2022
Shine the Light Gala

Presented by TD Bank and Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care

2022
Shine the Light Gala

Presented by TD Bank and Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care

$0 raised

When

Friday, November 4, 2022 6:30 p.m.

Where

333 King Street, Midland, ON L4R 3M7

Shine the Light Gala

Join us for an evening of great music and inspiring stories at this year’s Shine the Light Gala at the Midland Cultural Centre on Friday, November 4th featuring special guest Sophia Fracassi. Your support of this hybrid event will help fund a new preventative online mental health program for youth, a tool designed with youth for youth.

Waypoint is working together with youth and mental health partners to help kids and young adults maintain their mental wellbeing, build resiliency skills, and find the help they need before a crisis occurs.

With a goal to raise $100,000, all proceeds will support young people across the region by funding a new preventative online mental health program for youth. The program will be available to youth and youth organizations for free.

Waypoint is so grateful for the generosity of our event sponsors, and are proud to have TD Bank back as our Lead Sponsor for the 2022 Shine the Light Gala.

The Hybrid Event Experience

Support youth in our region by attending this hybrid event in-person or virtually.

Platinum Ticket Experience

For just $125, a Platinum Ticket will get you a show stopping live performance by Sophia Fracassi, a gourmet meal by Feast Catering & Events, dinner music by a local musician, online auction, and inspiring and impactful stories shared by patients and mental health professionals. The meal will be delivered right to your home if you are attending virtually, or enjoyed in-person at the Midland Cultural Centre.

Silver Ticket Experience (Free)

FREE Silver Tickets are also available and will allow you to enjoy parts of the evening. Reserve your FREE Silver Ticket by clicking "TICKETS" and select Silver Ticket to register. This will allow you to enjoy Sophia's music, testimonials and online auction from the comfort of your home.

BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

Meet Featured Guest

Sophia Fracassi

Sophia Fracassi has always turned to music to ride out life’s storms. The Canadian singer and songwriter is just 18 years old, but her voice is direct and confident, indicative of someone who has dedicated her whole life to her art. Her lyrics come from exactly where she is: in the middle of trial and error. With her latest release, “Somebody”, she brings listeners into her world, where she longs to be heard as she deals with the overwhelming spell of true loneliness.

Taking inspiration from icons like Joni Mitchell and Taylor Swift, Sophia writes about what she knows. Various heartbreaks and hardships helped gift her the perspective she is now repurposing in her music as she grows and pursues her passion. “It’s important to realize life can go in many different directions,” she says. “Sometimes plans don’t happen as intended.” After years of these kinds of revelations, Sophia wants her music to be a reflection of her own personal experiences, and a vessel to share her story authentically and honestly.

Listen to Sophia’s songs here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/SophiaFracassi/videos

Find out more about Sophia Fracassi: https://www.sophiafracassi.com/

Meet Your Hosts

Dr. Nadiya Sunderji

President and Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Nadiya Sunderji was appointed President and CEO of Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care in June 2022, after arriving at Waypoint in 2019, as the Vice President Medical Affairs and Chief of Staff, a role in which she advanced accessibility and quality of mental health care.

Prior to Waypoint, Nadiya served as a psychiatrist in the Mental Health and Addictions Service at St. Michael’s Hospital, the Medical Director of Quality for Mental Health and Addictions Service, and an Associate Scientist at the Hospital’s Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.

Nadiya received her Doctor of Medicine in 2003, her specialty certification in Psychiatry in 2008, and her Masters in Public Health in 2016 with a certificate in Quality, Patient Safety, and Outcomes Research. She has also completed San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety training, Mission Leadership through the Catholic Health Sponsors of Ontario, and a Certificate in Mental Health Law from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.

Nadiya co-chairs the Ontario Health Central Mental Health & Addictions Regional Advisory Table, co-chairs the OHA Schizophrenia Integrated Care Initiative Steering Committee and is a member of the OHA’s Physician Leadership Network and the Hospital Advisory Committee’s Mental Health and Addictions Funding Initiative, innovating in value based funding models to drive quality of care. She is a member of the Ontario Health Central Region Hospital Operations Table, where she has led the development of a community of practice for senior healthcare executives to lead for organizational wellbeing.

Nadiya is an award winning educator and researcher, a courageous and positive servant leader who has dedicated her career to advancing accessible equitable high quality mental health service delivery across all service sectors.

Meet Your Hosts

Dr. Rob Meeder

Dr. Meeder joined Waypoint Centre in 2020 as the Medical Director for Child and Youth Mental Health, and has supported existing youth programs and worked with partners to improve accessible, coordinated and high quality mental health care for children and youth across the system.

Dr. Meeder completed his Doctor of Medicine at McMaster University and Pediatrics Residency at Western University, and has completed specialty training in child and youth mental health. Dr. Meeder has been a pediatrician in the Simcoe-Muskoka area since 2003.

He is also a member of the Central Ontario Regional Ontario Health Team for Specialized Populations and has been involved in regional planning and clinical innovation for children and youth mental health care.

Meet Musical Guest Emma Reynolds

Emma Reynolds is a local guitarist, singer and songwriter based out of Penetanguishene. Emma has been singing and dancing since she was very little. She plays at various farmers markets, restaurants, coffee shops, and festivals in different areas around Midland, Barrie, and Toronto, and is heavily involved in local theatre productions. Every opportunity has helped her learn more about herself and her music. She has recently started writing and composing her own music, and finds it is an expressive way to relieve stress.

Find out more about Emma Reynolds: https://www.instagram.com/emrey_music/

A Message from TD Bank

"TD is proud to support Waypoint's Preventative Online Youth Mental Health Program, which comes at a critical time for our community and for young people – many of whom have been more adversely impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic," says District Vice President Greg Lamarche. "This program will help improve the mental health of youth through the development of resiliency skills and coping techniques, ultimately leading to better long-term mental wellbeing and quality of life."

Supporting Youth

“Preventative care is one of the most effective ways to keep communities healthy,” says Dr. Nadiya Sunderji, Waypoint President and CEO. “With a strong network of mental health and addiction partners, the launch of the North Simcoe Youth Wellness Hub, Waypoint’s new Family, Child and Youth Mental Health program, as well as this new preventative program, young people in our region have more service options than ever before. This year, with your help, we are bringing mental health support directly to youth, where and when they need it most.”

Donate Now!