DANCERS DAZZLE HUNDREDS AT GALA FOR ABORIGINAL HEALTH CENTRE
It was a quick sellout for Igniting the Spirit, the signature gala for the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health.
And it’s no wonder: The event was dazzling. It showcased its largest number of artists dancing together onstage in celebration of this year’s Power of Transformation theme, symbolized by the legendary thunderbird. The night of cocktails, entertainment, auction bidding and prizes was held on National Aboriginal Day.
Shelagh Rogers from CBC Radio was back to host the gala, which accommodated a capacity crowd of 620 at the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre. Comedic actress Mary Walsh once again served as honorary chair, while Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau was returning guest speaker. Also familiar were the co-chairs: police Chief Charles Bordeleau and Barbara Farber, president of Leikin Group.
Farber credits Sue O’Sullivan, retired deputy police chiefturned-federal ombudsman for victims of crime, for convincing her years ago to drop in and learn about the Wabano Centre. “I had no idea what it was all about. No idea,” she told Around Town.
The community leader fell in love with the place once she got there. “I was blown away by what they were able to accomplish,” Farber said.
The Wabano Centre, led by executive director Allison Fisher, provides a range of health, cultural and social support services to more than 10,000 aboriginal and non-aboriginal people each year.
Organizers hoped to raise $150,000.
A FOOD BANK GALA
Wellington West is one of the trendiest ’hoods in town. Yet, behind its popular restaurants and rising home prices is a marginalized population living in poverty.
Many of these folks regularly turn to their community food bank, the Parkdale Food Centre, for help. It was the beneficiary of the Branching Out Gala held Thursday at the Great Canadian Theatre Company.
Absinthe, Allium, Bar Laurel, Dish, Supply & Demand, Urban Element, Thyme & Again and Holland’s Cake & Shake kept a crowd of 150 guests well-fed. There was also tasty beer from Beyond the Pale to wash it down.
The generosity of the culinary community isn’t limited to a onenight affair, said Parkdale Food Centre manager Karen Secord. “We couldn’t do what we do every week without them,” she added. “They have been so amazingly supportive.”
Organizers hoped to raise $20,000 through ticket sales, at $100 apiece, and silent auction proceeds, all to help provide clients with wholesome food during the centre’s usual slow summer donation season. The food bank helps at least 800 people a month.
THEY’RE LOVING SUMMER NIGHTS
So high was the demand to participate in the fourth-annual Lawn Summer Nights charity tournament that organizers added a special pop-up event last Saturday at the Elmdale Lawn Bowling Club.
The event’s luau theme meant many lawn bowlers arrived in swishy grass skirts, screamingloud aloha shirts and colourful leis around their necks. Their sunscreen, appropriately, was coconut-scented.
The event was held in addition to the regular Lawn Summer Nights tournament taking place each Wednesday throughout July. It’s sold out but you can buy $10 tickets to come and watch.
The national fundraiser for cystic fibrosis attracts a young professional crowd for a relaxing night out on the greens. Its proceeds are helping researchers find a cure for CF, a genetic disease that progresses over time, attacking the lungs and digestive systems. There are about 4,200 children and adults in Canada living with the disease.
For more information, go online at ottawacitizen.com