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PERSIAN NEW YEAR: One of the many multicultural celebrations embraced by British Columbians every year, Nowruz (or Norooz) marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in the Persian calendar. On March 21, families will come together to observe the spring equinox, when night and day become equalized.
In advance of the Persian New Year, members of the Iranian community converged at the Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Vancouver for the fourth Neekoo Philanthropic Society Soiree. Staged by party planner Soha Lavin, more than 300 guests including renowned Iranian sculptor, painter and scholar Parviz
Tanavoli filled the ballroom for an evening of high stakes and big rewards.
Led by a group of leading Iranian expats in Metro Vancouver, Neekoo — meaning to provide goodness and guidance — strives to make a difference in communities and create a culture of giving, compassion and humanity for the next generation.
Fronted by society co-founder, party chair and Le Vieux Pin and La Stella vineyard principal Saeedeh Salem, the Casino Royale-themed gala in support of student scholarships saw partygoers play games of chance before enjoying a sumptuous dinner and auction. Revellers emptied their wallets of around $90,000 before dancing the night away to the tunes of DJ Taba, one of Iran’s most sought-after DJs. Since its inception, Neekoo has raised more than $250,000 to help Persian students advance their education.
A STORIED HOME: The Western Front was founded in 1973 by a group of artists who wanted to create a space for the exploration and creation of new art forms. It quickly became a gathering place for poets, visual artists, musicians and dancers interested in interdisciplinary practices and is now an internationally recognized focal point of experimental art. Esteemed alumni of the centre, which is located near Main Street and Broadway, include Stan Douglas, Ian Wallace, Laurie Anderson, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, General Idea, Paul Chan, Jimmie Durham, William Burroughs, Vede Hille, Ken Lum, Rodney Graham and Young Marble Giants.
To support its continued efforts of presenting diverse arts and music programming, the non-profit staged its 42nd annual art auction and gala. Fronted by Kristin Lim and held in the building’s Luxe Hall, supporters gathered for the intimate Hawksworth-catered dinner and Hank Bull- led auction. Photographic pieces by Ian Wallace and Christos Dikeakos garnered the evening’s top bids. Along with the sale of two dozen more works by emerging artists, a tidy $40,000 was netted for the venerable arts organization.
More good news followed: Executive director Caitlin Jones announced a windfall of $1.5 million from the City of Vancouver’s Community Amenity Contributions program. The funds, courtesy of neighbouring condo developments, will help the society secure its tenancy by helping it purchase the building from its artist owners.
ICING ON THE CAKE: A vanilla butter cream cake fetched a jaw-dropping $14,000 during the live auction of 10 designer cakes at the B.C. Dental Association’s 15th Toothfairy Gala. The hallmark event, which concluded the annual Pacific Dental Conference, drew more than 350 dentists and industry professionals to the Vancouver Convention Centre for an awards dinner and cake auction, presented by Scotiabank.
Emceed by gala chairs Peter Lobb and Angelique Leung, the night’s sparkling festivities began with a champagne reception, followed by a four-course dinner prepared by executive chef Blair Rasmussen. Then came a multimedia awards ceremony that recognized the achievements of members of the dental community. Merit honours went to Elgin Duke, Pam Glassby, Don Schneideman, James Taylor, Bruce Wallace and Scott Yamaoka, while distinguished-service citations were presented to Don Brunette, John Hung and Mike Thomas. Marcia Boyd and Marke Pedersen both received honorary memberships, while the prestigious President’s Award was handed to Jim Armstrong. The night also celebrated the centennial of the Royal Canadian Dental Corps, paying tribute to the men and women who have served their country since the First World War by looking after the oral health needs of Canada’s troops.
The event raised a reported $105,000 for Save A Smile, a public outreach program supporting children in need of urgent dental care. Working in partnership with public health staff across the province and the University of B.C.’s Faculty of Dentistry, SAS has since its inception provided treatment for more than 1,700 kids from low-income families who do not have dental coverage.