Alcoholics Anonymous celebrating 70th anniversary in Toronto
TORONTO, June 27 /CNW/
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) will add new meaning to the word "hospitality" when it welcomes approximately 45,000 members of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) to A.A.'s 2005 International Convention, to be held here June 30-July 3, 2005.
A.A. will also celebrate its 70th anniversary at the event, the twelfth international convention in the organization's history. Over 75 countries will be represented, including the United States, Mexico, Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and Spain. And, for the first time in the history of A.A.'s celebration of the Fellowship, which is held internationally just once every five years, members from the People's Republic of China and Cuba will be participating in the opening flag ceremonies on the evening of Friday, July 1st.
For the MTCC and its staff, hosting A.A. and its tens of thousands of members is one of the biggest challenges in the Centre's history too, according to Jacqueline Lovell-Santos, MTCC Catering Manager. Ms. Lovell-Santos notes that a group this large is one hungry and thirsty crowd, and that it takes a small army of staff and a literal caravan of food service trucks to keep them satiated. Among the food and beverages that will be consumed during the four-day event are:
- Over 6,000 Hamburgers/Cheeseburgers
- Over 12,000 Hot Dogs and Sausages
- Over 50,000 soft drinks
- Over 50,000 juices
- 15,000 bottles of water
- 12,000 scoops of ice cream
- At least 75,000 large cups of coffee
Lovell-Santos added that in addition to its North and South Buildings, the MTCC will also offer refreshments from the 14 food tents, and vendor trucks it will set up in the Roundhouse Park, and on Bremner Blvd. Also, the nearby Steam Whistle Brewery will be converted to an Ice Cream Parlour and Deli for the duration of the convention.
"It is very exciting for us to be welcoming this large international celebration to Toronto and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre," MTCC President & CEO Barry Smith said. "Alcoholics Anonymous is a hugely successful organization that has helped millions of people suffering from the disease of alcoholism. We commend their success!"
Smith added that the MTCC anticipates this major convention will produce significant revenue for Toronto's hotels, entertainment venues and tourism industry, with an overall economic impact in the range of $46,656,000 in direct spending. In addition, thousands of taxi drivers, vendors, shops, restaurants and attractions in the city stand to benefit from this huge influx of visitors over the Canada Day weekend.
About Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholics Anonymous is a voluntary fellowship of men and women from all walks of life who meet together regularly to attain and maintain sobriety. At their meetings, members share their experience, strength and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. There are no dues or fees to join. Founded in 1935, A.A. today has more than 2 million members in 180 countries. Approximately 35% of A.A.'s members are women. It is estimated that there are more than 104,000 A.A. groups around the world.
About the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC). The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is Canada's No. 1 convention and trade show facility and one of the finest in North America. With more than 2 million square feet of state-of-the-art space, it is truly a world-class, tier-one facility. Since its opening in 1984, the MTCC has hosted approximately 10,000 events, entertained nearly 40 million guests and has had a multi-billion dollar direct and indirect economic impact on the City and Province.
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