CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT: Ten contestants vied for the 2015 Miss Chinese Vancouver title. Held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, the event saw 900 people file into the Convention Centre for the 21st staging. Jennifer Ling Cooseman, a 21-year-old half-Belgian, half Chinese Canadian from Terrace, B.C., took top honours at the beauty contest that was televised across Asia. B.C. Women’s Hospital Foundation’s newborn intensive care unit was the beneficiary of the competition and fundraising gala dinner fronted by Thomas Fung, chairman and CEO of the Fairchild Group and party chairs Paul Oei and Loretta Lai. The benefit raised $428,000 for equipment designed to help save the lives of precious newborns. Cooseman will compete against delegates from all over the world for the international title to be held early next year. Six of the global winners have hailed from Vancouver.
KIDS PLAY: KidSport Vancouver is one of 20 chapters around B.C. that believes no kid should be left on the sidelines and all should be given the opportunity to experience the positive benefits of organized sports. The charity hosted its fourth annual Gift of Sport soiree presented by Deloitte at the scenic Stanley Park Pavilion. Several hundred guests, including Olympians and sport ambassadors, gathered for an evening of sipping, supping and shopping. The event was chaired by David and Brent Nichols and emceed by CBC sports broadcaster Karin Larsen. Attendees made dents in their Christmas shopping lists through the live and silent auctions, and more than $20,000 was collected. Attendees helped give a gift of sport to those who otherwise couldn’t afford sport registration fees. Last year KidSport Vancouver helped a reported 700 Vancouver families.
NEW HEIGHTS: Vancouver-based developer Pinnacle International and real estate agency Anson Realty recently held their annual Christmas Party at the former’s Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel. Hosts Michael De Cotiis and Grace and Stephen Kwok, along with their staff, celebrated a banner year that saw more than 2,000 units completed. A formidable partnership, the two franchises have been selling real estate for 28 years. One of their first was a 36-storey tower aptly titled the Pinnacle on Homer Street, which back in 1995 was the tallest tower in the city. Concerns that purchasers wouldn’t buy homes before completion were quickly dashed when all 312 units were snapped up in pre-sales. Fast-forward to 2015, both family-run businesses look to reach even taller heights. Current projects in San Diego and Toronto will see Pinnacle building the tallest towers in both cities — 45 and 95 floors. Ever expanding its footprint, De Cottis also raised a glass to the master planned communities breaking ground or near completion in Mississauga, Ont.
