South Asian community raises $479,765 for BC Children’s Hospital

A Night of Miracles gala raises funds for Point-of-Care Ultrasound Program at newly opened Teck Acute Care Centre

 

(L-R) Susan Wannamaker, Donald Lindsay, Lisa Hudson, Bob Rai, Maria Faccio, William Westeringh, Teri Nicholas, Manjot Hallen, Perm Jawanda and Robin Dhir.

MEMBERS of BC’s South Asian community and guests raised $479,765 at the ninth annual A Night of Miracles (ANOM) gala on Saturday, October 28 at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel. This brings the total raised by ANOM for BC Children’s Hospital to close to $4.7 million over its nine-year history.

This year’s gala transported guests to the sun, sand and spices of India’s Goa region. Co-presented by Fasken Martineau and Rogers Communications, ANOM was a memorable evening of fine dining, fundraising and entertainment attended by philanthropic and business leaders from the South Asian community.

(L-R) Ratana Stephens, Teri Nicholas, Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon and Bob Rai.

Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of B.C., and Randeep Sarai, MP Surrey-Centre joined over 400 guests at the gala, which was emceed by Riaz Meghji of Breakfast Television and Sonia Sidhu of 104.9 KiSS FM.

Dinner was created by Jesse Hochhaussen, executive chef of the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel, in collaboration with Vikram Vij of Vij’s Restaurant. Fred Lee oversaw bidding during the live auction.

“ANOM committee members, the gala’s cabinet past and present, and a host of dedicated volunteers make this gala truly exceptional,” said Teri Nicholas, President and CEO of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. “It’s also made possible through the support of our corporate sponsors and our co-presenting sponsors, without whom this event wouldn’t be the success it is.”

(L-R) Robin Dhir, Rena Dhir, Susan Wannamaker and Jim Wannamaker.

This year, ANOM was truly special. As guests were saying their final goodbyes at the Marriot Pinnacle, patients are getting ready to move into the new Teck Acute Care Centre at BC Children’s Hospital. The South Asian community has been instrumental in helping make this facility a reality. The new ANOM Special Procedures Suites will provide the space for specialized teams to care for the most complex, critical cases at BC Children’s Hospital. The suites are also equipped with the latest medical technologies, including advanced imaging capabilities.

“It is a true honour to represent the South Asian community’s efforts to raise awareness and funds for BC Children’s Hospital,” said Bob Rai, Chair of ANOM. “I am inspired by the leadership and dedication of our community to ensure the children of this province get the best care possible.”

Funds raised on October 28 will support the implementation of a new Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Program – the first of its kind in western Canada – within the new Ledcor Children’s Emergency Department at the Teck Acute Care Centre. Every year, more than 48,000 critically ill and injured kids rely on BC Children’s Hospital for 24/7 emergency care for medical and surgical conditions, as well as trauma. The program will enable our caregivers to use portable ultrasound technology at the bedside to diagnose life-threatening conditions faster and more accurately, and eliminate the need for unnecessary tests.