https://trellis-images.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/4aFpCUAzlt-photo.png
Campaign CTA Media Photo

Christine Elliott receiving the John Brant Award at the 2023 Gala.

RLA Gala Event

By: Robert Land Academy

RLA Gala Event

By: Robert Land Academy

Campaign CTA Media Photo

Christine Elliott receiving the John Brant Award at the 2023 Gala.

22 days left

When
April 20, 2024 6:00 PM EDT to 11:00 PM EDT
Where
Fallsview Casino Resort
6380 Fallsview Boulevard, Niagara Falls, ON  L2G 3W6
undefined

The RLA Gala Event

Saturday, April 20, 2024


Join Robert Land Academy and Layne The Auctionista as we celebrate the Academy, present the 2024 John Brant Award to Adam Shoalts and support the students.


This year’s Gala Event will be held at the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls. The evening begins with a reception at 6 pm followed by dinner and formal program at 7 pm. An online auction will be part of the Gala Event as well.


Tickets for the event are $200 each or a table of ten for $1800. A portion of the ticket price is eligible for an official tax receipt. There is a dinner choice, please make your selection during ticket purchase.


Parking in the casino’s parking garage ranges from $15 to $50 depending on several factors, including where you park. A parking pass is available now for $15 that will lock in that parking rate no matter where you park at the casino. Valet parking is $60 and NOT included in the $15 pass.


The parking pass is available under “items for sale”. The pass will be delivered to you at the gala during registration, as you pay for parking as you leave the parking garage.


The Fallsview Casino Resort does have hotel rooms. For information on room rates and availability for the Casino as well as their partner hotels, visit https://fallsviewcasinoresort.com/


For information on other hotels in the area, as well as things to do while you are in Niagara Falls visit https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/sleep/

Adam Shoalts

The Board of Governors of Robert Land Academy (RLA) is pleased to announce Adam Shoalts is the recipient of the 2024 John Brant Award.


Adam Shoalts is a professional adventurer and Westaway Explorer-in-Residence at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, national best-selling author, and public speaker. His expeditions range from mapping rivers to archaeological projects, but Shoalts is best known for his long solo journeys, including his latest adventure, a 3,400 km solo journey from Lake Erie to the Arctic as he followed peregrine falcons on their migratory flight.


Adam, who grew up down the road from the Academy in Pelham, graduated from Brock University before earning a Master’s and PhD at McMaster University where his research combined an interest in nature, history, archaeology and geography.


“There is no comparison between Adam’s solo journeys and the Fall Exercise our students embark on each fall, but the themes of resilience, problem-solving, and confidence resonate with the lessons our students learn on the Fall Ex and in our other outdoor, adventure type activities,” said RLA Board Chair Tim Hudak. “The Board of Governors agreed we could not choose a more deserving recipient.”


“Adam is an inspiration to our students and embodies the school’s values.” added Hudak. “His accomplishments, especially his expeditions, demonstrate a great deal of commitment and labour, not to mention courage.”


"I am humbled and honoured to be named the recipient of this award,” said Adam, who visited RLA before the pandemic and led the A Coy students on a local hike.


“John Brant was a fascinating figure in early Canadian history who played an important role in the pivotal battle of Queenston Heights. Queenston is a special place that I know well, having led archaeological tours and guided nature hikes there for several years, retracing his and other's steps. This makes receiving an award named in his honour feel even more special."


“Adam’s accomplishments, his passion for adventure and conservation, and his resiliency in the face of hardships the rest of us could never overcome, make him an obvious candidate for the John Brant Award,” said Hudak. “I look forward to presenting Adam with the award at the Academy Gala.”


The John Brant Award will be presented at the Academy’s Gala Event, Saturday April 20 at the Fallsview Casino Resort. Past recipients of the award are former Deputy Premier Christine Elliott in 2023, The Honourable Rob Nicholson in 2020 (presented in 2022 due to pandemic); General Walter Natynczyk in 2019 and Dave Levac, then Speaker of the Ontario Legislature in 2018.


For more information on the award visit www.rla.ca For more inforamation about Adam visit https://adamshoalts.com/

undefined

Sponsorship Opportunities

There are sponsorship opportunities available at many different levels, with corresponding benefits. There is always an opportunity to create a tailor-made sponsorship that aligns with an organization's specific goals, preferences and budget.


Please contact Advancement Officer Sarah Whitaker, swhitaker@rla.ca, to discuss sponsorship opportunities and how we can work together to make the RLA Gala a remarkable success and contribute to the positive change we aim to achieve.


Thank you to the businesses and organizations that have already pledged to sponsor this year's gala event. Click on their logos to learn more about RLA's partners.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Gala?

The Robert Land Academy Gala Event is a black tie, fundraising dinner. This year held in Niagara Falls. The Gala is also when we will present the John Brant Award to the 2024 recipient. The John Brant Award recognizes the five values of the Academy in leaders in the community.

Who can attend?

The Gala is attended by the school's Board of Governors, parents of current and past students, alumni, and other supporters of the school. Guests are encouraged to invite friends and family to attend. Current students of RLA are permitted to attend with their parent/guardian and do require a ticket.

Where do the proceeds go?

The proceeds of the Gala this year are directed to the Founder's Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund allows us to offer financial assistance to families who may not otherwise be able to afford private tuition but whose son would thrive at RLA.

How can I help?

Buy a ticket and attend the event. Don't forget to invite your friends and family to attend as well. Please also consider making a donation to the event to help us offset the costs or consider a corporate sponsorship. There is also an auction as part of the event. Please be sure to look at the auction and bid on items. You can also donate an item to be auctioned.

I can't attend the event, can I make a donation?

Yes. Navigate to the donation section of this website and click on the amount you'd like to donate. Or, you can reach out to our Advancement Officer Sarah Whitaker for more information or to make a donation with a cheque. She can be reached at swhitaker@rla.ca.

I own a business. Can I help through my business?

Absolutely. There are corporate sponsorship packages available that will put your company name and logo on this website, in our event program, on social media and possibly as part of the event. There will also be a silent auction, please consider making a donation of an auction item. Please contact Ms. Whitaker at swhitaker@rla.ca to discuss corporate sponsorship opportunities or a silent auction donation.

What does Black Tie mean?

For men, it means a tuxedo or formal dark suit and tie.

For women, it means a long evening dress, a formal cocktail length dress, or a dressy pant suit.

Mess Kit with medals is suitable for serving and retired members of the military.

Please note, RLA has strict standards for dress and deportment among students and staff and guests are expected to maintain the same standards: no jeans; no ripped or torn clothing and no logos or symbols.

The event is at a casino. Can I bring my child?

Yes. Although children under 19 are not permitted on the gaming floor, there is no need for your child to go on or near the gaming floor. The gaming floor is separated from the hotel and the Grand Hall, where the event will take place, and there are strict controls in place for who enters the casino itself.

Thank You

The 2023 Gala was a wonderful evening that helped us raise more than $30,000 for the Founder's Scholarship Fund. Thank you for supporting the Gala and the Academy.


To learn more about The John Brant Award and past recipients, please click here.


To watch the 2023 Gala Event, click on the link below.

Organized by
Robert Land Academy
Robert Land Academy is a not-for-profit private boarding school for boys in Grades 5 through 12. The Academy uses a miliatary model as the foundation for a highly structured school program with an emphasis on academic remediation, university admission and the development of self-care, self-discipline, and self-direction that allows students to reach their full potential. For more than a decade each graduatiing class has had 100% acceptance into post-secondary programs of their choice.
This fundraiser is powered by