All in the family, eh? Are those smiles through clenched teeth?
Here's that article copied out for posterity's sake...
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Calgary HeraldBrooks: Good causes and good shopping light up the week's social calendarBy Bill Brooks, Calgary Herald · June 25, 2011
From left, Jane McCaig Waller, Emma Waller, Rich Waller and AARC board chairman Ann McCaig at the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre's Annual Message of Hope Gala.
Photograph by: Bill Brooks, Calgary HeraldHopes high after million-dollar eventThe Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre's (AARC's) 14th Annual Message of Hope Gala Benefit Dinner held recently at the Telus Convention Centre was one for the record books.
More than 1,000 people attended the fundraiser and succeeded in raising more than $1 million for AARC.
In the past 19 years, AARC has graduated 464 teens along with more than 1,600 family members.
Highlights of the evening were numerous including: emcee Dave Kelly, who did a superb job hosting the event in a talk show format; AARC graduates Andrew M., Greg M. and AARC graduate parent Diane C. who shared their journey of crisis, despair and ultimately hope; honorary speaker Rick Hansen, Chief of Police (and Rick, should you ever decide to run for political office, you've got my vote! Your candid views on drugs and crime were spot on); hundreds of AARC graduates taking to the stage to thunderous applause; and superb live auction items as varied as a VIP experience at Churchill Downs in Kentucky to a cage dive adventure for four to get up close and personal with great white sharks.
Who was not at the event would make a much shorter list as a veritable who's who in the community attended including: Remington Developments' Randy Remington with his wife Donna and their son Ryan (kudos to Remington on its role again this year as exclusive title sponsor); AARC board chair Ann McCaig with her daughter Jane, husband Rich Waller and their daughter Emma Waller; AARC executive director Dean Vause and his wife Joanne; National Bank's Mike Kennedy and his wife Cynthia Moore; hockey legend Mike Vernon and his wife Jane; renowned orthopedic surgeon and executive director of Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute Dr. Cy Frank with Helene Levesque; Remington Developments' Cody Clayton and Jamie Cooper; WestJet Airlines board chair Clive Beddoe and his wife Ruth; AARC board member Jan Brenneman and her husband Ron, former executive vice-chairman, Suncor Energy; Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation president and CEO Saifa Koonar with her husband Jerry; Gaia's Tracy Thomson and Avni Soma; McCaig Institute's Dr. Dianne Mosher; Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute's Deborah Marshall; Dr. William Cochrane and his wife Phyllis; philanthropist and media celeb W. Brett Wilson; Foundry Communication's Zahra Al-harazi; and Bobby Libin with his daughters Eda and Nora.
Petroleum Club welcomes East Coast brethernThis writer believes that when you meet someone and are taken with their charm and generosity of spirit, said someone is invariably from either Alberta, Saskatchewan or Newfoundland.
And the Calgary Petroleum Club was overflowing with charm and generosity recently as more than 300 Calgary business leaders gathered for the fifth annual Newfoundland Affinity Dinner.
The perennially sold-out event has raised more than $350,000 for Memorial University scholarships and bursaries.
Retired general Rick Hillier, who is now the Chancellor of Memorial University, gave the keynote address. He shared highlights from Afghanistan, noting Memorial University was named after fallen soldiers of the First World War and giving an emotional recounting of the July 1, 1916, battle of Beaumont Hamel. Fellow Newfoundlander, well-known comedian and Emmy-nominated actor Jonny Harris was the emcee. Others supporting the affinity dinner included: Asim Ghosh, president and CEO, Husky Energy; Ed Martin, president and CEO, Nalcor Energy; Jeff Lehrmann, president, Chevron Canada; Lorraine Mitchelmore, president and country chair, Shell Canada; David Collyer, president, CAPP; Lars Christian Bacher, president, Statoil Canada; Karl Smith, president and CEO, Fortis Alberta; Dr. Gary Kachanoski, president and vice-chancellor, Memorial University; Dr. Wilfred Zerbe, dean, Faculty of Business Administration; Paul Masschelin, senior vice-president, Imperial Oil with colleague Laura Bishop; Nexen's Angela Chan; Bill Sembo, vice-chairman, RBC Capital Markets; John Maher, president and CEO, Leprechaun Resources; Johnson Inc.'s Ivan Tolentino, Sara Schmidt, Nicole Nyenhuis, Marguerite Nobrega and Randy Pearson; Suncor's Leon Sorenson; CAPP's Dave Pryce; and Prospex Resources' Marlene Mitchelmore.
Toasting Chinook Centre's new expansionThose of us born in Calgary (and old enough) will remember when Chinook Centre was at the outskirts of the city. Fifty years later, the iconic mall is now considered "close–in." The largest enclosed shopping centre in the city (125,883 square metres if you were curious), Chinook boasts more than 250 stores, a professional building and a major theatre complex.
And its $300-million expansion/renovation campaign ensures the complex will be a coveted place to shop for years to come.
A select group of guests gathered recently at Newport Grill On Lake Bonavista to toast Chinook's success. Hosts with the most, general manager Terry Napper and marketing director Peggy Lim ensured all in attendance were well taken care of including: Cadillac Fairview's Kevin Redmond; Dialog Architects' Susan Carter; Bunt and Associates' Ryan Martinson; PCL Construction's Ryan Schmidt; and Calgary Herald's James Green, Lorie Armstrong and Kathryn Shimbashi.
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