Summer Dinner in Whites is returning to the Sarnia area in July but exactly where is, as always, a secret.
Summer Dinner in Whites is returning to the Sarnia area in July but exactly where is, as always, a secret.
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Participants in the annual pop-up dinner buy tickets, pack a picnic lunch, plates and flatware, dress in white and arrive at a pre-arranged gathering point on the event night before taking a shuttle or walking to the secret location.
This year’s dinner is July 4 and a fundraiser for the Youth Wellness Hub Ontario Sarnia-Lambton and the Family Connections program of the Sashbear Foundation, a charity for Canadian families affected by mental health challenges.
Tickets are $75 per couple. For details, visit simplywhitedinner.com.
The local event, which began in 2014, follows an international tradition started in Paris, in which large groups dress in white, pack their own food and dine together at a secret outdoor location.
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“It is spectacular this year,” said event co-ordinator Kelly Lynn Musico.
“Maybe there will be some American fireworks nearby,” she said. “One never knows.”
Previously called the Simply White Dinner, the Sarnia event became a fundraiser last year.
“Families and supportive friends of youth in Lambton need to know the Family Connections program can provide them with skills to help support their loved ones,” said Musico.
“They will also realize that they are not alone,” she said. “This practical program, as well as the support and understanding from other families going through similar situations, is invaluable.”
Musico said they work to keep tickets for the dinner affordable so everyone can “have access to a nice, upscale, classy event.”
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At the secret location, diners will find tables, chairs and tablecloths set up for their meal, along with a jazz ensemble, followed by an evening of dancing to music provided by a DJ.
Attendees also can order wine when they buy their tickets online.
Last year’s 300 tickets were all sold and, with sponsors’ help, $11,000 was raised for the Youth Wellness Hub.
“I have a huge mental health passion because two of my adult kids suffered from mental health challenges, so that’s why these are near and dear to my heart,” Musico said of the charities.
Dinnergoers and others also can donate via the event website.
“We’re on our last push right now trying to get to a sellout,” Musico said.
Organizers hope the annual dinner can be a “destination” event, drawing participants from across Southwestern Ontario as well as local residents, she said.
“In other bigger centers, people go quite a distance” to attend similar events, Musico said.
“It’s just really an enchanting evening,” she said. “The ambience is just really magical.”
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