Academy Award winner Shirley MacLaine honoured at Charity Gala in Toronto
POSTED BY: Cherise Sooree
Upon her recent visit to Toronto for the Toronto International Film Festival, acting legend Shirley MacLaine, took time out of her busy schedule to be honoured at the 14th annual Best Buddies Gala Dinner and Concert. Best Buddies Canada, a national charitable organization dedicated to fostering friendships between students and individuals with intellectual disabilities, presented MacLaine with the 2008 Best Buddies Leadership Award.
This year's event took place at MUZIK, one of the city's premiere entertainment venues, and featured performances by singer, songwriter and Juno award winner Chantal Kreviazuk, famed songwriter, funk and nu-jazz guitarist Leroy Emmanuel and the talented string and performance ensemble Bowfire.
The Best Buddies Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have dedicated their lives to humanitarian causes. MacLaine, who is famous for her work with numerous charities, was selected as this year's recipient for her work with The Thalians, a volunteer organization created in 1955 by young Hollywood to aid those afflicted with mental and psychological illness and disease. She also is a strong supporter of and Project Angel Food, a charity that provides daily meals for people homebound or disabled by HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
Founded in Toronto in 1993, Best Buddies Canada now operates in over 175 high school, university and college chapters in every province across the nation. Best Buddies now reaches the U.S., Canada, Australia, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Hong Kong, Ireland, Mexico, the Philippines and Sweden with further overseas programs developing in five continents.
