Fanatics--FAN NIGHT CLIPS!

Photo Blog: A Night with the Raptors; Red Party 2011

By:  _kristineanne

This past Christmas, me and the hubby, Fanatic Gino were fortunate enough to receive tickets to the 2011 Red Party from our brother, Fanatic Mark.  The following is just a short recap of some of the highlights of the night.

First things first, the Raptors, MLSE, and the Team Up Foundation really know how to throw a fantastic party.  Held at Muzik, guests were greeted by valet parking, delicious food, an open bar, and a chance to hang out with our favourite Raptors.  It was a fanatic's dream come true.  Here's a (poor quality) pic of the inside.

All guests had a chance to purchase a Raptors hard hat, which they could have autographed by whomever their heart desired.  All proceeds went to the Team Up foundation. After the initial shock of being surrounded by all the players, coaching staff and brass, we finally got down to business and mustered the courage to approach the guys.

Our first target was none other than the REGend, who looked super fly in his red suit.  Reggie's lovely wife was also with him, and the two are expecting a new little Evans every soon!  Congrats to the happy couple!

Next, we caught sight of Jose, who was not as decked out as Reggie, but still looking good, sporting a red tie.

Demar was quite the popular guy, he was really hard to get to, and we were only able to get his autograph and snap this picture:

And where Demar is Sonny is never far away, so it's only natural that we saw him next:

After Sonny, we really got down to business.  The main mission of the night was to find Andrea Bargnani, and get a picture with him.  Those who know me know that I am a HUGE Il Mago fan.  I'd practiced over and over what I would say to him when we met, and when the moment of truth finally arrived ... NOTHING.  I panicked and couldn't think of a thing to say.  I was afraid to even approach him.  Thank goodness for Gino, who pushed me and made it happen.  Once I got over the initial shock, of being near him, the shock of how incredibly tall he was hit me.  I mean, I know he's 7 feet, but MAN Andrea's like a tree!  But I would be lying if I told you I didn't get teary eyed after the encounter.  NOTE:  I am wearing high heels and still couldn't reach his shoulders.

Of course, the Dance Pak was in full force, and brought a ton of energy to the event.  Here's Gino with Kat ... sort of.

The party was emceed by Matt Devlin (always looking sharp in his red blazer) and Sherm.  Here they are with Jay Triano thanking the crowd.

After a stroll, we found Linas who was more than happy to sign our hard hat:

Close by, we also found Leandro.  How could you not love that smile?

As we were walking back to get some food, we caught up with Amir, who was extremely nice.

We chatted it up with Amir for a bit, and just before we left him, he asked me to tweet him our picture ... so the next day I did, and he actually tweeted me back!  This guy knows how to make the fans feel special.

Right by Amir, Joey and Sonny were taking the opportunity to pose in front of the cameras.

Here's me with Joey a short while after.

Ed was hanging out in a very congested area of Muzik so it was difficult to get a good picture.

Here's Gino with Peja:

Although Jerryd was actually the first Rap we saw that night, we didn't get to meet him until much later as he was swarmed by huge groups of people most of the night.

Here's Gino with Julian, who was probably our favourite Rap that night.  He really took the time to talk to us and made sure we were having a good time.

I couldn't resist taking a picture with JYD.  He was in a really good mood and took pictures with literally everyone in the building.

Jay was another elusive one.  He was very busy the whole night meeting this person and that, being shuttled from place to place; but eventually, we caught up with the coach.

Those of you who keep a close watch of the Fanatics know that we have a small number whenever Livin' on a Prayer blasts during the third quarter.  At the party, we were graced with none other than Matt and Jack singing our favourite tune.  It took all of my willpower not to bust a move during the chorus :)

My courage grew as the night went on, so when I saw Andrea, Linas and Peja all together at one end of the room, I jumped into a picture with the three of them.  Quite an awkward picture, but that's what makes it one of my faves.

This is one of the only pictures of the two of us that night.  It was late into the party just before we left.  Obviously, we're not as fresh as earlier in the night :p

And here's our hard hat at the end of the night, signed by everyone on our current roster (minus Solomon Alabi) and Jay Triano:

All in all it was a fantastic night, and a once in a lifetime opportunity for a Raptors Fanatic.