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Brooks: UNICEF Water for Life Gala raises more than $1.1 million
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Safe water is every child’s right and a vital need. The pandemic has reversed years of progress on children’s rights. Thank goodness for the invaluable work of UNICEF. Its focus on safe water, sanitation and hygiene creates phenomenal outcomes including access to education for children worldwide.
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Hundreds of guests gathered at the Hyatt Regency Calgary on Oct. 29 to support the 30th annual UNICEF Water for Life Gala. Last year, $570,000 was raised, virtually, in support of water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH) projects in Uganda for the benefit of 210,000 girls.
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The 30th annual raised an incredible $1.15 million. The Calgary gala is a testament to the generosity and can-do attitude of our citizens and is one of the largest UNICEF fundraisers in North America. Since 1993, the event has raised more than $17 million to support the world’s children.
Highlights of the gala were numerous including the keynote speech from Jaya Murthy, UNICEF’s global chief of internal communications; more than 170 exceptional auction items including exciting experiences, vacations and works of art donated by generous individuals and businesses; a fabulous four-course meal created for the evening by Hyatt Regency’s executive chef Alexander Schaefer; a Brinkhaus Jewellers Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch raffle; and entertainment from Burton Cummings and Band.
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Among the hundreds of guests in attendance were: David Morley, president and CEO of UNICEF Canada; Brett Herman, honourary chair of UNICEF Water for Life Gala and president and CEO of Lucero Energy Group; Sue Riddell Rose and her husband Mike Rose; organizing committee co-chairs Susanne Fox and Andrea Gerencser; art auction co-chairs Natalie Gillespie and Heather Giuffre; Secure Energy CEO Rene Amirault; Global Public Affairs CEO Randy Pettipas and his wife Luba; Cache Island’s Scott Saxberg; Odyssey Trust CEO Jenna Kaye; Summit Nanotech CEO Amanda Hall; Longwing Capital Advisors CEO Jeff Hamilton; Centricity’s Peter Wallis with his wife, Maritime Travel’s Terry Wallis; tinePublic’s Andy McCreath and his wife Camille; Axel Schmidt and his wife Stasia; former UNICEF board member Dr. Michael Giuffre; UNICEF Patrons Council’s Penny Whitlock and her husband Wayne Whitlock; UNICEF board members Ben Marc Diendre and Sebastien Gittens; and others pictured.
Heartfelt thanks to generous sponsors including Riddell Family Charitable Foundation; Canoe Financial; Joe Giuffre and family; Secure Energy Services; Sound City Capital; Tourmaline Oil; Bennett Jones LLP; RBC Capital Markets; and Shaw to name but a few.
