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WINE STOPPER John and Nina Cassils once again fronted their eighth annual Taste the World Gala benefiting Cambodia’s Angkor Children’s Hospital.

After vacationing and falling in love with Myanmar and its people, the couple has rallied others to visit and created Taste the World to support Cambodia’s Ankor Children’s Hospital — a non-profit pediatrics teaching hospital — and the country’s need for better health education and care.

As usual, a raucous crowd filled the Four Seasons Hotel ballroom in Vancouver for the wine and cheese grazer and fundraising event, held in partnership with the Import Vitners and Spirits Association.

Brenda McAllister and Karen Carmichael steered this year’s tipple fest — the first major wine shindig of 2017. Oenophiles sipped and swirled to their hearts’ content, while bidding on an array of silent and live auction items in support of the worthy cause.

Event MCs Sophie Lui and Brad Jefferson saw for themselves the need to support the effort. Their travel stories to Southeast Asia along with others in the room buoyed the well-heeled crowd to empty their designer purses and wallets of $180,000 and change.

The impressive tally pushed the Cassils’ humanitarian efforts beyond the $1-million mark. The evening’s proceeds will treat some 35,000 children this year who otherwise would not be able to afford health care, says McAllister.

ROOSTER BOOSTER OF GOOD FORTUNE The White Rock Chinese Association ushered in the Year of the Rooster at the Bell Performing Arts Centre. A gala celebration featuring 80 international and local musicians, singers and dancers, the Spring China at White Rock festival — sponsored by local developer Landmark Premier Properties — benefited the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation and its $15-million ER campaign.

Several hundred guests, including a gaggle of glad-handing politicos, took in the multicultural arts extravaganza. The yearly party, which began in South Surrey’s Life Church, marked its sophomore year at the Bell Centre, a recognition of the growing Chinese community in White Rock and South Surrey.

Yours truly orchestrated the live auction in advance of the two-hour gala performance led by WRCA president Joanne Ding, Landmark Properties’ Raymond Chen and event MC Lisa Wu. Auction proceeds contributed to the $18,000 haul. That number quickly rose when Landmark matched every dollar. Not to be outdone, Dave and Rani Mann of Isle of Mann Construction further matched donations.

Before the final curtain fell on the cultural exchange, $72,000 was presented to hospital foundation chair Siobhan Philips and executive director Stephanie Beck.

FULL HOUSE FOR POKER GALA More than 650,000 British Columbians — young and old — live with arthritis. And three out of five people are under the age of 65. That there are more than 100 types of arthritis and that many can be devastating, debilitating and even fatal is shocking.

Putting a spotlight on an underestimated, often invisible disease, the B.C. and Yukon chapter of the Arthritis Society presented its inaugural All-In for Arthritis Poker Gala.

Fronted by party chair Dave Turner, tournament chair Sameer Ismail and executive director Christine Basque, a capacity crowd filled the Stanley Park Pavilion for the charity poker tournament and a chance to play a hand to send kids with arthritis to summer camp.

Celebrating its 35th year, the Arthritis Camp provides a unique opportunity for children to meet others who understand what it’s like to grow up with the disorder. Keynote speaker Adrienne Dalla-Longa knows first-hand the magic of the camp. Diagnosed with juvenile arthritis, she had to wear ankle, knee and wrist braces in school and was prevented from participating in many activities.

Bullied by peers who did not understand why she was unable to play, the camp introduced her to others with shared challenges and highlighted she was not alone in her journey. Dalla-Longa’s compelling story helped table $85,000 for the society.

Bill Sanford and Danielle Roberts of Appellation Wine offered tastes of Italian Rocca delle Macie wines and Lake Sonoma wines from California.

Goldcorp’s David Garofalo escorted girlfriend Christie King to the wine and cheese grazer at the Four Seasons Hotel. The eighth annual event was the first major wine shindig of 2017.

Brenda McAllister and Karen Carmichael held the prestigious positions as event co-chairs of the annual Taste the World tipple fest. Their efforts resulted in $180,000 being raised this year, which will help treat some 35,000 patients at Cambodia’s...

After visiting the Angkor Children’s Hospital in Cambodia, Richard and Heidi Coglon were moved to help children and families who otherwise could not afford to access basic health care.

Nina and John Cassils’ Taste the World event has generated more than $1 million for Cambodia’s Angkor Children’s Hospital, thanks to the generosity of friends and British Columbians.

Rheumatologist Dr. Jean Gillies was all-in for Samantha Rogers’ poker charity tournament. The inaugural event raised $85,000 for the Arthritis Society’s B.C. and Yukon chapter.

Dianne Watts, MP for South Surrey-White Rock, left, and Liberal MLA hopeful Karen Wang helped usher in the Year of the Rooster at the Bell Performing Arts Centre.

Stella Chen and Bingqing Lin were among a host of local and international musicians, singers and dancers that performed at the Spring China at White Rock New Year Festival.

Raymond Chen’s Landmark Properties sponsored and Jennifer Ding’s White Rock Chinese Association produced the multicultural extravaganza that was the Spring China at White Rock.

Drew McArthur, past chair of the national board of The Arthritis Society, and his wife Heather helped mark the 35th anniversary of the arthritis kids’ camp, a summer program that gives children with arthritis the chance to meet others who live with...

Tournament chair Sameer Ismail congratulated Clark Wilson’s Ryan Tam, the inaugural winner of the Arthritis Society’s All-In for Arthritis Poker Gala championship. Money will go toward sending children with arthritis to summer camp.

Arthritis ambassador Adrienne Dalla-Longa joined Arthritis Society executive director Christine Basque and gala MC Dawn Chubai for the fun at the Stanley Park Pavilion.

Peace Arch Hospital Foundation board chair Siobhan Philips and executive director Stephanie Beck collected a $72,000 cheque for its ER fundraising campaign.