City Solicitor Mitch Holash was the “Man of the Year” at the sold-out Roast and Toast Gala for S.H.A.R.E Prince Albert on Saturday evening at Plaza 88.
Holash has been a frequent Roaster at the annual event, which returned after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and took what was coming in stride.
“I expect that I will be roundly adulated in my community, and they will toast me and celebrate me with great abandon and affection,” Holash said with a hint of sarcasm before the event.
He said it was a chance to support S.H.A.R.E and ridicule him.
This was a fundraising Gala to support targeted towards ongoing vocational and recreational programming for adults dealing with mental health issues.
Roasters included former “Man of the Year” Malcolm Jenkins, former Prince Albert Police Chief Troy Cooper, retired judge Ysanne Wilkinson and Holash’s sons Conor Holash, Kienan Holash and Brenner Holash.
“All of the speakers on the dais have some long hard animosity to me buried deep in their psychosis so I am expecting a lot of this might just happen to bloom out tonight as you will see,” he said.
“I think they will take great comfort in the numbers, and they will feel that I am outnumbered and they seem to have sold a lot of tickets to people who want to see me ridiculed. So, I think that should buoy them,” he said.
Holash was unsure who would be the Don Rickles of the event and put him in his place.
“Well, they have got some sharp-tongued people here, certainly retired Justice Ysanne Wilkinson is probably has the meanest tongue of anyone I have ever known. Malcolm Jenkins, I think we are close and fast friends but I think secretly he hates me and this will be his chance to get at me,” Holash said of the side of the stage he sat on.
The other side of the stage also had reasons for roasting Holash.
Deputy Chief Troy Cooper last week an hour after I phoned him he had a heart attack and so I think he is back for a free dinner and some revenge,” he said.
“I have three sons that were always very quiet, and their mother (Shirley) filled their heads with all of my faults and flaws and I think that they will probably have been underlining them through a lifetime of living with me,” Holash said.
The emcee and Roast Master was comedian Kelly Taylor. Roasters targeted his alleged massive ego, fine taste in clothing and haircut among other subjects.
Among the sold-out crowd was Prince Albert City Manager Sherry Person and other people from both his life as an attorney and his life as a patron of the arts, culture and sports in Prince Albert.
“Sherry will enjoy this tremendously I am sure yes,” he said.
Holash enjoys the event as he understood where the concept came from.
“It’s just a fun event, they have modeled it after the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast from the 1970s and 80s and that was such a fun iconic thing back then and it’s a good community and people with lots of affection for each other, punch each other in the arm really good and people eat it up, it’s a good event,” Holash said.
After supper Executive Director Robin Knudsen of SHARE talked about how the organization benefits Prince Albert and introduced board members in attendance
Holash thought the event was for a great cause
“This is for a great community instititution, SHARE just does wonderful work in our community, very meaningful work and I think the community has come out to support mostly that excellent service,” Holash said.
According to Knudsen total funds raised are not known at present but should be calculated later this week.
