K-W Counselling finds support

Ticketholders for a surprise movie pre-release screening put on by K-W Counselling were left in the dark last Thursday, both figuratively, and literally. Once the lights finally came up after the screening however, the audience acknowledged that the dark was well worth it.

Organized by the local community outreach agency, supporters were offered the opportunity to partake in a night consisting of awareness of the service, as well as a special advanced screening of a yet-to-be-released movie selected specifically associated with the spirit of what K-W Counselling services brings to the area.

“What was touching about this event was the calibre of community leadership that happened in response to what K-W Counselling is all about,” said Leslie Josling, executive director of the service. “The community leadership really touched me and it’s because they get what K-W Counselling stands for.”

The night began with a reception at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) campus, where ticket holders were treated to hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar hosted by the Children’s Aid Foundation (CAF).

Speaking to the crowd during the reception, Josling revealed the generous $47,500 donation by the Foundation to K-W Counselling as well, to go along with the some 180 tickets sold for the night’s festivities, at $125 a ticket.

What made the evening stand out from a typical fundraising event was the fact that attendees were completely unaware of the details of the film they had purchased tickets to see.

“We wanted to create something that was annual and could be sustainable and we knew there would always be a fresh film coming off of the circuit,” Josling explained.

“We were clearly looking at Waterloo region and what might intrigue people in Waterloo region.”

That is how the partnership with Princess Cinemas’ John Tutt was established, and used to aid the decision for choosing what “special movie” to screen.

According to Josling, he went through approximately 33 films before landing on the one that was eventually shown: Canadian writer/director Sarah Polley’s latest outing, Stories We Tell.

Once the reception had concluded with a live auction, patrons moved across Uptown to the independent theatre where owner Tutt gave a short introduction to the film. Having attended a number of festivals for research, Tutt revealed that “films do rise to the top when you see that many.”

It was clear why Polley’s film was chosen for the event. A “documentary” with recreated story elements, the focus is on the director’s own family and her revelation at 18 years old that another man may actually be her father.

The film was an appropriate selection as it depicted the services that K-W Counselling stands for, but the real intrigue lay in the mystery of the overall event.

“I can’t participate like you, but it’s going to be a hard film not to love,” Tutt added beforehand.

As the credits rolled to conclude the evening, the audience seemed to agree.

Diane McGregor, director of family and community solutions for K-W Counselling attended the evening and couldn’t help but praise the effort put forth by the service to bring light to what they offer the community.

“When we talk about the calibre of people who brought this event together, it really matches the calibre of work that is done at KW Counselling.” McGregor said.

“It’s all about generating positive change in people’s lives, and you come to a night like this and it seems so positive and upbeat, it’s really an optimistic, fun kind of a thing.”