It may leave like a lamb, but winter in Calgary is still roaring like a lion… or maybe a couple dozen pussy cats. That was the feeling, anyway, at last week’s Mexican fiesta-style fundraiser at the Wallace Galleries which raised money for P.E.A.C.E. (Protection & Education for Animals, Culture & Environment), a non-profit organization dedicated to decreasing the unwanted pet population in Mexico. PEACE also provides work skills and education to underprivileged families in and around Puerto Vallarta.
Dozens of people braved the icy weather for a little taste of the sunny south, and a big dose of reality. Colette Hubner organized the event around her family's pet project, after years of helping to spay and neuter animals around her family’s vacation home. Through a few degrees of separation, her family met Molly Fisher, the president of PEACE and began working with her to bring veterinarians, supplies, and money into the region. The results have been overwhelmingly positive, she says.
Chef Klaus Hubner and friends provided an authentic Mexican feast, with healthy helpings of guacamole, tostadas de polo, ensalada de jimaca, tomates y cebollas y queso fresco, paella, mouthwatering pork tenderloin and a spicy shrimp dish. Little children gleefully crowded around the gallery’s main entrance while a piñata was beaten, spewing treats and toys onto the pavement below. Their noises of delight blended into the chatter and laughter of almost a hundred adults, many holding mini-margaritas and swaying in time to music piped through the sound system.
On the walls of the bright, open space gallery were silent auction items ranging from a set of organic, freshwater pearls from Lotus Lines to a care package for pets, massage certificates, and dinner for two at Divino. Local artists, some friends of gallery owner Heidi Hubner (mother of Colette and wife of Doug), were in attendance to watch as their work was auctioned off for the charity. Julie Meisser’s handcrafted glass bead bracelet fetched a handsome price, as did a painting by Bill Duma. Liberal MLA Kent Hehr was also present and spoke briefly before the live auction began.
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Things were also heating up in Edmonton recently, when a large crowd gathered for WineFest at the Shaw Conference Centre. A complementary Riedel wine glass was handed out to guests who then had the opportunity to taste at least 45 different wines. Hors d’oeuvres and a wide variety of cheeses were also offered.
Votes were collected for the “people’s choice” award, which unanimously claimed a 2007 Kung Fu Girl Riesling the winner for white at both the Calgary and Edmonton events, and the 2004 Reserve Vinoce Cabernet Sauvignon Edmonton’s favorite red wine.
Guests included: Brian Heck, president of Wine Runners Inc, Katherine Fischgrund, principal interior designer for Urban Design Interiors, Dean Wulf, managing partner for Avison Young, Shanna Dorsch, vp of operations for Solutions Workplace Furnishings, Christine Iverson of RBC, Luisa Montgomery of Primerica, Dale Orvis of Charton Hobbs, Erin Honeyman of the RCMP, and detective Patrick Tracy of the Edmonton Police.
Published in National Post, March 28 2009
