Under the B, for Bahamas. That’s where Giselle Bergeron-Raganold will eventually be headed after winning the trip at Black Tie Bingo for the Bruyère Foundation, held at the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre on Saturday.
The gala was presented by Ottawa employment and labour law firm Emond Harnden.
The mood was suspenseful as players focused on their bingo cards, knowing exactly what was at stake: a one-week holiday with airfare included to Grand Isle Resort in Exuma, The Bahamas. The package was worth $9,500.
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“It reminds me of a university exam,” said Ottawa businessman Peter Nicholson of the hushed tension in the room. As the owner of the resort, he did the honour of calling out the numbers for the final game. Over the past 12 years, Nicholson has donated to charitable causes in Ottawa and beyond more than 300 trips to his personal paradise down south.
Bergeron-Raganold and two other players were the first to simultaneously fill in their entire card and shout “Bingo!” (much to the audible disappointment of the rest of their competition). In order to break the tie, bingo caller Andy Lonie randomly pulled out one of the old numbers again, resulting in a match and subsequent win for Bergeron-Raganold.
It was an exciting night for Black Tie Bingo, which offers attendees an opportunity to don tuxedos and gowns for a night of dining and dabbing. There was an old Hollywood glamour feel with such elegant decor as white ostrich-like feathers, plush seating and stunning floral centrepieces.
Black Tie Bingo introduced itself to a fresh new audience through the participation of Bruyère, a leading healthcare organization that specializes in the elderly, rehabilitation, palliative care and patients with multiple complex conditions. It employs 2,200 workers across its four campuses: Bruyère Villege, Élisabeth Bruyère, Saint-Vincent Hospital and Greystone Transitional Care Unit.
Even before the bingo balls got bouncing, Bruyère board member Joanne Kudakiewicz predicted a lucky night for her dinner table of friends. Her positive thinking paid off. The businesswomen seated immediately to her right and left — fellow board member Nik Lemieux (Mirabel Management) and Ashley Hopkins (Paradigm Commercial Group of Companies) — both won a round of bingo. All of the prizes were donated to the event by local businesses and organizations.
Also among those to call “Bingo!” that night was Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, formerly Ontario’s minister of long-term care. She was at the table hosted by her husband, Steve Kaminski, director of Colonnade Investments. “I’m just grateful to be here,” she said of wanting to support Bruyère.
The most animated player was probably Rocco Crea, president of LDC Precision Concrete. He’s business partners with Ottawa lawyer Danny Fernandes, who’s also board chair of the Bruyère Foundation.
The sold-out dinner drew 350 guests and a record number of business sponsors. This year, the event was hosted by both the OutCare Foundation and Bruyère Foundation but, going forward, it will be the latter organization that takes sole responsibility for the gala, making it their signature fundraiser.
It was Christine Irvine’s idea to pass the event along to Bruyère. She’s the volunteer board chair of the OutCare Foundation and also old friends with Tom Hewitt, president of Bruyère Foundation. The two non-profit organizations recently worked together to launch the new Sharon Carstairs-OutCare Foundation Fellowship for Hospice Palliative Nursing.
Irvine, who’s been involved with Black Tie Bingo for years, believes the event will remain in very capable hands. “I think it still has legs, even after nine years, and I think Bruyère is a wonderful cause and organization to take it forward as their premier gala event,” she told OBJ.social.
From Bruyere’s perspective, it feels lucky to take over a charity event that’s already well-established in the community. “OutCare Foundation has run it beautifully for many years, and we are grateful to have them turn it over to us,” said Hewitt, who served as event co-chair this year with Irvine.
Unfortunately, COVID did a real number on all of Bruyère Foundation’s fundraisers, he pointed out. “Now we have a turnkey signature event that’s been given to us, that really meets our needs, and we look forward to continuing their legacy and making it bigger and better.”
Black Tie Bingo raised roughly $75,000. The funds will go toward the Sharon Carstairs-OutCare Fellowship for Hospice Palliative Nursing and Bruyère’s innovative new patient transfer technology. It helps to prevent strain and injury for frontline workers tasked with the back-breaking job of moving patients from one surface to another, such as a bed to a stretcher.
The ALTA Platform, created by Canadian robotics company Able Innovation, also reduces the risk of harm to patients, said Paula Doering, senior vice president of clinical programs and chief nursing executive at Bruyère. She mentioned one particular patient with whom she visited just last week that can benefit from the ALTA Platform. The woman, age 42, has ALS. She can no longer speak but uses technology to convert her eye movements into speech. She’s also unable to bend her legs or move her neck and limbs, which is why the patient transfer device can help to move her safely, comfortably and with dignity, she said.
She spoke about the work Bruyère is doing to help its patients. Some of them remain with the healthcare institution for longer periods than at other hospitals due to their complex medical needs. “Bruyère is their home, and it’s really fortunate that we have such a caring, compassionate team that makes it feel like it is their home.”
The long-time healthcare leader, who’s been with Bruyère for five years, spoke about what “a real privilege” it is for her to work there. She also thanked the crowd for coming out to support the cause and for making “each life better” for their patients.
