ICE BREAKER: A capacity crowd gathered for the Vancouver Canucks 15th annual Scotiabank Dice and Ice Gala staged at the Hotel Vancouver. Players and senior brass once again fronted the gaming tables for the off-ice fundraiser benefitting the Canucks for Kids Fund. Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Kevin Bieksa mugged for photos while winger Alex Burrows held court in the VIP poker room. Funny money in hand, attendees mingled with their favourite players before sitting down to a sumptuous dinner and auction. Hosted by Corner Gas creator Brent Butt, the evening generated more than $550,000 for local children’s charities including the Canuck’s Autism Network, B.C. Children’s Hospital and the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. The impressive results fuelled a win for the club the next day skewering the hapless Buffalo Sabres.
INSPIRED HEALTH: Hundreds came together for the annual Taste the World fundraiser, a signature event for Angkor Children’s Hospital. Party founders John and Nina Cassils welcomed a capacity crowd to the sixth running of the food and wine grazer held in collaboration with the Import Vintners and Spirits Association. Chaired by Cinnamon Russell and Dianne Carruthers-Wood, the charity event, which raised a reported $125,000, will provide health care to millions of disadvantaged kids and their families in Cambodia and Myanmar. An appreciative Helen Catton, clinical director of the hospital, thanked the room of oenophiles, tastemakers and philanthropists for their generous support, sharing more than 20,000 kids will benefit from the six-figure haul.
WINE WARS: Wine enthusiasts and industry professionals converged at Science World for the third annual Grape Debate presented by alumni UBC, Wines of B.C. and Tourism Vancouver. A panel of wine experts representing the trends and terroir camp came well equipped with arguments to defend their position on what should drive a winery’s decisions. While it was clear the terroir side would rule the night, the biggest celebration came hours earlier with news the B.C. government would reduce the wholesale markup of higher-priced wines under new liquor reforms announced last fall. News spread throughout the geodesic dome with industry leaders, wine fans and more than 30 B.C. wineries raising their glass at the post-debate tasting. Among attendees were John Clerides and Mark Hicken, who led the public outcry.
