http://www.calgarysun.com/life/columnis ... 13851.html"Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre's (AARC) 13th Annual Believe in Miracles Gala Benefit Dinner raised an astounding $1 million for one of our city's most valued organizations.
Lucky number 13 indeed!
Readers may recall AARC is a unique Canadian non-profit program with the mandate of treatment to adolescents age 12 to 21 and their families.
Since opening in 1991, AARC has graduated more than 439 young people with the vast majority still actively engaged in school or work and community activities.
No family is declined participation in treatment because of an inability to pay the full cost of treatment.
This is why the annual AARC gala is invaluable and its success ensures many more young people and their families will be able to stop the spiraling downward cycle of drug and alcohol abuse.
Congratulations to all involved on the stunning success of the 13th annual.
And take a well-deserved bow corporations which supported the gala -- especially presenting sponsor Remington Development Corporation, which has been on board since Day 1.
Highlights of the gala were numerous, including speeches from Charlene M. and her children Amber M. and Fraser M, who shared their personal stories as to how AARC changed their lives.
Among the SRO guests in attendance this night were: AARC board chair and keynote speaker Ann McCaig with her daughters Jane and Roxanne and their husbands Rich Waller and Mark Bartko; AARC executive director Dr. Dean Vause and his wife Joanne; MBE Jet's Marc Bombenon and his wife PDL Mobility's Desiree Bombenon; Gary Nissen and his wife Rena Nathanail; mayoralty candidate Wayne Stewart and his wife Martha; Remington Development's Randy Remington and his wife Donna;
Ron and Jan Brenneman; John and Donna Ferrara Kerr; Tim Hamilton and Lindsay Fikowski; Dr. Cy Frank and Helene Levesque; Randy and Leigh Magnussen; Safe Haven Foundation's John and Karen Sherbut; Trimac's Jeff and Marilyn McCaig; Dick and Lois Haskayne; Peter Blanchard; AARC's Natalie Imbach, Colin Brown and Donna Edwards; David Imbach; and Kyla Brown."