David Foster, whose Victoria-based foundation raised $10.2 million at Vancouver鈥檚 Rogers Arena on Saturday, says he plans to keep hosting fundraisers to help Canadian families.
The David Foster Foundation鈥檚 Victoria-born namesake said he鈥檚 even considering a return to his hometown in for one last celebrity softball tournament fundraiser for old time鈥檚 sake.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not off the table completely,鈥� said the 16-time Grammy Award-winning musician, whose foundation鈥檚 inaugural fundraiser in 1986 was the first of five celebrity softball tournaments held in Victoria.
Foster鈥檚 celebrity supporters on Saturday included Oprah, Dr. Phil, Steven Tyler, Jay Leno, Goldie Hawn, Reba McEntire, Cee Lo Green, The Tenors, Matteo Bocelli, Laura Bretan and sa国际传媒鈥檚 Carly Rae Jepsen.
The glitzy David Foster Foundation Miracle Gala and Concert marked the 30th anniversary of the foundation that provides assistance to families with children needing organ transplants.
A gala dinner was attended by 850 guests, with the concert itself attracting 9,000 attendees.
Brian Mulroney, whose son Ben Mulroney co-hosted with HLN鈥檚 Michaela Pereira, was among celebrities who first stepped up to the plate for Foster at Royal Athletic Park in 1986.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 see myself doing that now,鈥� the former Canadian prime minister told reporters on the purple carpet before Saturday night鈥檚 gala event.
鈥淢aybe that鈥檚 how we should finish in Victoria, because that鈥檚 how we began,鈥� said Foster, reflecting on the softball games whose players included Rob Lowe, Michael J. Fox, John Travolta and Olivia Newton John.
Foster said he has been hesitant about the possibility of reviving the softball tournaments, and not just because putting them together was 鈥渟uch a huge pain in the ass鈥� logistically.
鈥淲e were so much younger then, and maybe bolder in terms of trying to get 30 celebrities here every year,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e wouldn鈥檛 maybe raise as much as we could, but it would be great way to return to our roots.鈥�
While Foster took some heat for relocating his fundraisers from Victoria to Vancouver and other urban centres before returning here for the 25th anniversary Miracle Concert in 2012, he said it made economic sense.
鈥淲e had been helping kids from all over the province but we were only getting money from people in Victoria,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e realized it was an unfair burden on the [Victoria] community.鈥�
If there was a celebrity softball fundraiser comeback in the capital region, it wouldn鈥檛 signal the end of the foundation鈥檚 fund-raising efforts, he emphasized.
鈥淭his charity鈥檚 not going anywhere. We鈥檒l be here long after I鈥檓 gone,鈥� said Foster, who has increased his goal to establish an endowment fund from $30 million to $50 million by the end of 2018.
鈥淎fter I do a big fundraiser in L.A. and a few more, we鈥檒l get very close and relax a bit,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 remember our low point when we only had $49,000 in the bank and I thought 鈥業 better get on a mission here.鈥櫬犫��
He said the foundation underwent a 鈥渕ajor shift鈥� seven years ago when Michael Ravenhill came on board as CEO and Jim Treliving, Levi Sampson, Jeffrey Latimer and other heavy hitters joined the board.
鈥淲e went into high gear because we were really in a low gear for awhile and it was nobody鈥檚 fault but my own,鈥� he said, noting 鈥渢he need is just too strong鈥� for the foundation to stop now.
鈥淥ne hundred years from now, what happens to that money, I don鈥檛 know,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll I know is I won鈥檛 be here to worry about it.鈥�
Ravenhill said he and Foster had been talking up the 30th anniversary event for the past two years, crediting Paragon Gaming co-founder Scott Menke with giving them what they needed to get it rolling.
鈥淲e were in Italy over two years ago in a cocktail lounge and Scott was telling us about his new Vancouver property [Parq Vancouver casino resort] and we were blown away,鈥� Ravenhill recalled.
鈥淲e said, 鈥榃hat if we did a grand opening in conjunction with our 30th anniversary? The timing was perfect. He said 鈥楲et鈥檚 do it.鈥� It was win-win.鈥�
The new entertainment destination is home to JW Marriott Parq Vancouver. The 281-room resort and its sister hotel, the Douglas, were presenting sponsors of the event.
Foster鈥檚 track record of lending his name and talent to fundraisers for other celebrities鈥� charitable foundations helped ensure the calibre of talent that stepped up, Ravenhill said.
鈥淧eople believe in the cause and the foundation and want to lend their names and support, but these are also friends of David who are giving back,鈥� he said.
Foster had flown to Vancouver from Toronto, where on Oct. 17 he participated in a Horatio Algier Association of sa国际传媒 fundraiser.
As part of Foster鈥檚 weekend gala, Jim Pattison and Walter Schneider were honoured as recipients of the David Foster Foundation Visionary Awards, which recognize humanitarian achievers.
The awards themselves have been meticulously handcrafted for the past seven years by Victoria artist Maarten Schaddelee at his own expense, Ravenhill said.
Pattison and Jim and Sandi Treliving donated $1 million during the event.
During a fundraising pledge drive, dozens of attendees also joined Oprah, Tyler and Dr. Phil in helping 10 families for one year, or a $100,000 commitment.
