The VIP seating is already sold out for Share’s 15th annual Imagine gala next month.
Now, the Tri-City social services agency that serves hundreds of residents a week wants to fill the rest of its tables and top last year’s fundraising total of $124,000.
Titled Paint the Town, the March 7 bash will see a catered competition between eight eateries, with guests and Tri-City mayors sampling the appies and pick their favourites — and dancing to the tunes from the high-energy band Famous Players.
Ticket-holders can also have their faces painted and take part in “colourful” games, said organizer Valerie Hutton, Share’s director of fund development.
“Every year, we try to come up with an innovative theme to make the event exciting and different,” she said. “For this year, our Paint the Town means, ‘Let’s party for a good cause.’”
At the 2019 gala, held at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver theatre in Coquitlam, guests were invited to dress in beach attire and flip flips for the Under the Palms gala.
But for Paint the Town, it’s more business attire but still casual wear, she said.
Port Moody’s Al Murdoch, the Vancouver Canucks' in-game PA announcer, returns as the MC and the online silent auction is also back, with bidding starting Monday, Feb. 24 via shareimagine.ca (the silent auction is open until late March 7).
Meanwhile, Wesbild Holdings Ltd. continues to be the title sponsor of the gala and, for another year, The Tri-City News is a partner along with 23 other businesses.
Hutton said proceeds go to Share’s “unfunded and underfunded programs,” such as the food bank, which she said receives no consistent allocations from governments.
Each week, Share distributes about 300 food hampers to struggling families “and this is done with the generous donations from our community,” she said.
The Imagine proceeds will also support programs for refugees and other newcomers, and youth with addictions as well as counselling for students struggling with bullying at school plus for programs for kids and youth with developmental delays and disabilities.
Share’s Paint the Town will be held March 7 at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver theatre (2080 United Blvd., Coquitlam). For general seating tickets ($99) visit sharesociety.ca/imagine.
