By Bob Groeneveld/91原创 Advance Times
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Last year jeans were de rigueur, but this year 91原创鈥檚 annual hospital gala dress code is going in the opposite direction: strictly Hollywood red carpet.
And a move to the 91原创 Events Centre Fieldhouse on Saturday, June 1, means that 91原创 Memorial Hospital鈥檚 Old Hollywood Gala will have room for more people and bigger fundraising opportunities.
Last year鈥檚 Denim & Diamonds Gala came within a hair鈥檚 breadth of raising a half million dollars for LMH equipment and amenities.
This year, gala organizers hope the red carpet will lead to big gains in the Emergency Response campaign to build a new Emergency Department and MRI Suite.
The campaign has already raised 85 per cent of the $15 million fundraising goal, 鈥渁nd we鈥檙e hoping, with the generosity seen that night, we may get close to finishing, or even complete the campaign,鈥� said Terra Scheer of the LMH Foundation.
Leanne Laurin is part of the committee working towards the gala鈥檚 success.
It鈥檚 her first year on the committee, but she鈥檚 no stranger to the gala.
Her husband Michael has been a financial supporter of the gala for years, and his company, Laurin Financial Group, is for its second year now a presenting sponsor of the event.
Both Leanne and Michael were impressed with the quality of care that Leanne鈥檚 mother received when she spent the last 10 days of her life at LMH three years ago.
And with her own experience in setting up a foundation after a friend鈥檚 child committed suicide, she felt she had something positive to offer.
鈥淚t got me realizing how important philanthropy is to the community,鈥� she said. 鈥淕iving back is important, and if you can, you you have to help your kids to realize the importance of helping.鈥�
As a committee member, her job is to 鈥渞each out to colleagues and friends, to reach out to our social circles to get support for the gala.鈥�
And those circles have provided a generous array of cash and donations, said Laurin, listing a cross section of items she was busy setting up and wrapping in her living room in preparation for the gala: rustic wood signs, magic bullets, growlers of beer, golf baskets, framed artwork鈥︹��
Some of the items will appear in the evening鈥檚 silent auction, others will become prizes. Some of the bottles in the Wine Pull, for instance, will have numbers on the bottom, for additional gifts.
She seemed delighted that one of the other committee members had acquired a bottle of Dom Perignon which will end up going home with a lucky bidder or prize-winner.
鈥淲e have some pretty cool prizes this year,鈥� said Laurin, including a fishing trip with a stay for two at a lodge among the live auction items.
Both the live and silent auctions are extended online this year. The online bidding system is available at and will go live on Friday evening, allowing guests a sneak preview of all the live and silent auction items available, and start the bidding early.
The committee was also charged with coming up with ideas for decorating the venue. Previous events were at the Cascades Casino.
鈥淣ow we鈥檙e at the LEC Fieldhouse,鈥� said Laurin, 鈥渟o we had to create a vision to make a hockey rink look like Hollywood鈥� definitely a big job.鈥�
Last year鈥檚 Denim & Diamonds Gala hosted 350 guests. This year, Old Hollywood has already outstripped that number in ticket sales, online at .
鈥淲e鈥檙e really encouraging guests this year to leave the jeans at home and walk the red carpet with the glamour you would see in movie stars of days past and present,鈥� said Scheer.
The LEC Fieldhouse will allow more guest tables, more fundraising activities, and a bigger dance floor.
The Diamond Dig, a sandbox filled with chances to win great prizes, is back this year.
And because last year鈥檚 Wine Pull sold out, the number of bottles has been raised. Each $50 ticket 鈥減ulls鈥� a wine worth between $15 and $300, with a chance to win a $1,000 gift certificate for Chaberton Estate Winery.
