FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Westminster, B.C. – March 4, 2011
Fourth annual gala fundraising event raises more than $200,000 for RCH to expand specialized care for heart disease and stroke patients
Wade Winkler and Jennifer Muir, Chairs of Shine Gala Committee
Donors, physicians, corporate executives and community leaders shared the spotlight last night when Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) Foundation hosted itsSHINE Gala at the newly redeveloped CBC Broadcast Centre.
In one evening, 400 guests helped raise more than $200,000 for RCH to expand specialized care for heart disease and stroke patients. Highlights of the evening included a surprise $100,000 donation from an anonymous supporter, and an intense live auction bidding war brought on by auctioneer Jamie Pitblado, Vice-President, Promotions & Community Investment for Pacific Newspaper Group Inc., who successfully fetched $13,000 for two celebrity chef dinners hosted by Premier Gordon Campbell and wife Nancy. The red-carpeted event also featured the smooth sounds of The Nightcrawlers Jazz Quintet in CBC Studios 40 and 41; a stunning boutique of silent auction items, including two of the Sugarlime Jewelry celebrity gift bags created for VIP celebrities at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.
“We have been proud to partner with RCH Foundation for their SHINE Gala for the past four years, and this year is even better because we get to host this fantastic fundraising event right here in our home!” said CBC News Vancouver host and SHINE Gala Co-emcee Gloria Macarenko. “Truly, it is a privilege to shine our spotlight on the amazing caregivers at Royal Columbian Hospital.”
Tony Parsons, CBC News Vancouver host and SHINE Gala co-emcee, agreed: “Many people are unaware of the critical trauma, cardiac and neuro care role that Royal Columbian Hospital plays in B.C.’s healthcare system, and so we are proud to partner with RCH Foundation to help them get the news out about how important RCH is to the people of this province.”
In addition to returning presenting sponsors, Mainland Sand & Gravel Ltd. and Winvan Paving Ltd., Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society also showed their support by signing on as title sponsor this year. “As firefighters, we see patients that are taken to RCH’s emergency on a daily basis,” said Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society President Rob Lamoureux. “We are in awe of the team in emergency, trauma, cardiology, and neuroscience who never miss a beat when it comes to saving the lives of heart attack, stroke, car collision, industrial accident, and serious burn patients.”
The money raised will be used to build a new Multipurpose Interventional Suite at RCH that will provide an expansion of specialized services for the diagnoses and treatment of heart disease and stroke – two of the three leading causes of death in Canada.
About Royal Columbian Hospital
RCH is one of 12 hospitals operated by Fraser Health. RCH is a provincial centre and regional referral hospital providing specialized care for trauma, cardiac and neurosciences for 1.6 million people from Burnaby to Boston Bar and for seriously ill and injured people from across the province. RCH is also a UBC teaching hospital with a newly expanded Clinical Academic Campus and a community hospital serving New Westminster residents
.About Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation
Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation is an independent charitable organization that raises millions of dollars annually to help fund priority equipment needs, facility enhancements, research and education at RCH. For more information about Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, please visit rchfoundation.com
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For more information, please contact:
Shannon Henderson, Communications Specialist, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation
T: 604-520-4438 | C: 604-614-8155
shannon.henderson@fraserhealth.ca
Julie Coghlan, Communications Specialist, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation
T: 604-523-8860 | C: 778-996-4092
Julie.coghlan@fraserhealth.ca