NEW FOUNDATION TO HELP BC HOSPITALITY WORKERS WITH A FINANCIAL SAFETY NET ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE FUNDRAISING DINNER.(
Directly from the Press Release.)
Vancouver, BC – The
BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF), a recently formed non-profit helping hospitality workers without a financial safety net during times of crisis, will hold an exclusive dinner on Monday, January 28, 2008 to raise money for its trust fund.
The
BC Hospitality Foundation Founder's Dinner will be an outstanding, top-drawer event held at the
Pan Pacific featuring the culinary prowess of Chef
Daryle Ryo Nagata and spotlighting the pinnacle of what all the regions of BC have to offer in food and wine.
The event also promises a catalogue of auction offerings that will impress even the most seasoned fundraiser attendee. Table sponsorship is $2,500 and individual tickets are $350. For more information go to
www.bchospitalityfoundation.com. Tickets can be purchased at 604-861-0728 or by emailing email dawn@gogolfevents.com.
This is the second event for the BC Hospitality Foundation which was quietly formed last year to help
Michael J. Willingham, a Vancouver Island wine agent pay for a costly surgery and rehabilitation following a serious stroke. Willingham was not covered by insurance and did not have employer benefits.
For a few seasoned industry members, such as
Harry McWatters,
Sumac Ridge Winery founder and
BC Restaurant Hall of Fame member who serves as the Chair of the BC Hospitality Foundation, Willingham's experience was a wake up call.
"It really made us stop and think about how Michael's situation probably wasn't unique and this can happen to any of us. There may be others like him who may need the support of the industry,� McWatters said.
The fund, established and managed by the BCHF, is meant to be a last-resort safety net for others who may at some point find themselves in dire need. Tourism and hospitality are one of BC's key economic drivers. Thousands of people work in the industry, many of whom are in various employment arrangements and may not have benefits or insurance, such as food suppliers, publicists, trade media, retailers, vintners and wine sales reps.
"So often we are called upon to assist other worthwhile charities. This is an opportunity to support the dedicated people working with us.� McWatters says. "We feel as an industry that it's our responsibility to take care of our own.�