Fred Lee’s weekly take a look at the movers and shakers round Metro Vancouver
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POWER GIVING: A staple on Vancouver Journal’s Energy 50 checklist, Carol Lee made the celebrated checklist as soon as once more becoming a member of a formidable group of changemakers, enterprise leaders, activists and politicians shaping the town and province. An influence dealer — described by the journal as those that can nonetheless get individuals to take a cellphone name or assembly — Lee just lately had 800 individuals reply the decision and attend her fourth Chinatown Basis Gala.
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Held on the Lodge Vancouver Ballroom, the province’s who’s who packed the primary ballroom for the annual fundraising gala dinner devoted to revitalizing the as soon as thriving Chinatown neighbourhood and serving to its residents. Produced by Soha Lavin’s Countdown Occasions, the room was fantastically reworked right into a golden occasion palace for the night time of storytelling and giving. The starry occasion additionally paid tribute to Lee’s mentor, her father — famend Vancouver developer, group builder and philanthropist Robert Lee — who’s ill and unable to attend.
Nearly single-handedly, Lee has been bringing the historic cultural district again from close to extinction. In 2018, the UBC and Harvard grad satisfied the town to reverse its coverage and banned tall and broad buildings in Chinatown. Lee additionally bought a number of buildings, together with the Could Wah lodge, for low-income residential redevelopment; opened the volunteer-driven Chinatown Classic retailer and Chinatown barbecue Restaurant on East Pender Road and based the soon-to-be-opened Chinatown Story Centre.
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This yr’s fundraising focus although can be 58 West Hastings, an built-in well being facility with 230 social-housing items. With funding from B.C. Housing, Canada Mortgage and Housing Company and all ranges of presidency, Lee set her sights on the ultimate $30-million wanted to get the Downtown Eastside mission began. Lee signed up equally influential of us Phil Lind of Rogers Communications, Canadian businessman Jake Kerr and former UBC president Martha Piper to guide the cost.
Greater than able to help the trigger, attendees confirmed their love for Chinatown and the Lee Household. 4 $1 million presents led the way in which; from Ben Yeung and the Peterson Group; Michael Audain of Polygon; Amin Lalji’s Larco Investments, and Lee household matriarch Lily Lee. Others would rapidly comply with go well with and earlier than the memorable night concluded, gala MC Gloria Macarenko and occasion chairs Sam Feldman and Darlene Poole introduced greater than $5.5 million was raised — making the occasion the most important B.C. fundraiser so far.
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Occasion emcee Gloria Macarenko and gala co-chair Sam Feldman noticed a formidable $5.5 million raised on the fourth Chinatown Basis Gala dinner. Photograph: Fred Lee.
Comedian imaginative and prescient
FAR SIGHTED: After studying her five-year-old son Gavin was identified with a degenerative eye illness and that there was little that might be performed, Burlington, Ont., mother Ann Morrison made it her life’s work to boost consciousness and fundraise for imaginative and prescient analysis. Enlisting her comedian buddy Meg Soper they hosted their first Comedian Imaginative and prescient profit in 1999 to boost cash for Basis Preventing Blindness in hopes of discovering a remedy for Retinitis Pigmentosa. The inaugural comedy night time with household and pals raised $7,500.
Morrison took the concept on the street, and finally Comedian Imaginative and prescient grew to become a nationwide initiative. Travelling coast to coast with the nation’s funniest individuals, Morrison has invited 1000’s to share the laughter and see the hope. Since its humble beginnings, greater than $9 million has been raised to assist the 1.5 million Canadians who’re blind or partially sighted and the greater than 6.5 million Canadians who’ve an eye fixed illness that places them susceptible to imaginative and prescient loss.
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Morrison has traversed the nation and attended each single occasion, spreading the phrase and championing sight saving analysis. She just lately landed in Vancouver for her a hundredth Comedian Imaginative and prescient. As soon as once more supporters packed the Imperial Lounge for the night time of comedy and philanthropy.
Earlier than funnymen Charlie Demers and Graham Clark took to the stage, yours actually served as grasp of ceremonies and known as the public sale of one-of-a-kind gadgets and experiences. A Lazy Connoisseur catered dinner fetched the night time’s high bid, bought twice. The prized cocktail occasion would contribute to a $100,000 haul for the just lately renamed charity Preventing Blindness Canada.
The Webster Awards
FIRSTS FOR WEBSTERS: Fronted by Bridgitte Anderson and Ernest Yee, greater than 800 friends packed the Lodge Vancouver for the thirty third annual Jack Webster Awards, B.C. journalism’s largest night time. Celebrating the trade’s greatest and brightest throughout all platforms, awards had been handed out in 12 classes. For the primary time within the award’s historical past, all of B.C.’s main broadcasters shared the stage and hosted the occasion. As a substitute of battling for tales, scoops and viewers share, they got here collectively to have fun their craft at a time when the free press and the pursuit of fact is below assault.
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Just like the internet hosting duties, trophies had been shared equally among the many province’s high broadcasters and newspapers. International B.C. swept the 2 tv classes for his or her reporting of the 2018 wildfires and on line casino cash laundering. CBC Radio earned three Websters for his or her work in radio, podcasts and the online. The Globe and Mail tied CBC with probably the most {hardware} for the night. Tales of exploited immigrant staff, municipal marketing campaign funds and blockade of a pure fuel pipeline earned the newspaper high marks from judges.
Two contributors for Postmedia — publishers of The Vancouver Solar and Province newspapers — had been additionally celebrated. Vancouver Solar columnist Daphne Bramham was named Commentator of the Yr. Bramham was cited for her professionalism, clever work and impactful commentary. Former Province deputy editor-in chief Fabian Dawson was introduced the Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award. A journalism profession that spans over 4 a long time, Dawson was lauded for his breadth of labor, and his efforts to chop a path for these under-represented within the newsroom to pursue a profession in journalism. Dawson was the primary journalist of color to obtain ‘The Hutch’ in 28 years.
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