You know Toronto Pride festivities are amping up when you find yourself walking along Church Street in Toronto to find rainbow flags whistling in the wind, glitter splashing across the sky and a gaggle of gays enthusiastically chortling on about the success of their annual Pride diet.
This year as part of an ongoing commitment to the LGBT community, TD Bank is excited to be in its 11th year supporting Toronto’s Pride week. TD is Pride’s only Platinum sponsor, and this year its #ForeverProud campaign will also be supporting three local causes.
For every dollar that is spent using a TD Aeroplan Credit Card anywhere in Toronto during Pride week, TD and Aeroplan will donate one Aeroplan Mile to Aeroplan’s national charitable program, Beyond Miles. The Aeroplan Miles will be equally divided and donated between three local organizations: Egale, The Stephen Lewis Foundation and Rainbow Railroad. This means every time you use your TD Aeroplan Credit Card during Pride week in Toronto, you are directly supporting and making a difference to an important cause. This could range from helping to fund a flight for an LGBT refugee, to helping provide care to an orphaned child living with HIV and AIDS, simply by using your TD Aeroplan Credit Card. TD supports hundreds of LGBT organizations throughout the year including sponsoring over 50 Pride festivals across Canada and the US.
In addition to the Beyond Miles initiative, TD will also be supporting 2015 Pride in the following ways:
- Pride Parade: Dozens of TD employees will be participating in the annual Pride Parade on Sunday, June 28th
- TD-Sponsored Bike Share Toronto: All bikes will have their spokes decorated in the Pride rainbow
- TD Flight Crew Photo Experience: Come out to play and pose with a photo with the TD flight crews aboard Rainbow Class
- Monster Mural: As part of the TD Fun Zone, children and their families are invited to help paint a giant mural in Toronto’s gay village
- TD “VIP Lounge” at Green Space Treehouse Party: A relaxing and tranquil oasis for Pride-goers to refresh, recharge and revitalize (exclusively for TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege cardholders)
I had the opportunity to check out TD’s VIP Lounge at Treehouse Party, an exclusive experience for TD Aeroplan Cardholders which included:
- dedicated VIP entrance
- hearty menu of snacks and treats
- wine, beer and Augie gourmet ice pops served by “Cigarette Boys” in vintage costumes
- premium cocktail bar, helmed by one of the city’s most prolific bartenders, Frankie Solarik of BarChef
- make-up artists onsite providing mini-makeovers using ManUP products
If you’re in Toronto and not certain on how to best tackle Pride here’s my 2015 Toronto Gay Bar Agenda:
Thursday June 25th | Starry Night at The 519
Friday June 26th | Fit Primpin at Harbourfront Centre
Saturday June 27th | Pit Bull at The Phoenix
Sunday June 28th | Pride Parade + Treehouse Party at Ryerson Quad + Business Women’s Special at Round Venue
Monday June 29th | Chill out max on the beach at Hanlan’s Point
