Sports celebs come out to pub fundraiser

A cold night in February went a little Pacific, as the Brain Injury Association of Canada hosted the second annual Hawaiian Oyster Odyssey on Feb. 20. The proceeds from the event held at the Miller Tavern went to the hosts, as well as the Brain Injury Society of Toronto.

Approximately 150 people attended the event at the Yonge St. and York Mills Rd. restaurant, as approximately $35,000 was raised. The BIAC also raised an additional $100,000 through the event’s corporate sponsorship.

Howard Brown, the event’s co-chair and a member of the BIAC’s board of directors, said it was a night to remember because approximately 15 of those in attendance were brain injury survivors. It brought the need to address brain injury to the forefront, an issue Brown claimed is usually ignored.

"It was an exciting event, as you normally don’t see the people impacted participating," said Brown. "Often, these people are forgotten since it’s considered an invisible injury and you never see it. But we brought greater awareness of the challenges not only survivors face, but their families and caregivers as well."

In addition to the survivors and their families, several special guests dug in to shuck some oysters. Toronto Maple Leafs legend and current Senator Frank Mahovlich, Olympic swimmer Liz Warden, Carolyn Bennett, Canada’s Minister of State for Public Health and George Smitherman, Ontario’s Minister of Health and Long-Term Care were there to lend their support.

Brown said former CFL superstar Terry Evanshen was the event’s headliner, as he spoke of his struggles with a brain injury. Evanshen was one of the CFL’s best players when he suffered a coma after crashing his jeep in 1988. He woke up two weeks later, but he had lost all memory of who he was.

"He had a profound message of don’t give up no matter what," said Brown. "He came early and left late, as he gave people hope who probably had given up in their battle."

The Hawaiian Oyster Odyssey has grown significantly in its two-year existence. In 2005, the lone event that was also held at the Miller Tavern raised just more than $30,000. This year, there will be a total of eight Oyster Odysseys across Canada, ranging from Halifax to Vancouver.

"These events are meant to be a fun night for a good cause, while trying to educated people that don’t have too much knowledge about brain injury," said Brown. "Survivors feel no one understands their struggles, but we’ve started to get them on the radar screen."

Ninety-five cents of every dollar raised went to benefit the BIAC’s plight to improve the quality of life of those impacted by brain injury and to its prevention as well. The BIAC, which was formed in 2003, is also dedicated to facilitating post-trauma research, education and advocacy.