October 10, 2008 marked the 15^th anniversary of Venice coming to Toronto at the Venetian Ball that took place at the elegant and world-renowned Fairmont Royal York Hotel. Tonight, be prepared to party in true Venetian style with an incredible evening of exquisite food and drink, a "priceless" live auction presented by Christie's, great live entertainment by Impluse as well as a special appearance by Paul Sorvino, acclaimed Tony Award winning Italian American actor. The ball has become Toronto's largest and most elegant Italian-themed charitable gala, raising millions of dollars to help Villa Charities Foundation.

The reception started at 6:30PM followed by dinner in the grand ball room at 7:30PM.

Paul Sorvino

Born April 13, 1939, in Brooklyn, NY, acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, creative consultant, sculptor and opera singer Paul Sorvino has been keeping himself continually busy while performing in nearly 50 movies in the past decade. His dynamic portrayal of Henry Kissinger in Nixon, Fulgencio Capulet in the updated Romeo + Juliet, and mob patriarch Paul Cicero in the powerhouse Goodfellas have been only a few facets of his career. He appeared in variety of film, TV and theatrical productions over the past few years such as "That Championship Season" on Broadway alongside Robert Mitchum and Martin Sheen. Currently, Sorvino is in the midst of working on three films. Paul Sorvino is father to Amanda, Michael, and actress Mira Sorvino.

Impulse

This spectacular dance band features one of the best and most diverse vocal harmony groups in North America. Represented by West Coast Music based in Los Angeles, the Impulse Band have performed at events such as a California theme party in honour of Oprah Winfrey, the wedding for the daughter of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and the wedding reception for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. The band performs a wide variety of repertoire: classic doo wop of the 50's (Jersey Boys, Beach Boys), classic rock of the 60's (Eagles to Van Morrison), disco and funk of the 70's, Madonna, Prince, Queen to Duran Duran of the 80's, and a variety of contemporary music such as U2, the Killers, Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson and Cold Play. The band also performs a variety of international music, performing songs in Spanish and Italian: Celia Cruz, Shakira and Andrea Bocelli.