The 16th annual Gala of The Health Foundation will take place on Saturday, October 22 at St. Mary's Cultural Centre in Yorkton. This year's theme is "A Gala Evening in Ukraine".
"It is hard to believe but in all the years of Gala we have never had a Ukrainian Night and we thought it was about time. This evening will obviously have a lot of significance for our community, and we are looking forward to making this a very authentic evening," said Diane Rusnak, Chair of the Gala Committee.
"The last several Gala Evenings have been a tremendous hit, and we are determined to improve and build on that success by making Gala better every year. This year Gala Night will feature traditional and authentic Ukrainian cuisine, local dancers, fabulous decorations and two bands. As well, Mitch Hippsley is back to take complimentary portraits of couples in our special studio, Sherring Gold Jewellers have once again donated a fabulous piece of jewellery for our auction, Bev Bielinksi and Stephanie Buckle from All About Flowers are providing our table centrepieces, and many businesses are donating to our Silent Auction," continued Mrs. Rusnak.
"This year we wanted a band that could play many of the traditional songs and dances as well as popular music that will keep the dance floor full all night. This year the band Crawdaddies will help our guests dance the night away," said Mrs. Rusnak.
"A Ukrainian evening is about the food, the dancing, the music and the people. Because we want this to be an authentic Ukrainian evening, the menu will feature some dishes people haven't had, however, they are all dishes that we know our guests will love."
"We are pleased to have Morris Industries returning as our Presenting Sponsor. Morris Industries has been very supportive of our Gala Night, and have been our Presenting sponsors for six years now.
In addition to Morris Industries being our Presenting Sponsor there are a number of businesses that sponsor elements of the evening, and of course, we receive tremendous support from the 40 businesses that donate items for our Silent Auction.
"Gala is held on a Saturday as we find that makes it easier for our guests to attend," continued Mrs. Rusnak. It also means we can start a few things earlier, like the portraits that Mitch Hippsley of Photography by Mitch takes of each guest or couple who attends, without charge. That means the evening itself is free for enjoying cocktails, a wonderful meal and a great dance band."
For our guests' enjoyment we have local dancers attending who will entertain and demonstrate some of the traditional Ukrainian dances. It is possible that guests may find themselves on the dance floor participating in a demonstration.
Over the years, the Gala events have purchased more than $330,000 of important medical equipment for the region's healthcare facilities. This year the proceeds of Gala will go toward the purchase of medical equipment for the Regional Health Centre in Yorkton.
Seating for Gala will be limited to 350 people. Gala evening has sold out in past years and we need to limit the guests to properly plan for the evening. We suggest that those planning to attend should get their table organized and order their tickets now. Ticket order forms are available in person from The Health Foundation office at 41 Betts Avenue in Yorkton. Please call 786-0506 - or order from The Health Foundation website: www.thehealthfoundation.ca.
