From left: UBC Okanagan nursing students Tara Miller, Cherie Bedford, Nicole Arnt and their Global Nursing Citizens group are hosting a black-tie soiree on Feb. 6 to raise money for a variety of community development projects in African countries.
A black-tie Valentine’s soiree is being planned for February 6 to support UBC Okanagan nursing students working to bring sustainable community development projects to impoverished African communities.
Hosted by UBC Okanagan’s Global Nursing Citizens (GNC), and featuring Andy and TJ of Silk-FM, A World of Hearts takes place at Summerhill Winery, and proceeds go directly to GNC missions in developing countries.
“Our mission in Global Nursing Citizens is to instill humanitarianism in student nurses, educate our communities on global issues, provide direct assistance to developing countries and facilitate international learning opportunities for students,” she notes. “A World of Hearts is a fitting title for this event, which is so vital in helping us reach these goals."“Through this fundraiser we want to encourage the community to open their hearts for African communities,” says Nicole Arnt, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing student and one of the event’s organizers.
A World of Hearts opens at 6 p.m. with a champagne reception and live entertainment from Robert Fine. A wine-paired, multi-course gourmet dinner follows, with a silent auction and casino rounding out the night.
"This night will be a lot of fun, with federal cabinet minister Stockwell Day doing some auctioneering for us, and interesting donations such as a signed NHL jersey and tickets,” says Arnt. “Our on-site sponsors will be spoiling our guests as well with, for example, a hand massage from Beyond Wrapture and more.”
Recent UBC Okanagan nursing graduates Jessica Barker and Lianne Jones, set to return to Kelowna later this month from a six-month visit to some of Africa’s poorest regions, will also be in attendance. After teaching nursing students at the University of Zambia and volunteering at numerous rural health clinics, Barker and Jones have plenty of stories to tell friends and family – and they’ll share some of their experiences at A World of Hearts.
Tickets are $100 per person or $1,000 for a table of 10. For more information contact students Nicole Arnt, 250-212-7506, Cherie Bedford, 250-768-3656, or Tara Miller, 250-215-8017.
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