(The young Laidlaw boys were excited to receive a space mission patch from Dr. Robert Thirsk, former Canadian astronaut and guest speaker at Jack’s Gala in 2025. Photo: Stittsville Central)
Join Stittsville’s Laidlaw family for a remarkable evening filled with hope, inspiration, and community dedicated to finding a cure for Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Type 4 (SPG4). Jack’s Gala: Reaching for the Stars is returning on May 30th, 2026 and being hosted at the Brookstreet Hotel.
The space-themed gala will honor eight-year-old Jack Laidlaw of Stittsville – an aspiring astronaut who dreams of one day being the first person to walk on Mars. Jack’s courage and determination remind us that no dream is too big, and no challenge is too great when a community comes together.
Jack’s parents shared, “We are Anna and Richard Laidlaw, parents to three young boys – Jack (8), Scott (6), and Tom (4). We are reaching out in hopes that you will consider supporting our family’s annual fundraising event, Jack’s Gala: Reaching for the Stars, taking place on May 30th, 2026, at the award-winning Brookstreet Hotel in Kanata where we hope to host 400 guests this year. We are seeking sponsors, donations to our live and silent auctions, and for guests to join us for this event, to help our family reach a cure for our son.”
“We are the only family in Canada with a registered Canadian charity dedicated to SPG4 research, and we are urgently seeking supporters to help bring the world’s first cure for SPG4 to clinical trials for our son Jack before this progressive disease takes away his abilities. A cure for our son means a cure for everyone affected by this rare genetic and progressive disease. More about our story can also be found on our Canadian charity’s website: Blu Genes Foundation – SPG4 Cure: https://blugenes.org/spg4-cure/ (Canadian tax receipt provided upon donation). Thank you very much for your consideration of a sponsorship or donation. Your support would mean the world to our family. We also hope you will consider joining us at the event this year!”
Guests will enjoy an unforgettable night filled with a Whalesbone-catered cocktail hour, a three-course gourmet dinner prepared by Brookstreet’s award-winning chefs, a luxurious silent auction, grand raffle, photobooths, a DJ and dancing, and unique space-themed experiences.
The evening will also feature live entertainment by musical guest Stittsville’s Tyler Kealey, emcee Derick Fage, auctioneer Dylan Black, special guest Caroline Phillips, and inspiring speakers who will share stories of hope and perseverance.
The special guest speaker this year will be astronaut, Dr. Dave Williams. Selected as an astronaut by the Canadian Space Agency in 1992, Dr. Williams is an astronaut, aquanaut, pilot, emergency physician, scientist, and CEO. He has flown to space twice, once on the space shuttle Columbia and once on Endeavour, logging over thirteen million kilometres in space and over seventeen hours of spacewalks. He holds the Canadian spacewalking record and was the first Canadian to have lived and worked in space and on Aquarius, the world’s only undersea research habitat. He is the recipient of seven honorary degrees, the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario and is an Ambassador and Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. He is a proud graduate of Beaconsfield High School and McGill University. He is currently CEO of Leap Biosystems, a member of the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame, and is on the board of several organizations including the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. He enjoys wildlife photography and is a member of the Canon Canada CPS professional services group.
Every moment of this special night supports a powerful mission. At last year’s event, $100,000 was raised to support the research for SPG4 thanks to the generosity of our community. All proceeds from this year’s gala will again fund groundbreaking SPG4 research, to support the discovery of the world’s first cure for SPG4, and to show that together, we can truly reach for the stars.
To purchase tickets to attend this extraordinary evening, visit the Jack’s Gala: Reaching for the stars website. Should you wish to be a sponsor, send an email to: jacks_gala@outlook.com. To discover more, make a donation, or view a touching video from last year’s gala visit the jacksgala website.
