On March 31st, the Fairmont Royal York lit up with Toronto’s most elite and some of the biggest names in music.

Over 500 guests gathered together to attend the inaugural Organ Project Gala. The event was led by Eugene Melnyk, Owner and Chairman of the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators and hosted by television personality, Melissa Grelo.

Guests were treated to breathtaking performances by the cast of Jersey Boys, followed by X-Factor U.S.A. Finalist, Carly Rose Sonenclar, and Grammy Award winning superstar, Carrie Underwood.

The Gala was created to bring awareness to the organ transplant waitlist problem in Canada and the United States.

“I am overwhelmed by the support for The Organ Project. It’s so wonderful that so many people across Canada and the United States want to join me in eliminating the waitlist,” said Founder and Chairman, Eugene Melnyk.

” This is truly a solvable problem. It’s about education, registration, and donation. It only takes 2 minutes to register and that could be the difference in saving someone’s life,”

Founded in July 2016 by organ recipient Eugene Melnyk, Owner and Chairman of the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, The Organ Project is an organization that works to make traditional organ donation registration simpler, efficient, and more accessible. By working with federal and provincial governments, along with organ transplantation agencies, The Organ Project explores policy change opportunities, while working with stakeholders across Canada to identify real, practical solutions for organ transplant wait list. While there are many aspects of the organ transplantation process in Canada, The Organ Project strives to impress the importance of registering and becoming a donor to help save lives all across Canada and the United States.

Photography by: George Pimentel