LAUGHING MATTER: Vancouver TheatreSports League executive director Jay Ono and board president Roland Monteiro fronted the 9th Grapes of Laugh. Great Canadian Casino’s Howard Blank and yours truly emceed the annual laugh-in. Guests enjoyed bottles of wine, buckets of laughs and a bevy of auction packages — all in the name of supporting the 34-year-old not-for-profit theatre company on Granville Island. Proceeds generated will support the company’s ongoing outreach program of bringing laughter to 6000 school kids and disadvantaged communities each year.
TOAST TO CHILD HEALTH: Global health ambassadors John and Nina Cassils once again fronted their Taste the World benefit at the Four Seasons Hotel. The city’s first major tipplefest of the year saw a large crowd of oenophiles, society darlings and tastemakers file into the Park ballroom for the annual fundraiser supporting pediatric care for children in Cambodia and Myanmar. The charity wine event, which raises approximately $100,000 annually for the volunteer organization, has helped pay for a medical building and provide healthcare to more than a million kids and their families.
HAPPY CAMPER: While the gay rights issue at Sochi continues to cast a dark shadow on the pending Olympics, it was a far rosier picture at UBC’s CampOUT reception at Scotiabank Tower. Led by Access and Diversity director Janet Mee and founding camp director Anna White, guests heard heartwarming testimonials from campers. The event concluded with a video of happy campers played to Walking on Sunshine.
