Fred Lee's Social Community: The 12 most memorable events of 2018

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As soon as once more British Columbians demonstrated their unbelievable capability to present by opening their hearts, their wallets and even their properties to help people and organizations in occasions of want. From the notable to essentially the most buzzworthy, right here’s one closing look again at 2018’s prime merrymakers and the excellent folks behind them. Right here’s to them and a kinder, gentler 2019.

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HOPE COUTURE

Susan Chow and Lisa Dalton steered the province’s most trendy and profitable fundraising lunch. They fed, entertained and managed to gather $600,000 to assist these going through most cancers in the present day. In 5 years, the ability lunch and Bacci/Boboli trend present has generated practically $4 million for B.C. Most cancers. The company additionally hosted one of many metropolis’s prime galas of the 12 months. Its Inspiration Gala eight weeks later would muster one other $4.3 million.

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TIME TO SHINE

Chair Judy Leung and the Chinese language neighborhood rallied behind VGH & UBC Hospital Basis’s efforts to package out 16 working rooms with state-of-the-art tools. A relative newcomer to the social circuit, the lavish occasion in simply 4 years has seen well-heeled visitors donate greater than $10 million to surgical care. A $1.5 million reward from Westbank CEO Ian Gillespie and his spouse Stephanie Dong led this 12 months’s fundraising cost. It might contribute to an excellent $4.3 million evening.

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CRYSTAL BALL

Jennifer Johnston and a strong group of social do-gooders have been the power behind the Crystal Ball’s record-setting evening. For under the second time within the occasion’s 32-year historical past, B.C. Kids’s Hospital Basis’s flagship fundraiser reached the $4 million mark. At all times a top-notch affair, this 12 months’s extravagant dinner and public sale would profit psychological well being initiatives for youngsters and youth on the province’s foremost pediatric, educating and analysis facility.

ILLUMINATE

Sue Adams and Jacquie Prokopanko shined a highlight on the Michael Audain Artwork Museum in Whistler. With wine fairies suspended from the Westin Lodge pouring drinks, you knew this was not going to be your stuffy gala occasion. Convincing artwork heavyweights to make the journey up the Sea to Sky Freeway, they have been rewarded with a high quality night of leisure, in addition to nice artwork that went on the public sale block. The second annual occasion generated a powerful $500,000, up $200,000 from its debut.

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HEART OF GOLD

After stalling and a quick hiatus, the Coronary heart and Stroke Basis’s Coronary heart of Gold Gala returned greater and higher. First time chair Jen Rainnie pumped new life into the thirteenth present of hearts occasion, attracting 500 visitors to the New Orlean’s themed occasion, produced at Parq Vancouver. Rainnie together with Olympic determine skating medallist Joannie Rochette — a Coronary heart and Stroke Ambassador — and a band of scorching firemen drummed up $850,000 in help of ladies’s coronary heart and mind well being.

WHITE ENVELOPE GALA

Treana Peake by no means forgot the attractive act of kindness she and her mom obtained within the type of an nameless envelope of cash that arrived yearly. A lot wanted then, now Peake lives her life by serving to others. She hosted her inaugural White Envelope Gala, inviting 200 kind-hearted folks together with crooner Michael Bublé to her out of doors West Vancouver home occasion to study of the plight of refugees residing on this planet’s largest settlement camp. A powerful debut, occasion visitors would pay it ahead to the tune of $450,000.

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A NIGHT OF MIRACLES

Bob Rai and Manjot Hallen chaired the South Asian Neighborhood’s A Night time of Miracles. An always-colourful affair, the tenth staging raised a document $755,000 for B.C. Kids’s Hospital. The tally was $275,000 greater than the quantity collected the earlier 12 months in help of the Sunny Hill Well being Centre for Kids Enhancement. The fundraising achievement represented a brand new commonplace of philanthropic help for the as soon as grassroots occasion Robin Dhir based in 2009.

DAFFODIL BALL

4-time chair Jennifer Traub, and newcomer Megan Lauman fronted the Canadian Most cancers Society’s signature soirée. There was a lot flower energy within the Lodge Vancouver ballroom as philanthropists, enterprise leaders and most cancers survivors doled out $1.54 million to assist enhance the standard of lifetime of these residing with most cancers. Their generosity rewarded with a shock efficiency by Sarah McLachlan. The siren fittingly performing her hits Angel and Abnormal Miracle for the star-struck crowd.

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NIGHT OF WONDERS

Benefiting Kids’s Want Basis, Kevin Mazzone and Tiffany Soper piloted the fifth Night time of Winders Gala on the London Aviation Centre. At all times held in a novel location, this 12 months’s Needs Take Flight occasion was a stunner in additional methods than one; from the decor and meals to the $550,000 collected. It was one other document setting haul for the fledgling little-gala-that-could that started within the cramped confines of the Vancouver Artwork Gallery lobby.

SPLASH

It was a banner 12 months for Christie King. She married her prince, Goldcorp CEO David Garofalo and efficiently co-chaired her second Splash Gala with occasion accomplice Bruce Munro Wright. The thirty sixth version of the Arts Umbrella artwork public sale was additionally a record-breaker, netting $560,000 for the blossoming visible and performing arts faculty. 2018 was equally a superb 12 months for the college. It obtained the go-ahead to maneuver into a brand new 50,000 sq. foot Granville Island area previously occupied by Emily Carr College.

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HARD DAYS NIGHT

Guided by Joelle Paleologou and Ritu Khanna, the Peace Arch Hospital Basis’s premiere occasion had 500 folks cross the pond to the land of strawberry fields for his or her very Brit bash. Pulling out all of the stops, their royal affair — the perfect theme occasion of 2018 — celebrated the perfect of Britain from the Beatles to the royal household. A significant success, the occasion not solely raised 1,000,000 {dollars} to help the hospital’s psychological well being initiatives, however the duo was additionally invited to Las Vegas to share their occasion secrets and techniques with different occasion planners.

SYMPHONY BALL

Chairs Lauren Armstrong, Karin Smith and Alexandra Mauler-Steinman might have danced all evening on the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s twenty eighth Symphony Ball. At all times a spectacular evening of candy music, the black-tie ball additionally gave 650 gala-goers the chance to say goodbye to outgoing conductor Bramwell Tovey who led his merry group of women and men by means of their musical paces one closing time. The night of music and dancing additionally scored $790,000 for the corporate’s academic initiatives.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Canuck Place Kids’s Hospice’s Present of Time; Chinatown Basis’s Chinatown Gala; Pacific Autism’s Launch Vacation Luncheon; B.C. Kids Hospital’s For Kids We Care Gala, and Household Companies of Larger Vancouver’s Speakeasy Soiree.

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