HOUSE PARTY: Established in 2011, Honour House, located in New Westminster, is a home away from home and a place of recovery for our military men and women, emergency services personnel and their families while they receive medical care in Metro Vancouver. Founder and former Vancouver Park Board commissioner Allan De Genova welcomed more than 600 guests to the Sheraton Wall Centre for the Night of Heroes hootenanny. Chaired by his daughter, Vancouver city councillor Melissa De Genova and Bronwyn Barter, the evening of giving featured a sumptuous dinner, a live auction that yours truly presided over with Marc Bergevin, and a surprise appearance by Vanhattan homeboy and international crooner Michael Bublé, who subbed in for Jann Arden. The biannual house party aimed to haul in $250,000 for the local non-profit.
BLING FLING: The Canadian Diabetes Association,which marks 40 years of supporting world-leading diabetes research, presented its fourth annual Baubles for Banting Gala fundraiser at Birks flagship downtown store. Sponsored by the Vancouver Courier, this year’s event brought Bollywood to the bling fling. Guests were entertained by the Shiamak dancers and enjoyed select South Asian-inspired hors d’oeuvres before emptying their pockets of $90,000 on an array of auction items to help those affected by diabetes live healthy lives and discover a cure. Additionally, Dr. Parmjit Sohal and John Paul Morrison — advocates in the fight against diabetes — were honoured with the Canadian Diabetes Association’s National Volunteer Awards. Regional director Sue Taylor made the presentations.
JOINTS JAMBOREE: A capacity crowd piled into the Vancouver Club for the Arthritis Research Centre’s marquee benefit. Founding gala chair Naz Panahi fronted the third ARThritis Soiree, which attracts the city’s most prominent business and community leaders, philanthropists, doctors, scientists and health care professionals. Yours truly emceed the lavish luau. With all the ingredients of a winning party — champagne, caviar, oysters and a robust auction — the night is destined to be one for the record books. By evening’s end, a record $270,000 was realized for research. Reportedly one in six Canadians — young and old — live with some 100 forms of arthritis.
