrence
To participate in the draw, recipients had to pledge $1/week or $52/year to the United Way campaign by Friday, Nov. 23 at 4pm. As campaign co-chair Lisa Gleva put it, “We are celebrating those donors who pledged early.” Gleva also thanked all those who donated prizes for the campaign and reminded everyone of the importance of the relationships that “we have here on campus with all of our suppliers”.
David Leyton-Brown
Names were also drawn for a several more prizes. Laurie Mobilio won a gift certificate valued at $25 Michelangelo’s Cafeteria, donated by Michaelangelo’s; Wendy Booth, Adam Taves, Brenda Fernandes, Louise Hartley and Sam Bucovetsky each won a gift certificate worth $10 for Second Cup; Monica Gola won a gift certificate for Country Style (Kosher) Deli worth $10; Andrew Winters and Kimberley Bonnar each won the Las Nubes Conservation in the Cloud Forests of Costa Rica book; and Chantal Lishingman won a $15 gift certificate for the Orange Snail.
Adam Taves
Each slice of French toast was topped with an icing sugar Schulich logo and plenty of maple syrup. The Schulich French Toast Breakfast was sponsored by the Schulich Executive Learning Centre and The Promotion Specialists.
Sam Bucovetsky
The goal this year is to increase participation in pledges to 12 per cent. As of Wednesday, participation was at nine per cent, with more than $164,000 raised for the United Way. More donations are expected to come in over the next few months.
For more information, contact yucares@yorku.ca.
From left, Sandra Osti, Helen Hundert-Gold, Habib Mcharek and Mel Poteck