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Crystal Gala returns to Abbotsford with Spanish-themed celebration

Event on Oct. 22 at Tradex raises money for breast-cancer health
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The Crystal Gala fundraiser takes place in Abbotsford on Oct. 22 at Tradex. (Submitted photo)

The Crystal Gala Foundation is ready to wow their guests when they throw open the doors at this year’s event.

After two years of keeping each other safely at a distance, they are ready to embrace an in-person celebration, says committee member Tanya Curtis. The 22nd annual Crystal Gala presented by Summit Brooke Construction couldn’t have a better welcome-back theme than Olé.

“This is going to be exactly as you’ve experienced before but even better,” Curtis says. “It’s a Spanish-inspired theme, so it’s going to be vibrant, energetic and colourful. Honestly, we’re probably even going to step it up a notch.”

The Crystal Gala has been going for 22 years, and they’re known for really knocking their guests’ socks off. They are a hard-working committee who put every bit of effort into making the gala memorable.

And it’s because at the heart of it, it’s not about a party at all. It’s about helping people beat breast cancer. It’s about supporting medical professionals in their work to eradicate breast cancer. And it’s about making a difference in people’s lives.

That’s what fuels their passionate drive to plan and host these memorable events.

RELATED: Crystal Gala in Abbotsford donates $100K to breast-cancer study

Breast cancer accounts for 20 per cent of the cancers in British Columbia, and while it’s the most common cancer for women, it occurs in men as well.

Right now they’re fundraising to replace an ultrasound at Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre, which is about $130,000, and provide new screening mammography equipment at Chilliwack Hospital at a cost of about $300,000. The committee works closely with the Chilliwack Hospital Foundation and the Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation to ensure they are directing their funds where they are most needed.

The Crystal Gala is the largest gala in the region, and is held every October in Abbotsford. This year, they are hoping to sell 500 tickets to fill the Tradex. Plans are underway to make it another event, and right now they are working on securing the entertainment for the night.

Ticket sales have already started, and now is the time to snap them up, Curtis says.

It’s the best way to support the Crystal Gala Foundation, and help move the needle on their fundraising efforts. The night includes elaborate decor, appetizers and reception drinks, a three-course gourmet dinner, silent auction, games through the night, a live auction, and dancing into the wee hours of the night.

Just scrolling through their website’s photo gallery is testament to the powerhouse team that is the committee. Along with Curtis, the committee members are Jessica Germaine, Laura Ballance, Judy Siggs, Julie Charles, Katt Stearns, Aman Gill, Susan Bubra, Brittany Manulak, Gina Spencer and Gerri Charles.

RELATED: Abbotsford’s Wings and Wheels event raises close to $60,000

The Crystal Gala Foundation began 22 years ago with Charles and Tammy Prest. With the support of our generous partners and guests, they have raised over $3.2 million to fund equipment, technology, and research projects that support early detection and treatment of breast cancer.

“There is a lot of work still to be done,” Curtis says.

And there is a lot to celebrate, which they’ll do at the gala on Oct. 22. Tickets are $300 and can be purchased individually or in tables of eight and 10 people.

For more information on the foundation, to learn about their grassroots history, and to purchase tickets, visit crystalgala.ca.


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jessica.peters@abbynews.com

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Jessica Peters

About the Author: Jessica Peters

I began my career in 1999, covering communities across the Fraser Valley ever since.
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