The ninth annual Gift of Love Gala was held Saturday (Feb. 25) in Abbotsford, raising more than $615,000 for Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.
More than 300 guests attended the event at Abbotsford Centre in support of Canuck Place in Abbotsford and Vancouver.
The pediatric palliative care provider serves 830 children and families in B.C. and the Yukon.
The evening was hosted by Every Conversation Counts author Riaz Meghji, and featured entertainment from the MEI Screaming Eagles Marching Band, dancing with DJ Marvel, and local singer Tyson Venegas, who just received the first Platinum Ticket to Hollywood on American Idol.
CEO Denise Praill thanked the Gift of Love Gala co-chairs Aprille Ferrario, Denise de Jonge and Suzanne Adams, as well as the volunteer gala committee and Canuck Place volunteers.
Canuck Place parents Erin and Federico Angel shared the story of their baby boy, Alejo, who received in-home care, including end-of-life care through the Canuck Place Enhanced Community Care program.
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“The Canuck Place nurses, doctors and counsellors always made us feel incredibly supported through our journey,” the couple said.
“When we made the decision to take Alejo home, they helped us create a care plan to follow if he was in distress, and we were also given a 24-hour clinical care line to call if we had any worries.
”All of this gave us peace of mind, especially knowing that Canuck Place nurses were only a phone call away if we needed help or answers. Alejo taught us that you can’t control the length of your life, but you can control the width and the depth of it.”
Guests bid on exclusive auction items that included a three-night Fairmont Gold Whistler getaway for two and a “build your own dream vacation” with Air Canada.
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The room also supported Canuck Place directly through Fund-A-Need. Guests participated in a candle-lighting ceremony, lighting a candle in honour of Alejo and the other children who have been cared for at Canuck Place over the past 28 years.
The funds raised from the Gift of Love Gala support pediatric palliative care provided at Canuck Place.
In 2022 alone, Canuck Place had a 33 per cent increase in in-patient admissions and saw 3,073 outpatient community consultations by the clinical care team in home, virtually and in hospital.