Charity Ball

I know this photo looks like a reprise of Charlotte's wedding (or perhaps more closely my own), but recently Anj and I were talked into attending the "Courage to Come Back" awards - a local charity that provides residential treatment and support for local Vancouverites living with a mental illness. The night was a very lavish affair hosted by the Premier and by two local news-readers. Basically the night celebrates local individuals who have struggled to overcome their illness whilst at the same time making a significant contribution to the community. Surely a good thing of course, yet still the style and manner of the evening was a little off-putting as I guess most charity dos probably are.

As each individual was awarded their prize a video montage was shown documenting their life struggles in the most maudlin and manipulative way possible. You know, emotionally sirring music, tired, emotive voice-overs replete with homilies celebrating the exceptional courage of said local, slow motion footage of children running through fields of wild-flowers... All designed of course to guilt trip the black tie crowd into reaching into their pockets for ever larger donations. Anj and I - being good cold-hearted cynical Australians - felt sure that no one would fall for this kind of hackneyed manipulation. Well were we in for a shock when later in the evening well over 600k was pledged from the crowd in the space of about 15 minutes of frantic and very public do goodery. Seems these Canadians are a little too sincere and well-meaning for we suspicious Australians. And to think that my boss told me I was being "too nice" to my staff last night!!