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Canwest News Service
The Vancouver Canucks held their 11th annual Dice & Ice Gala, recently, presented by HSBC at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Hosted by Canucks play-by-play guy John Shorthouse, 720 guests attended the Rat Pack-themed gala dinner and auction, where they tried their luck at casino tables fronted by Canucks players and management. Willie Mitchell, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, and Daniel and Henrik Sedin suited up for the high-rolling hijinx.
The glittering occasion featured opening remarks from Canucks president and GM Mike Gillis, a game of Heads or Tails with head coach Alain Vigneault and a player trivia skit with Canucks captain Roberto Luongo and teammate Ryan Johnson. Canucks players Darcy Hordichuk, Andrew Raycroft and Shane O'Brien were also called to the stage by Vegas showgirls to perform for guests and raise funds for Canucks Autism Network and Canuck Place Children's Hospice.
Guests included Canucks alumni Stan Smyl, Gino Odjick, Kirk McLean, and Richard Brodeur; Canucks for Kids Fund executive director Debbie Butt; Canucks Autism Network executive director Jodi Simkin; Canuck Place Children's Hospice CEO Filomena Nalewajek; Canuck wives Megan Mitchell, Gina Luongo, and Andrea Kesler; and Canucks owners Francesco and Paolo Aquilini. The off-ice affair sponsored by Fasken Martineau, River Rock Casino Resort, Mark Anthony Brands, West Fishing Club, Birks and Winsor Gallery raised more than $300,000 for kids.
"This is our 11th Dice & Ice benefit, and the event continues to share the positive values that are connected to the game of hockey," said Ms. Butt. "The children and families in need are our inspiration. "
The Vancouver East Cultural Centre–affectionately known as The Cultch — recently celebrated the re-opening of the Historic Theatre and cultural facility with an evening of fine food and entertainment. Hosted by Cultch board chair John Mostowich, event chair Barbara Jo McIntosh and executive director Heather Redfern, the Garden of Earthly Delights gala featured food stations fronted by some of Vancouver's top chefs.
Among the attendees were theatre doyenne Joy Coghill; Cultch's first executive director Christopher Wooten; Arts Club Theatre administrator Teddy Forsyth and her husband, Arts & Culture Commission of North Vancouver director Ian Forsyth; Buster's Towing CEO Spencer Shrump; arts philanthropists Fei and Milton Wong; Judge Thomas Woods; Rio Tinto Alcan's Richard Prokopanko; Vancouver city councillor Heather Deal; and arts patrons Sonia Wall, Meeru Dhalwala, Abe and Leyla Sacks, Bryan and Liesl Pike, and Derek and Rozmin Watson.
Seat tributes were dedicated to Vicki Gabereau, Bill Richardson, Duncan Lowe, Esther Rausenberg, Cultch architects Thom Weeks and Jennifer Stanley, the late Doug MacKinnon and the late Abe Rogatnick.
Centre A's Hank Bull hosted a live auction, and there were performances by the 605 Collective; Corbin Murdoch & the Nautical Miles; John Gray and Ryan Beil; Camyar Chai and Marcus Youssef; Ali Milner and Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg; and marionettes master Ronnie Burkett.
In addition, guests took in the world premiere of A.K. Coope, Lorna Crozier, Heather Pawsey and Leslie Uyeda's Sex Life of Vegetables & Other Delicious Distractions.
The gala raised $25,000 and will support The Cultch's community education and outreach projects for youth and their families as well as contemporary music, theatre and dance.
bccitylife@nationalpost.com
