Love Her Vancouver, Wednesday, April 20, 6 p.m. at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, 1038 Canada Place, Vancouver. Tickets available at love-her.ca.
North Vancouver’s Franci Stratton had the chance to attend last year’s Love Her Vancouver gala with her company and the fundraising evening left a lasting impression.
“I went to that event and the love in the room, the excitement, the fashion, the wine – it was just a very fun evening,” she says.
So when she was asked to co-chair this year’s event, she didn’t hesitate to jump on board.
The annual night of fashion, comedy, cocktails, auctions and music raises money for Ovarian Cancer Canada and takes place Wednesday, April 20 at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in downtown Vancouver. Similar Love Her events are also organized each year in Toronto and Calgary, both of which have already happened.
Stratton, who serves as a North Vancouver school trustee, estimates last year’s sold-out Vancouver gala raised more than $200,000. This time around, she’s hoping for another full house and upping the fundraising goal to $250,000.
According to Ovarian Cancer Canada, the disease is the most fatal women’s cancer in Canada. Each year, approximately 2,800 Canadian women are newly diagnosed and 1,750 lives are claimed. Because ovarian cancer is often caught in its late stages, 55 per cent of those diagnosed die within five years. There is no reliable screening test for ovarian cancer, nor is there a vaccine to prevent it. Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect and can be easily overlooked because its symptoms can signal a variety of conditions. The most common symptoms are bloating, difficulty eating, abdominal discomfort and a change in urinary habits.
One of highlights of Love Her Vancouver is the fashion show. As in previous years, Marilyn’s of West Vancouver and Vicki Gabereau Shoes will be presenting spring styles on the runway.
Another fun feature, Stratton says, is the ever-popular wine wall. Guests pay $20 for a cork, then have to find its match in hopes of receiving a bottle worth $100. There will also be silent and live auctions with jewelry, spa days, hotel stays and more up for grabs, as well as a “man walk” where all the men in the crowd strut the runway and donate money out of their pockets.
Hosting Love Her Vancouver for the fifth year in a row is comedian Jessica Holmes, who was “absolutely hilarious” last year, Stratton notes. Holmes is best known for her work with the Royal Canadian Air Farce.
“It is an evening of fun, laughter, hearing the stories of people that have either been diagnosed and survived, or stories of those that haven’t,” Stratton says of the event. “Just bringing everybody together in a room to support, bring awareness and educate I think is hugely important.”
