DOCTOR’S LEGACY: Chaired by philanthropist and businessman John Evans and Shirley Young, the seventh annual Life Commitment Dinner drew 150 guests to Lorne and Melita Segal’s home. Once again, the lavish affair was set atop the couple’s indoor swimming pool where attendees feasted on a royal repast supplied by the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. The annual benefit is held in memory of the late Dr. Peter Jepson-Young, a physician who chronicled his own AIDS journey through a weekly diary televised on CBC until his death in 1992. The event raised $250,000 for the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation. Proceeds from the night will benefit hundreds of people living with HIV. Gloria Macarenko and yours truly hosted the evening, which featured keynote speaker Jennifer Bibby, a nurse at the Dr. Peter Centre, and music from Grammy award-winning musician and producer Chin Injeti.
BROLLYWOOD SUCCESS: Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»firefighters took to the streets selling much-needed umbrellas on a rain-soaked Wednesday at major intersections in the business district of downtown Vancouver. The sale, which collected $15,000, was part of the firefighters’ third-annual We’ve Got You Covered campaign, a fundraising drive in support of Snacks for Kids, the organization’s charity of choice. The yearly effort has provided more than 150,000 healthy, non-perishable snacks to almost 700 vulnerable children at 22 Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»schools and after-school programs. The Flying Pig in Gastown continued the fundraising festivities indoors, later that day. Led by fundraiser extraordinaire Dotty Kanke, more fundraising games ensued. Firefighters flexed their muscles in a much-anticipated chin-up contest. In return, partygoers flexed their wallets adding another $85,000 to the tally to ensure a $100,000 night.
WHISTLER BUZZ: Cornucopia, Whistler’s annual food and drink festival turned 20. It’s a magnet for some of the region’s finest chefs, foodies and oenophiles. More than 140 events — tastings, dinners, seminars chefs’ table luncheons and parties — are planned for the epicurean extravaganza. Thousands once again attended the foodie fete that has grown from a four-day affair to 11 party days over two weekends. This year’s program features a multitude of notable events anchored by the festival’s marquee Crush Gala Grand Tasting. Araxi Restaurant and Oyster Bar, a fixture of Whistler’s culinary scene, welcomed Manzanilla’s celebrated chefs Benito Molina and Solange Muris for a collaborative dinner. The Whistler Adaptive Sports Program, a not-for-profit society that provides year-round recreational programs for people of all ages with disabilities, was this year’s beneficiary. Cornucopia runs until Nov. 20.
IN LOVING MEMORY: Dan Snook, a gentle soul with a warm heart and promising future, fell victim to a sexual predator. As is common with victims of abuse, he turned to drugs to suppress the psychological pain of the experience. Stints in rehab only provided a partial solution. What was needed was counselling. Tragically, the young teen relapsed and died from an overdose at the age of 19. The Dan Snook Trust Foundation or Dan’s Legacy was created to keep Dan’s memory alive and to help other children going through similar circumstances by providing them with much-needed counselling and support. The fledgling foundation held its third Chef’s Charity Dinner at The Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Club, raising $70,000 for at-risk youth in the Lower Mainland. Supporters heard from Cathi Naples brought the reality of limited access to help into sharp focus. She told the story of her son Jacob, who, due to severe depression as a victim of sexual abuse, took his life last year a week before his 19th birthday.
