Winter gala for cancer fight

Cancer can be a life-changing diagnosis, and for those in the South Okanagan it can be even more difficult.

That is because some cancer patients from the region still have to travel to Kelowna for their chemotherapy treatments. South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation is doing everything it can to raise money for Penticton Regional Hospital’s oncology department so the majority of chemotherapy can be administered there.

That journey will take a big step forward on Saturday, Nov. 23, when SOSMF holds the Winter Wonderland Gala at Penticton Trade and Convention Centre. The unique fundraiser will be a night to remember, complete with delicious food, champagne when you walk in the door, live music and a setting that will make you feel like you’re on a beautiful, snow-capped mountain—without the freezing temperatures.

“It will be a balance between elegance and making it fun for everybody,” Winter Wonderland Gala committee chairman and SOSMF board director Greg Wheeler says. “We’re going to turn the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre into a winter wonderland. It’s an opportunity for people to have a night out, dress up, meet other people in the community and have a good time.

“Dance the night away and raise some money for a good cause—for quality health care in our area.”

The gala funds will go toward the foundation’s $10 million commitment to the redevelopment of the oncology clinic at Penticton Regional Hospital, bringing essential cancer treatments closer to home.

“The oncology clinic in Penticton hasn’t been redone for years,” Wheeler says. “We need to increase the capacity, and that’s what this renovation is going to do.”

The Winter Wonderland Gala is not just for those in Penticton, but the entire South Okanagan and Similkameen region. The foundation’s reach extends well beyond Peach City, with donations also supporting health-care facilities in Summerland, Oliver, Keremeos, Princeton and Osoyoos.

Gala attendees will have the unique opportunity to meet health-care professionals and foundation members, gaining insight into where the funds are going and the impact they’re making.

Tickets for the Winter Wonderland Gala are available now, with early bird pricing set at $175 per ticket until Oct. 1.

There will be no more enjoyable way to make a difference for everyone in your community.

“I work in the health-care industry myself,” says Wheeler, who owns several Okanagan pharmacies. “And that’s one of the reasons I chose to go on this board, because I really think you can give back to the community in health care, which affects everybody, young to old.”