Post by Admin on Sept 21, 2015 0:57:15 GMT
The Harvest of Hope gala brought laughs, food and money for a good cause to the Shell Ballroom on Saturday night.
At the gala, guests and “celebrity waiters” made up of local politicians and other public figures sought to raise as much money as possible for the Canadian Cancer Society.
“Cancer affects everybody,” said Dr. John Mercer, one of the night’s keynote speakers. “It’s very hard to find someone who doesn’t have a personal history, or family history [with cancer]” he said.
It was the 10th anniversary of the Harvest of Hope fundraiser. The theme was “Prospector Days,” borne out by fake gold nuggets, chocolate coins and the rustic garb of the emcees.
The gala was officially started by Debbie Robert, who had lived in Fort McMurray for decades. Robert noted Fort McMurray is a “very generous community,” as evidenced by gala’s success over the years.
Dress at the gala was formal but the behaviour of the celebrity waiters was anything but. Gala attendees had purchased “funny money” to give to their celebrity waiters, who used every possible method to obtain it, including bribery, blackmail and other antics. Those antics included a dance off, a wrestling match, and sending people to jail for mock crimes.
Any individual could pay $20 to send another gala-goer to “jail” for five minutes, up to a maximum of 15 minutes. The “jail” was constructed out of two-by-fours and piping, and quickly became crowded after entire tables were escorted there by on-site RCMP constables. The group of temporary jailbirds included Wood Buffalo RCMP Superintedant Rob McCloy, who was one of the first sent to jail.
The money raised is put towards providing financial assistance to cancer patients, said Jon Tupper, community developer for the Canadian Cancer Society. It helps at least 50 people a year in Fort McMurray in some capacity, Tupper said.
Cancer survivor Darlene Predham’s speech after dinner was a reminder of why the gala was important. Predham had successfully fought off cancer five years ago, but found her cancer had recurred this year.
“But I have hope, because I’m going to get through this as well, and it’s because of events like this,” she said.
As of press time, a final count of the money raised at this year’s gala was still being determined.
cullen.bird@sunmedia.ca