Selwyn House marks 100th anniversary with Latin Nights fundraiser

The gala event, held last Thursday evening at the school on Côte St. Antoine Road, was the culmination of Selwyn House's Centennial Endowment campaign. For this special evening, parts of Selwyn House were decorated with a Latin theme.

"Our objective through the whole 12 months has been to connect and re-connect with all constituents of the school to celebrate 100 years of excellence in education and to have fun," said William Mitchell, who will soon be retiring as headmaster. "Tonight's the night to do all three."

In addition to raising the endowment fund, proceeds from the evening are also being donated to local community charities. Five per cent of the proceeds are going towards the Montreal Children's Hospital and CHU Sainte-Justine. A further five per cent is going to the Gainey Foundation.

The night began with cocktails, with attendees roaming through a Latin-themed marketplace where they could purchase jewelry, pashminas and other items. It continued with an elegant dinner, followed by a spririted and unique live auction. It was all topped off by dancing into the wee hours to the world-renowned music of the Gipsy Kings Tribute Band.

During the live auction segment, some guests may have been surprised to see a hidden talent of Selwyn House's next headmaster, Hal Hannaford, who steps into the post next January. He gave an animated display of his witty and charming style as an auctioneer.

Items featured during the live auction included a $24,500 watch from the Cartier Private Collection, signed team jerseys from 10 of the greatest NHL players (including Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull and Jean Béliveau), and several vacation packages to destinations like South Africa, England, Spain and the Caribbean island of Anguilla.

In proposing a toast to the school, Ted Claxton, chairman of the Selwyn House board of directors, praised Mitchell for his many years of service.

"I like to think of this school as the place that Will built," he said, noting that 95 per cent of the changes that have taken place at Selwyn House in recent years were a result of Mitchell's initiative.