A gala fundraiser for Matthew's House takes place Saturday, Sept. 12 at Mt. Lehman Winery (5094 Mt. Lehman Rd.) in Abbotsford.
The Giving Gala begins with a cocktail reception where guests will enjoy the vintage carnival atmosphere under the tents while sipping a signature cocktail created by Mt. Lehman Winery.
Before dinner, there will be time to peruse the wide variety of items at the silent auction tables and enjoy live music and entertainment.
Guests will savour an elegant plated meal, served with Mt. Lehman wines, and have the opportunity to bid against fellow diners for live auction items.
The event will also feature a late-night Starbucks lounge.
Award-winning TV host and producer Fiona Forbes will serve as MC.
All the proceeds support Matthew's House, a respite facility for children with complex health-care needs.
The facility, open since November 2013, is located on the Campus of Care on Marshall Road next to Abbotsford Regional Hospital.
Tickets for the gala are $250 per person, $800 for four or $1,500 for a table of eight. Tickets are available at the Communitas Supportive Care Society office (# 103 – 2776 Bourquin Crescent West) or online at mattshouse.ca.
On another front, a new project at Matthew’s House will help families with children who have complex care needs support their children more fully thanks to a grant from the Bridgeway Foundation through their Stronger Together initiative.
The $19,475 grant will fund specialized, intensive training for staff and families at Matthew’s House with regards to autism spectrum disorder and behavioural support training.
Over 12 months, 15 families who use respite at Matthew’s House will have the opportunity to participate in behavioural support training events and will receive enhanced take-home supports along with their current respite care model.