WONDERLAND: Yours truly, along with Global TV’s Sophie Lui, served as master of ceremonies at the fourth annual Night of Wonders Gala. One of my top 10 picks last year of BC’s Best Parties returned for another special evening in support of the Children’s Wish Foundation. A glamourous group of 250 dreammakers come together to support the B.C.-Yukon chapter’s efforts to grant wishes to some very special kids living with life-threatening illnesses. The gala, sponsored by Pacific Blue Cross, lived up to its name. Provincial director Jennifer Petersen and committee members led by Jessica Hollander transformed the Auto Form dealership in East Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»into a grand party palace where guests enjoyed an exquisite dinner and some fundraising games to help see wishes come true — from trips to Disneyland and reunions with family members to custom fitted golf clubs. By evening’s end, the magical night garnered an impressive $375,000.
HEALTHY EATING: Dining Out for Life returned this past Thursday for its 23rd staging. Some 75 restaurants participated in the 2017 campaign donating 25 per cent of their food sales to support A Loving Spoonful, an organization that helps men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS. While rates of infection have slowed considerably and new therapies are extending lives, the reality is there are still roughly 75,000 Canadians living with the disease, with 3,000 new cases reported every year. In B.C., an estimated 15,000 individuals live with HIV/AIDS, many of them housebound, says A Loving Spoonful executive director Lisa Martella, whose organization provides nutritional and dietary support and distributes 100,000 healthy meals free-of-charge to clients annually. “It is our belief as a society that by meeting this basic human need, we allow our clients to focus on the other challenges this disease poses,” she added. Yours truly hosted this year’s $75,000 campaign with a special Sunday Roast at Chris Whittaker and Joseph Gosselin’s Timber Restaurant in advance of the one-day festival. Since its inception, the provincial effort has raised $3.2 million.
FAST CARS: The Auto Show Gala serves as the industry launch event for the Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»International Auto Show. Prior to the sneak peak of this year’s luxury vehicles on display for the 97th running, more than 800 industry leaders — dealers, manufacturers, government officials and media guests — parked themselves on the show room floor at the Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»Convention Centre for the annual mingler and awards show honouring the province’s top salespeople. Blair Qualey, president of the New Car Dealers Association of British Columbia, presided over the awards ceremony and fundraising dinner in support of B.C.’s Special Olympics. Prior to the auction of one-of-a-kind art and travel experiences, 28 trophies were handed out to this year’s top dogs. Still a male-dominated sector, all but four awards were handed to men. No matter, says Alice Lee, a UBC psychology major and top sales associate at Mazda Richmond. It’s just a matter of time, she says, crediting her success to the relationships she has built with people.Â
GROWING CHEFS: Building on the success of its special 50th anniversary gala last November at Rocky Mountaineer, the Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»Community College hosted its inaugural Flourish Gala, bringing together some of its celebrated alumni to raise funds for students wishing to enter the industry. The Pear Tree's Scott Jaeger, Torafuku's Clement Chan and Homer Street Cafe's Tret Jordan returned to their alma mater to headline the food and wine grazer, which aimed to raise $50,000 to support bursaries, scholarships and training materials for current and future VCC students. It was fronted by college president Peter Nunoda and foundation executive director Nancy Nesbitt. A capacity crowd convened at the school’s East Broadway Campus for the foodie fete. Guests were treated to an experiential evening showcasing the institution’s exceptional culinary program. With support from its star alumni and special guests Angus An and David Hawksworth, VCC students, staff and faculty put forth their best dishes, paired with award-winning wines from the Naramata Bench.
Hear Fred Mondays 8:20am on CBC Radio’s The Early Edition AM690 and 88.1FM; Email: [email protected]; Twitter: @FredAboutTown
