Chinese Community Gala raises $710,000 for MUHC

More than $710,000 was raised at the Chinese Community Gala held on May 12 in support of the McGill University Health Centre’s Best Care for Life Campaign.

Presenting the cheque are: (from left to right) organizing committee members Kathy Zhu, Yin Ling and KY Cheung; Rivière-des-Mille-Îles NDP MP Laurin Liu; The Honourable Martin Cauchon; event co-chair John Rae; Jonathan Goldbloom, executive director of The Best Care for Life Campaign; event co-chair Pauline Wong; Mutsumi Takahashi, co-chair of The Best Care for Life Campaign, public phase; City of Brossard councillor Pascal Forget; organizing committee member Pierrette Wong; Normand Rinfret, interim director general and CEO of the MUHC; Zhanpeng Qin, vice consul general of the Chinese Consulate General in Montreal; Kathleen Weil, Minister of Immigration and Cultural Communities and MNA for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce; Claudio F. Bussandri, chairman of the MUHC Board of Directors; Richard Deschamps, vice-chair of Montreal’s executive committee, responsible for economic development; and organizing committee members Monique Bergeron and Michel Wong Kee Song.

MONTREAL, May 14, 2012 – Montreal’s Chinese community played host to Quebec Minister of Immigration and Cultural Communities and MNA for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Kathleen Weil, and other distinguished guests at its first annual community gala, which raised $710,000 in support of the McGill University Health Centre’s Best Care for Life Campaign. 

The event was hosted by the Montreal Chinese Community and Cultural Center on Saturday, May 12, and featured an evening of live music and special performances.

Pierrette Wong, a leader in the Chinese community and successful businesswoman, was honoured for her philanthropic efforts by Claudio Bussandri, chairman of the MUHC Board of Directors. "I have worked with Pierrette for years on the MUHC Board and witnessed her kindness, generosity and her willingness to share her business expertise and to push up her sleeves to raise awareness of our hospital’s Best Care for Life Campaign,” he said. “Pierrette has strong community values that transcend cultures and celebrate health and happiness."

Minister Kathleen Weil not only attended the event but also served as its honorary chair. “From my office window I have a birds-eye view of the Glen and marvel at how quickly the facility is coming out of the ground. The MUHC serves all Montrealers, and I am proud to be part of this gala which highlights the involvement of the Chinese community and their support of one of the world’s leaders in terms of health care, teaching and research,” she said.

Event co-chairs Pauline Wong and John A. Rae echoed those sentiments, praising the generosity shown by all those in attendance.

“We are extremely proud of the gala’s success and the fact that so many people from within the community came together in support of this very worthwhile cause,” said Wong. “The new MUHC is a once in a generation initiative that will improve the quality of life of our children and our grandchildren as well as ourselves. We can’t wait for it to open its doors.”

Rae, who is chairman of the MUHC’s Best Care for Life Campaign, said the contribution brings the campaign closer to completion as construction of the hospital’s historic development project is well underway. “We are thrilled that our local community groups continue to respond to our call for support, and we hope the success of this gala inspires other communities to step forward,” said Rae. “Our excitement is building, particularly as the MUHC’s Glen site next to the Vendôme metro station continues to take shape as we head towards the 2015 move-in date.”

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About the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and The Best Care for Life Campaign

One of the world’s foremost academic health centres, the MUHC offers exceptional and integrated patient-centric care, research, teaching and technology assessment. Affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, it is highly committed to the continuum of care in its community. The partner hospitals of the MUHC—the Lachine Hospital, the Montreal Chest Institute, the Montreal General Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital and The Montreal Children's Hospital— value multidisciplinary service throughout the lifespan, innovative technologies and practices, strategic partnerships and leadership in knowledge transfer. The MUHC is currently carrying out a $2.35-billion Redevelopment Project on three sites—the Glen, and Montreal General and Lachine hospitals—designed to provide healthcare professionals with an effective environment in which to ensure patients and their families get the best care for life. The sites are also anchored in best sustainable-development practices, including LEED® and BOMA BESt guidelines muhc.ca/construction

The Best Care for Life Campaign is an unprecedented philanthropic effort aimed at raising the funds needed to complete the McGill University Health Centre’s Redevelopment Project as well as the Capital Development Plan. muhc.ca/cause

For More Information
Stephen Huebl 
Information Officer
McGill University Health Centre
Phone: 514-934-1934 Ext. 71224 
stephen [dot] huebl [at] muhc [dot] mcgill [dot] ca