Charity & Community:
2,200 Gather Tonight for 27th Annual Cardinal’s Dinner

TORONTO (November 9, 2006) – Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic will welcome more than 2,000 guests this evening to the 27 th annual Cardinal’s Dinner at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (North Building). Religious, political and business leaders from across the GTA will continue a tradition that has raised millions for local charities since 1979. The evening begins with a reception at 6:00 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m.

Confirmed head table guests for this year’s dinner include:

• His Excellency, Archbishop Luigi Ventura, Papal Nuncio to Canada (representing the Vatican)
• The Honourable, Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario
• The Honourable James Flaherty, Federal Minister of Finance
• Her Worship, Hazel McCallion, Mayor of Mississauga
• The Right Rev. Colin Johnson (Anglican Diocese of Toronto).

Mr. Alfredo (Fred) DeGasperis, President of Con-Drain Company Ltd. will Chair this year’s dinner.

The Cardinal’s Dinner, founded by the late Gerald Emmett Cardinal Carter, continues to serve as one of the largest local dinners in the country. Since its inception in 1979, the event has raised more than $4 million, with close to $150,000 raised in 2005 to support 23 local charities.

As one of the most diverse dioceses in North America, the Archdiocese of Toronto is the spiritual home to 1.6 million Catholics, celebrating the sacraments in more than 30 languages each week at 223 parishes, from Toronto to Midland and Oshawa to Mississauga.

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Media Contact:
Neil MacCarthy, Director, Public Relations & Communications – Archdiocese of Toronto (416) 934-3400 x 552 (416) 879-2846 (cell) neilm@archtoronto.orgwww.archtoronto.org

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