The Affair of the Heart executive committee presents Kids Kottage Foundation with a cheque.
The annual Affair of the Heart Gala is helping make the New Year a bright one for Kids Kottage-an Edmonton-based charity benefitting children and their families who are in distress and crisis. Medical students, who hosted the gala in November, presented Kids Kottage with a cheque for $14,700 over the Christmas break. The money will be used to help the organization's goal of building strong families and ensuring the safe-keeping and well-being of all children. In all, more than 360 attendees took part in 2015's Affair of the Heart Gala, contributing to the important cause.
Planning for the 2016 Affair of the Heart Gala is already underway, with it now being supported through an annual grant of $5,000 from the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. The 2016 gala will also now be held in conjunction with another important event in the faculty's calendar: the Medical Student Association's Teaching Awards. The annual awards honour teaching excellence within the faculty.
It will be a heartfelt affair on Nov. 7 as medical students host a fundraising gala in support of Kids Kottage-a local charity benefitting children and their families who are in distress or crisis. For one night only, the students will put away their white coats in favour of black ties and evening gowns at the eighth annual Affair of the Heart Gala.
Each year money raised from the event goes to support a local children's charity. This year's partner, Kids Kottage, is Edmonton's first and only crisis nursery. The medical students hope to raise $15,000 for the Edmonton-based organization which has become a trusted place where children are cared for and kept safe during times of distress, and a source of relief and counselling for parents in need.
Student organizers say the time they spend on the event is invaluable to their medical education.
"It's quite easy to study the physical body and learn disease processes while forgetting that each body is a person with a personality and a unique story," says Jillian Rogers, a second-year medical student in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. "I find that I stay grounded in the reality of medicine when I am reaching out to the community and working with services that care for people's social and emotional needs."
Affair of the Heart is held each year by students from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Over the past eight years, medical students have raised tens of thousands of dollars for causes such as the Rainbow Society, Little Warriors, and the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation. This year's gala is open to all ages and features a catered dinner, a fashion show, musical entertainment, and a raffle and silent auction. More than 400 guests are expected to attend, significantly helping Kids Kottage in its mission to help children in need.
If you are interested in attending the gala, donating or buying raffle tickets, please visit: