Last Saturday evening, the 15th annual Gift of Time Gala welcomed over 750 guests to celebrate timeless love at the Parq Hotel. The beautiful ballroom was full of love and generosity as the event raised a record $1.53 million for Canuck Place children and families!
Canuck Place Gift of Time Gala
Guests were entertained with a stunning performance by singer, Victoria Anthony and the contemporary arrangements of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra.
Global BC’s Chris Gailus hosted a spectacular evening, with the support of Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers, guests bid on a unique and exclusive collection of live and silent auction items, which raised over $450,000 towards the event’s total.
Gala Co-Chairs Karley Rice, Lee Renison and Pippa Morgan led a creative and passionate volunteer gala, who were pivotal to the success of this year’s event.
Canuck Place father, Emmanuel Domingo, whose 20-year-old son Kristian received expert clinical care at Canuck Place, shared a powerful speech to a captivated audience who gave a standing ovation. “Canuck Place gave us the gift of time…time to allow us to be a family,” said Emmanuel. “After Kristian passed away, we reluctantly left Canuck Place feeling lost, empty, and profoundly sad. But our journey with Canuck Place was far from over. They continued to care for us. They provided support for our grief, and still do. We are so grateful for the abundance of compassion and kindness they have, not only for us, but for all the children and families they care for.”
Since its inception, the Gift of Time gala has raised over $13.5 million for pediatric palliative care provided by Canuck Place. In the last year alone, Canuck Place has provided care for over 765 children and families across BC and the Yukon – this is an increase of 19% in inpatient care, and a 33% increase in outpatient care. All funds raised at the Gift of Time gala support the delivery of care for children with life-threatening illnesses and the families who love them.
Follow Canuck Place Children’s Hospice on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
Miss604 is the proud blog partner of the Canuck Place Gift of Time Gala for the 7th year.
Last week, the 38th Vancouver International Film Festival (“VIFF”) kicked off its 16-day program of films and events with Atom Egoyan’s Guest of Honour, which was the opening gala film. I also have a special offer (below) for the VIFF Closing Gala film and party.
Over the next two weeks, you can catch 47 films from 28 countries (Contemporary World Cinema), 41 Canadian feature films (including 10 from BC), entertainment from leading XR – Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) – creators, and enhanced live program and much more. If you’re looking for more galas, you’re in luck – there are two more coming up!
VIFF Galas
BC Spotlight GALA – October 5, 2019 Daughter (director Anthony Shim), Canada – World Premiere Set in Vancouver, Shim portrays the power that tragedy wields in distorting the realities of relationships as Jim, played by John Cassini, wanders the streets looking for solace in whatever intimacy he can afford.
VIFF Closing GALA – October 11, 2019 La Belle Époque (director Nicolas Bedos), France A dramatic comedy that takes the sci-fi concept of time travel and brings it down to earth. Daniel Auteuil plays Victor, a cynical 70-ish cartoonist who chooses to make use of a new “Time Travellers” business enterprise, going back to the day in 1974 when he met his wife, Marianne, in a raucous Lyon bistro. Sparks fly, but not where we expect.
Win Passes
I have a pair of tickets to give away to the Closing Gala film and the Closing Gala party. Here’s how you can enter to win:
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Click below to post an entry on Twitter
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I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 5:00pm on Sunday, October 6, 2019. Follow VIFF on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information about the festival, its events, special guests, and films.
British Columbia is the third largest producer of cranberries in the world, and to celebrate, the annual Fort Langley Cranberry Festival is happening on October 12th just ahead of Thanksgiving.
Fort Langley Cranberry Festival 2019
When: Saturday, October 12, 2019 from 10:00am to 4:00pm Where: Fort Langley Village & Fort Langley Historic Site Admission: Free admission!
In the Village
Presented by Ocean Spray, this one-day only event kicks off with a pancake breakfast at 8:30am. Contests, live music, cooking demos, a fashion show and much more continue form 10:00am onward. Throughout the day over 100 marketplace vendors line Glover Road displaying their wares, 16 popular food trucks offer something for everyone.
There is a schedule of live entertainment and more then 20 teams participate in the Cranberry Festival Regatta. The children’s area, stationed at the Fort Langley Community Hall, includes face painters, balloon artists and the Creative Cube, all providing plenty of fun for the kids. There are also fun exhibits nearby at the Langley Centennial Museum, BC Farm Museum and the National Historic Site.
One of the highlights of the festival is the outstanding selection of products from the 90+ market vendors located throughout the village. From jewelry, specialty candy, organic coffee, fresh local produce to hand-made crafts, there is something for everyone.
At the Fort
Inside Fort Langley National Historic Site, you can learn the history of local uses of native cranberries by Indigenous people. Put on rubber boots and jump into the popular cranberry stomp, as well as other farm-related games. The village festival ends at 4:00pm but the Fort will be open until 5:00pm.
For more information follow the Fort Langley Cranberry Festival on Instagram and Facebook.
He’s Vancouver’s very own legendary music historian, he’s been a staple of Canadian TV and radio for decades, and now he’s taken YouTube by storm. To celebrate Nardwuar‘s induction into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, and his shiny new Starwalk star on Granville, he’s hosting a free, all ages gig on Sunday at The Commodore.
Nard Gets a Star
When: Sunday, September 29, 2019 doors at 12:00pm, show at 1:00pm Where: The Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville St, Vancouver) Admission: Free
This event will feature a performance by The Evaporators plus Nardwuar’s Video Vault and a Nardwuar Meet ‘n Greet.
“… his destabilizing zeal and musical knowledge operate as a merry infection. Somehow he gets media-savvy entertainers to switch off their autoresponders, to abandon their publicist’s advice about composure. No wonder the interviews are billed as title fights or Godzilla movies: “Nardwuar vs. Flying Lotus.” “Nardwuar vs. Snoop Dogg.” “Nardwuar vs. Lady Gaga.” Nardwuar wins if he can hammer his subject into a state of unguarded glee.”
Nardwuar is a living legend, a Vancouver icon! From volunteering with CiTR radio since 1986 to millions and millions of YouTube views, nowadays celebrities across the planet covet a Nardwuar interview.
“A maestro of the extensively-researched interview, Nardwuar simultaneously dazzles, impresses, disarms and scares his subjects when he presents them with meaningful gifts, precious ephemera from their past, or dishes out obscure facts about the individual’s former life before stardom struck.”
