What a night we had! Dinner guests filled the Da Vinci Centre with laughter and animated conversation; they began by opening Surprise Bags organized by Rose Mary Ormerod and ended by bidding in a live and very lively auction led by auctioneer Daniel Scott. In between, chef Castro outdid himself with a delicious and varied African buffet. The hard work of a large organizing team, led by Jean McDonald and Meg Harrigan Lee, was evident throughout. A highlight was the Commemorative 20th Anniversary Quilt in its first appearance on Vancouver Island. Dr. Kelly MacDonald brought personal and heartfelt stories of her work in the field of AIDS research, mentioning particularly the Stephen Lewis Foundation and the community-led organizations it works with in Africa. She concluded with these words: Grandmothers, you can all be proud that the SLF’s community-led partners are turning the tide of HIV and AIDS by providing care and support to women, orphaned children, LGBTIQ individuals, grandmothers and people living with HIV and AIDS using science-based approaches. (Members, check out all of Jane's photos of the quilt and the night on the Member Only page)
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