Big snowstorm, you say? Look who’s dancing up their own storm at fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada

Fundraiser for research into ovarian cancer returns to Métropolitain Brasserie for night of music and prizes

Attendees of The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada on the dance floor at the Métropolitain Brasserie on January 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips
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For such a bad night, the turnout was terrific.

At least 130 people made it to The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada on Wednesday at Métropolitain Brasserie, despite a major winter snowfall that was brewing outside, covering the roads and disrupting all modes of travel.

“When the storm hit, I wasn’t sure if it was just going to be me and the organizing committee standing here at the bar by ourselves,” a half-joking George Wamala, director of regulatory and government affairs at RBC, told a crowd of teal ribbon-wearing supporters. “But, the fact that you all came out, regardless of the weather, is much appreciated.”

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It had been three years since Wamala and fellow lobbyists Greg MacEachern and Bobby Sutherland, senior director of government affairs at biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, first hosted their fundraiser at Métropolitain Brasserie (the Met) to support the groundbreaking research being made against ovarian cancer. The event was launched shortly after the passing of MacEachern’s sister from the disease. It’s also what took Wamala’s mom’s life, at age 52, in 2001. 

Wamala and Sutherland had previously met with MacEachern, while he was grieving, to check up on their friend and see how he was doing. Their drinks and discussion at the Met turned into benevolent action.  A new fundraiser was born.

“The whole point was to turn something positive out of something that was quite tragic,” said MacEachern, senior vice president of government relations and Ottawa general manager of government relations firm Proof Strategies. 

He told everyone how “pleased and touched” they were by the support for their inaugural event in January 2020, and how they were “really gung-ho” to bring everyone together again in 2021. Of course, we all know what happened next. It’s only been about eight months since in-person events have started to really bounce back from the pandemic. 

“It’s so good to have people back in a room for this cause,” said MacEachern while also acknowledging RBC and Innovative Medicines Canada for their support.

Joining the organizing committee were two new volunteers: former journalist Heather Bakken, a partner of the newly launched communications firm Pendulum Group, and Shannon Kot, a partner at Deloitte. Kot was joined by an all-women leadership team from her firm as a result of having lost a colleague, Nousha Ram, 47, to ovarian cancer in 2017.

Courtney Willis from Ovarian Cancer Canada told OBJ.social how grateful OCC is to organizers and attendees for accelerating the progress they’re making toward overcoming ovarian cancer. “All of these efforts are helping us to get closer to the next big breakthrough, which is just around the corner,” she said. Organizers figure they raised roughly $20,000.

 

Organizers, from left, Shannon Kot, Heather Bakken, Bobby Sutherland, Greg MacEachern, George Wamala at The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada, held at Métrolitain Brasserie on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This year’s event featured a DJ and dancing, and a live auction for two primo seats to an upcoming Ottawa Senators game against the Colorado Avalanche. Bakken used her comical and persuasive powers (she even promised to throw in a hotdog) to sell the $450 tickets for $550 to John Maus, senior vice president of member relations and services at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The tickets were donated by Cheryl Fougere and Rogers Communications.

The evening also featured a raffle for a pair of tickets to anywhere Air Canada flies domestically.

Heather Bakken
Heather Bakken, co-organizer of The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada, seen in action as charity auctioneer. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Among the partygoers to hit the dance floor was ovarian cancer survivor Andrea Kent, vice president of industry and government affairs at Greenfield Global. Her cancer was caught early as the result of a routine pelvic exam.

Roughly 3,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year and more than half die from it within five years. One of the reasons it’s so deadly is because its symptoms are hard to detect in the early stages.

Ovarian cancer may seem like a female health issue, said Kent, “but everyone comes from ovaries. We all came from or have or had ovaries. Without ovaries, none of us would be here.”

Lauren Kennedy, Andrea Kent, Emily Pearce
From left, Lauren Kennedy (Chicken Farmers of Canada), Andrea Kent (Greenfield Global), Emily Pearce (Nutrien) at The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada, held at the Métropolitain Brasserie on Wednesday, January 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Brooklyn Mattinson, Anthony Koch and Anaida Poilievre
From left, Brooklyn Mattinson from RBC with consultant Anthony Koch and Anaida Poilievre, wife of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, at The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada, held at the Métropolitain Brasserie on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Robin Guy, Sarah Chown, Hardave Birk
From left, Robin Guy (Canadian Chamber of Commerce), Métropolitain Brasserie managing partner Sarah Chown, and Hardave Birk (Shaw Communications) at The Dance for Her fundraiser held Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Cheryl Fougere, John Maus and George Wamala
Cheryl Fougere from Rogers Communications with John Maus (Canadian Chamber of Commerce) and George Wamala, co-organizer of The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada, held at the Métropolitain Brasserie on Wednesday. Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Lauren Daly, Gitanjali Sahai, Sharon Burke, Shannon Kot, Tanu Mohan, Katharina Wolff
From left, Lauren Daly, Gitanjali Sahai, Sharon Burke, Shannon Kot, Tanu Mohan, Katharina Wolff from Deloitte were out to support The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada, having lost one of their colleagues to the disease. Photo by Caroline Phillips
George Wamala, Mathieu Gravel
From left, George Wamala, co-organizer of The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada, with Mathieu Gravel, at the Métropolitain Brasserie, on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Hugh Scott, Anne-Sophie Belzile, Pascal Chan and Bobby Sutherland
From left, Hugh Scott from Innovative Medicines Canada, with Anne-Sophie Belzile (Dairy Farmers of Canada), Pascal Chan (Innovative Medicines Canada) and Bobby Sutherland (Gilead Sciences) at The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Anne McGrath, Heather Bakker
From left, Anne McGrath, national director of the New Democratic Party and board member with The Parliamentary Centre, with Heather Bakken, co-organizer of The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada, held at the Métropolitain Brasserie on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips
George Wamala
George Wamala, co-organizer of The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada helps to welcome guests to the fundraiser, held Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Velma McColl, Craig Robinson, Alik Angaladian
From left, Velma McColl and Craig Robinson from Earnscliffe Strategies, with Alik Angaladian, Maple Leaf Strategies, at The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada, held at the Métropolitain Brasserie on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Robyn White, Caroline Seguin, Lindsay Sheridan
From left, consultant Robyn White, with Caroline Seguin (Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs) and Lindsay Sheridan (Results Canada) at The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Alison Crawford, David Taylor
Alison Crawford, senior strategic communications advisor for the Supreme Court chief justice, with David Taylor, director of communications for the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, at The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada, held Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Alexandria Tadman, government relations and advocacy associate at Ovarian Cancer Canada and Anne McGrath at The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada, held at the Métropolitain Brasserie on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, George Wamala, who lost his mom to ovarian cancer, and Greg MacEachern, who lost his sister to the disease, were part of the organizing team behind The Dance for Her fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Canada, held at the Métropolitain Brasserie on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Ovarian Cancer Canada community engagement and events coordinator Courtney Willis randomly draws a prize winner during The Dance for Her Fundraiser held in Ottawa on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips

caroline@obj.ca

 

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