Social Notes: Tycoon, funnymen celebrate Walk of Fame stars

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HOMETOWN STARS: B.C. business leader and philanthropist Jimmy Pattison together with funnymen Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg celebrated their December Inductions into Canada’s Walk of Fame in Toronto with friends and family in Vancouver. The three Canadians were presented with Walk of Fame stars at a special Hometown Star unveiling at the Vancouver Convention Centre before being toasted at an exclusive, star-studded cocktail reception held at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. Among the special guests in attendance: Canadian athlete and activist Rick Hansen and Canadian comedian and television host Howie Mandel — both Walk of Fame inductees.

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Presented by Cineplex, the new Walk of Fame initiative launched in 2017 provides inductees with an additional opportunity to celebrate their award in their hometown. Each recipient receives a plaque mounted at a location of their choice, as well as funds to go to their charity of choice. Goldberg designated his funds to Reel Start, while his best friend and Superbad co-writer earmarked his donation to Hilarity for Charity. Pattison chose to direct his funds to Luseland, Sask., to go toward the construction of a community pool. The self made billionaire lived in the rural town until he was six years old before moving with his family to east Vancouver.

SPREADING KINDNESS: Pink Shirt Day began in Nova Scotia in 2007 after Travis Price and David Shepherd witnessed another student being targeted for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school. The next day the classmates bought and distributed 50 pink shirts to all the boys in their Nova Scotia high school in solidarity. The protest sparked a national movement, a day for people to take a stand against bullying. It’s now celebrated on various dates across Canada and around the world.

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In Vancouver, this year’s Pink Shirt Day rally will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 27. Led by CKNW’s Kids Fund, the registered charity has been inviting students and the public to pink it forward, to show their support for anti-bullying initiatives across the city and province, as well as raise funds to support programs that foster children’s healthy self-esteem. This year’s Pink Shirt campaign is focused on cyber bullying.

Kicking off the month-long festivities was Russell Teibert of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The keynote speaker at the campaign launch held at Joey’s Bentall Restaurant, the midfielder — dressed in a stylish pink suit– encouraged social media users to be kind, and to think before they post. The message was further underscored at the Pink Shirt Luncheon, the charity’s single largest fundraiser supporting programs dedicated to preventing bullying and fostering healthy relationships.

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Sponsored by Coast Capital Saving’s and steered by Joey’s Restaurant’s Britt Innes and Collective X’s Tania Richards, this year’s $100,000 effort saw another capacity crowd pretty in pink fill Yaletown’s Blue Water Café for the power lunch. Hosted by Simi Sara, and featuring Nick Chernoff, an advocate for safe schools and social media awareness, the noon hour affair would see business and community leaders unite to help children and youth who have been subjected to bullying, emotional abuse and violence.

Beneficiaries have included Kids Help Phone, Suicide Prevention Centre of B.C., and the Boys and Girls Clubs.

SPECIAL CARE: For 23 years, the Chinese Canadian community has come together to support B.C. Children’s Hospital, the only hospital in the province devoted exclusively to the care of children. Through its signature Chinese New Year For Children We Care Gala, close to $20 million has been generated for medical research, equipment, training and facilities at B.C. Children’s Hospital. Chairs Isabel Hsieh, Carman Chan and Pao Yao Koo, along with Stella Chan Jura Kim, Sarah Li, Ariel Qute, Jane Young, Helen Yu, Tina Zhang, and Sylvia Chen, would lead this year’s charge for the party’s 24th staging at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

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And what a lavish party it was. The Evening in Versailles themed affair had all the elements of a successful night; exquisite decor, live orchestra, impressive crystal chandeliers that hung from the rafters, impressive multimedia screens, decadent food, and towering fresh flowers. The Convention Centre was transformed into the Palace of Versailles for Vancouver’s most scene-y crowd — power brokers, social influencers, titans of business and the well-to-do. Eight hundred in all in their black-tie best would make the Peterson-sponsored dinner, auction and dance. They would also contribute to the event’s single largest tally.

Peterson scions Ben Yeung and his sister Jane showed the way with a million-dollar challenge match. Patsy and Hilary Hui and Charlie and Jura Kim quickly answered the call dropping $500,000 each. Others would follow suit with major gifts of their own. Among those opening their hearts and wallets: Alice and David Chung, Christian and Carol Chia, Jason and Emily Ko, Donald and Julia Leung, Charlie and Jura Kim, Arya and Hamid Eshghi, Monika Deol and Avtar Bains, and Jerry Zhong.  When all was said and done, a remarkable $4.12 million was raised — up $800,000 from 2018. The money will aid the build of a new $14 million Sunny Hill Health Centre, a state of the art rehabilitation facility to open 2020 on the Oak Street hospital campus.

When completed, B.C. Children’s Hospital will be one of the few pediatric sites in North America with an acute care facility, research institute, mental health facility and rehabilitation centre all on one site.

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