MORE COURAGE: Local powerhouse Lorne Segal once again fronted the Courage to Come Back Awards, which celebrate the power of the human spirit. Six recipients from around B.C. — Kennedy Baker, Joe Calendino, Paul Caune, Jackie Hooper, Brenda Gardiner and Kristine Stanbra — were cited for their incredible stories of triumph from hardship, adversity and pain. There’s a reason tissue boxes are at each table. More than 1,200 people filed into the Vancouver Convention Centre for the annual dinner and auction. A triumphant success, the gala raised $1.16 million to support the work of the Coast Mental Health Foundation. The night was capped off with another $1 million from Health Minister Terry Lake for Coast Mental Health’s youth programs.
OUTWARD BOUND: Days later, Lorne Segal and his wife, Melita, would continue their giving ways at UBC’s CampOUT fundraiser, which helps LGBT youth build self-esteem, confidence and leadership skills at the four-day summer camp. The couple joined an affluent group of business and community leaders for an intimate fundraiser held at Heidi and Richard Coglon’s spectacular waterfront home. More than 240 campers, aged 14 to 21, from across the province have benefitted from the program. The Lazy Gourmet-catered cocktail party netted $50,000 to support the continued efforts of the UBC-led camp that will take place July 3 to 6.
INNER CITY LOVE: As part of Inner City Kids Week festivities last week, CLICK, the volunteer organization dedicated to raising money to help Vancouver’s children and youth living in poverty, held its fourth annual This is Definitely Not A Gala fundraising event. Yours truly emceed the grassroots affair at the Creekside Community Centre. With B.C. continuing to have the highest poverty rate in Canada, and no poverty reduction plan in the works, the charity, which celebrated its 10th birthday, has raised more than $250,000 in the past 10 years distributing more than 200 grants to 130 programs; providing food, after-school care, sports and camping opportunities and literacy programs to inner city kids.
CHAIR LIFT: More than 100 one-of-a-kind chairs, painted by local artists, were auctioned off to help African AIDS orphans. The event was fronted by the West Van Gogos, a volunteer group of grandmothers working to support African grandmothers raising a generation of children orphaned by AIDS, while yours truly hosted the live auction. Chairs by Pierre Coupey, Anni Hunt, Sheree Jones and Michael Tickner helped net $10,000 for the group, which cares for some of Africa’s most needy kids through the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
