When organizers of the seventh annual Jingle Mingle and Jingle Soirée were ready to activate their winter wonderland theme for 300 guests at the Fairmont Empress hotel on Thursday night, they got more than they bargained for.
Chances are they didn’t realize ice, snow, frigid temperatures and a power outage would complicate their best-laid plans.
“What we’ve learned is that Victoria and electricity are a lot like research and philanthropy,” said Doug Nelson, president and CEO of the B.C. Cancer Foundation. “You need one to make the other go.”
Nelson was reacting to the surreal start of the B.C. Cancer Foundation’s seasonal fundraiser that raised $620,000 to support world-class research by Dr. Brad Nelson and his team of researchers at B.C. Cancer Agency’s Vancouver Island Centre.
It brings to more than $2.5 million the amount raised so far at the annual seasonal fundraisers for projects such as the object of this year’s Fund-a-Need component — immuno-therapy clinical trials to be held at Victoria’s Deeley Research Centre, the only site in Canada doing this type of research that can yield new, more effective treatments for cancer patients.
Many guests arrived at the Empress later than usual, delayed by traffic chaos when much of Greater Victoria was affected by a rush-hour power outage. Candles were lit as lights twinkled on and off, and hotel generators provided emergency heat and lighting when the power completely went out before it was restored in the nick of time by B.C. Hydro.
“I found more candles than I ever thought existed in the Empress,” said event chairman Dan J. Sharp, who jokingly confessed he momentarily feared “it would be a very intimate evening ending with a meal of raw meat.”
Sharp said it was testament to Victoria’s spirit of generosity the event was able to proceed as planned.
“It shows the support we’re getting, that people would work hard to get here rather than giving up and staying home.”
With the meteorological mayhem, CTV’s weather presenter Astrid Braunschmidt could be forgiven for having to bow out.
“I totally did that. I called for that snow and I thought, ‘I’m going to trick that meteorologist at work and take over!’ ” joked co-worker Louise Hartland, trading her anchor-desk duds for an elegant blue evening dress to pinch-hit as emcee.
“I really just wanted to do the Jingle Mingle. It’s awesome.”
Highlights included a live auction, entertainment by Beacon Hill Brass band, announcement of a $100,000 donation from philanthropist Jo Campbell, a performance by the Daniel Lapp Jazz Quartet in the Ivy Ballroom at the Jingle Soirée, and Josh Turpin’s moving tribute to his mother, Laurene Clark. The Victoria realtor and Jingle Mingle organizer who recently passed away eloquently articulated her own cancer journey and advocacy for a patient navigation research program at last year’s event.
bccancerfoundation.com
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