Oakville Diwali Gala does good
On September 14, more than 400 guests from the Greater Toronto Area gathered at the fifth Annual Oakville Diwali Gala, Oakville’s largest South Asian gala, which was not only a celebration of Indian culture, but also served as a fundraiser in support of Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital.
Diwali an Indian festival
Diwali is an Indian festival of lights usually celebrated in October/November depending on the Hindu calendar. Diwali signifies good over evil, light over darkness, hope over despair and knowledge over ignorance, they explained. They also said that this festival is celebrated with a lot of fanfare with family prayer and fire works by Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains all over the world.
Old-style oil-lamps or Diya, a symbol of Diwali, was one of the key displays outside the Lakeshore Convention Centre. Traditional dresses for Indian women, shawls, elephant displays, and candles were other props of design. Then, from the moment you entered, the décor from the outside, lobby and the main hall genuinely represented the theme, rang mahal (palace of colours). Entertainment included Mike D’Urzo’s magic tricks, Brant the Fire Guy’s dangerous fire-eating feat, and Sanskriti Arts’ Ghoomer Dance won everyone’s heart, and more.
According to gala chair Rekha Sharma, the event wanted to show the rich vibrant culture of India.
After retiring as a counsellor and teacher of a high school for 20 years, Sharma thought it was time for her to give back to community so she joined the ODC as a volunteer and this year was selected as a chair. She enjoyed working for this cause and for the Oakville community. She says that no organization can do it all alone and thanked all the sponsors, donors and all the media partners for their support.
Fundraising for Oakville Hospital Foundation
“All in all, the event was a smashing success … together, we raised $257,000 in support of the surgical department at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital,” announced Mary McPherson, CEO Oakville Hospital Foundation.
“The Oakville Hospital Foundation has launched a $3 million surgical campaign that will fund more than 75 pieces of surgical equipment and outfit a tenth operating room set to open this year. The equipment will support various surgical specialty areas including vascular, gynaecology, orthopaedic and ophthalmology. But ultimately, your generous support means OTMH caregivers can provide your family, friends and neighbours with better patient care and an exemplary patient experience,” adds McPherson.
After dinner, dancers hit the floor while DJ Jiten played Bollywood remixes.