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Fred UnLEEshed: April 18, 2014

RAISIN’ HOPE: Twenty years ago Judi Miller Knapp began a small fundraiser in her home for breast cancer research in honour of family members lost to the disease. The numbers outgrew her home.

RAISIN’ HOPE: Twenty years ago Judi Miller Knapp began a small fundraiser in her home for breast cancer research in honour of family members lost to the disease. The numbers outgrew her home. She took her party to a local Richmond hotel and Nite of Hope was born. Since its inception, more than $3.7 million has been raised for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, B.C. and Yukon Region. Yours truly emceed the 16th running at Richmond’s River Rock Show Theatre. Chaired by Rob and Richelle Akimow, and featuring Canada’s Queen of Punk, Bif Naked, a breast cancer survivor, $180,000 was raised for a new ultrasound unit at Richmond Hospital’s breast screening centre.

PARTY TIME: Omega hosted a party of Olympic proportions at their downtown boutique. Canadian athletes who struck gold recently in Sochi were the guests of honour at the exclusive meet and greet. Back-to-back gold medalists Charles Hamelin (speed skating) and Heather Moyse and Kaillie Humphries (bobsleigh) were joined by the captain of the Canadian women’s curling team Jennifer Jones for a special event in celebration of their achievements. In addition to the commemorative watches received from the games official timekeeper, Hamelin, Jones and Humphries look to add more Olympic hardware come 2018 in South Korea.

SNOW BALL: In 2006, Olympian Manuel Osborne-Paradis started the Get Up and Go bursary offering a boy and girl funds to become better skiers. The following year Mike Janyk joined in and helped support four more young athletes.  Their efforts seeded the Mike and Manny Camp, a unique ski camp for aspiring International Ski Federation racers — aged 16 and 17 — from across the country who might not otherwise be able to afford a top-level training program to reach their potential. The alpine stars hosted their third annual fundraiser — a kitchen party — at the Miele Showroom in downtown Vancouver.