Musings on TSO Donors

The thing with having your life whacked into the dungeon is that occasionally remnants of your old life come flying through the door to land at your feet. I was bored, tired, and couldn't do much the other day, so I decided to skim through one of them. The concerts sounded so fab that I flipped to the back of the magazine to check out such things as how to cough during a concert, what to wear, and when to clap. Then I glanced at the donor's list. Hmmm...vveeerrryyy interesting.

"Join our Corporate Council and make a valuable investment in Ontario's cultural community while showcasing your corporation's philanthropic leadership."

Scotiabank, that bastion of money that raked in a billion bucks of profit for 3 months of work, that bastion of good business that balked at cancelling chintzy ATM fees, managed to cough up between $20,000 and $99,999. That's right, under $100,000, equivalent to a penny for the rest of us. Now that might be because its rival TD Bank Financial Group is in the Virtuoso group all on its own, donating between $250,000 and $499,999, and Scotiabank is just making a token effort to its rival's philanthropy. But then one glances at the individual donors, and 31 non-billion-buck-making people have given over $100,000 to the TSO.

Suddenly the eye stops, backs up, blinks. Yup. It is Bob Rae, The Hon. Bob Rae to be exact. He and wife Arlene Perly Rae sit innocently there in the Artist Category, in the Music Director's Circle, announcing that they have given more than $100,000 (but under $250,000). Now I know why Rae found the religion called Liberal.

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