Foundation News
Christmas Dreams Come True With $82,200 Donation
Carol White
Dancers whirled and music floated through the air as guests in their finest Christmas garb sipped wine and shared news of another year gone by. Twinkling lights illuminated a splendor of Christmas scenes � a Dickens village complete with frosty windows and Santa�s sleigh piled high with dolls, horns and brightly colored packages - all beneath giant snowflakes that glittered overhead.
This was the scene on November 29th at NAV CANADA where Cornwall�s Dreams Do Come True Wine & Cheese and Silent Auction once again kicked-off the Christmas season, this year paying tribute to the memory of co-founder, Mrs. Sherry Burke.
Now in its fourth year, Dreams continues to be the Christmas fundraiser that patrons don�t want to miss. Friends, family, businesses and individuals congregate to catch up on news, share holiday wishes and enjoy the fabulous food and wine that has become a signature of Dreams Do Come True. This year featured colossal wheels of brie melting under heat lamps, roast beef au jus, piles of succulent grilled shrimp and an ornate fruit sculpture that beckoned guests away from smoked salmon and a tower of luscious profiteroles.
Organized by volunteers and supported by the community for the community, the annual event raises funds for the Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation�s equipment appeal. With each year surpassing the last, ticket sales reached 525 in 2008 � record attendance! Even the committee�s goal of $65,000 was surpassed. As a result an Electro-encephalography System and Bariatric bed (used to meet the specialized needs of patients and costing $36,000) will be purchased with the $82,000 that was raised at the event.
Every year a myriad of auction items appear like magic when �Dreams� whispers throughout the community. A highlight of the evening, this year�s silent auction was enhanced with a live auction that kept everyone engaged to see who would win the coveted items.
On behalf of the Dreams organizing committee, Co-chairs Sharon Miller and Louise McIntosh would like to thank the community for their support again this year. Real magic happens when local individuals and businesses support the event and the hospital year after year through ticket sales, donations of cash, In Kind and Auction items. Food, drink, d�cor, services, media - for every need there is an answer. None of this would be possible without you - the community. Even those who had other engagements on November 29th found time to donate directly to the Foundation office in memory of Mrs. Burke. Thank you. The result was a spectacular evening that sprinkled a little enchantment into everyone�s lives while raising money for local healthcare.
Friends, you have made this event your own. You support it, donate to it, attend and look forward to it, year after year. Thank you for making Dreams Come True in 2008. We look forward to seeing everyone next year on Saturday, November 21, 2009.
To see Event Photos Visit the Dreams Do Come True Photo Gallery at www.cchfoundation.ca/dreams
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