The 23rd Annual Valentine’s Ball benefitting the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence was a huge success raising $500,300 net thanks to the generosity of close to 400 guests, sponsors, and donors. Due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions, the event was held for a second year on a customized, interactive online platform coupled with an in-home gastronomic experience. Guests enjoyed a four-course gourmet meal from Ristorante Beatrice delivered to their homes and participated in an interactive virtual online program that combined live in-studio and pre-recorded entertainment, exclusive musical performances, and special guests. “This year marks the Residence’s 20th anniversary since we opened our doors and while we continue to evolve in this “new normal”, the Residence’s mission remains the same: to provide quality palliative care to the community. We are so very grateful to all our donors! Their unwavering commitment and support will ensure that patients and their families continue to feel special, safe, and comfortable at a most vulnerable time”, said Dale Weil, Executive Director of the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence. Musical performances included Minimum Standards featuring Ranee Lee and The Damn Truth. Also among the guests were media, entertainment, and sports personalities including Anthony Calvillo, legendary Montreal Alouettes quarterback and Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee, and Otis Grant, former WBO Middle Weight Champion of the World and Executive Director of the Otis Grant & Friends Foundation, and Queen of Blues, Dawn Tyler Watson. Media personalities Mark Kelley, Andrew Carter, and Sharon Hyland were also in attendance. At the helm of the evening's program again this year were Yolande James, Executive Director, Diversity and Inclusion at Radio-Canada and Foundation Board member of the Residence, and Jamie Orchard, journalist and Senior Advisor, Public Relations & Media, VIA Rail Canada. Cole Pinnow, President of Pfizer Canada, served as Honorary President of the Ball. He highlighted the organization’s longstanding dedication to the Residence and shared a touching personal story. Provincial and municipal politicians in attendance at the virtual event included MNAs Monsef Derraji (Nelligan), Greg Kelley (Jacques-Cartier) and Marwah Rizqy (Saint-Laurent), Carlos Leitão (Baldwin-Cartier), and Kathleen Weil (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce); as well as mayors Heidi Ektvedt and Michel Gibson of Baie-D’Urfé and Kirkland respectively. The Teresa Dellar Palliative Care residence would like to thank its major sponsors who supported the Ball this year: Pfizer Canada, Charles River, Hagen Group, TASK, and Merck.
Other sponsors for the evening included Roxboro Excavation, Ville de Pointe-Claire, Delmar International, National Bank, and the Air Canada Foundation. Chair of the organizing committee and Vice President of the Foundation Board of the Residence, Linda Ward O'Farrell, noted, "Having to organize a second virtual edition of the Annual Valentine’s Ball was no small task but thanks to a passionate and dedicated team who worked tirelessly we were able to raise important funds for the Residence to continue offering quality palliative care."
