OHA Set to Host Fundraising Gala in Support of Stephen Lewis Foundation
Ontario Hospital Association
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Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3L1
Tel: (416) 205-1345 Fax: (416) 205-1360
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Friday, September 17, 2004
Toronto – To help support the Stephen Lewis Foundation in its fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and its partners are organizing a special fundraising event, the OHAfrica Gala, on Sunday, November 14, 2004, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
"We are extremely excited about the event, and what it will mean to the Foundation,” said Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. “The OHAfrica will be a great opportunity to help raise awareness of our efforts, as well as funds to support our ongoing initiatives.”
A new website, www.ohafricagala.com, has been developed to help promote the event. The site provides prospective attendees with additional details about the event, and offers the ability to purchase tickets online, or become a corporate sponsor.
As the official kick-off event of OHA HealthAchieve2004, OHA’s annual convention and exhibition, the first-ever OHAfrica Gala will feature an African-themed cocktail reception and gourmet diner, silent and live auctions, a spectacular prize draw and outstanding entertainment including a special performance by master impressionist, Andre-Philippe Gagnon. Stephen Lewis will also be speaking at the event.
“The launch of our first annual OHAfrica Gala is shaping up to be a Convention highlight and an exciting new direction for us,” said Hilary Short, President and CEO of the OHA. “We hope that over time, we will help to make a truly significant contribution to aid the Foundation in the tremendous work they continue to do.”
The Gala will be held as part of OHAfrica, an initiative created in response to a challenge issued to Ontario hospitals by Lewis, asking for help in providing leadership and expertise to more effectively treat and prevent HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.
Short, along with Joan Lesmond, President of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) and Director of Clinical Programs at the HIV/AIDS treatment hospice, Casey House, and Hume Martin, President and CEO of Rouge Valley Health System was part of a delegation that recently completed a fact-finding mission to the Kingdom of Lesotho to identify where Ontario’s health care providers can most effectively assist in the battle against HIV/AIDS.
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For further information:
OHA Public Affairs
416-205-1348