Elevate and Celebrate: The Mystique of India!

Elevate and Celebrate: The Mystique of India! was Kerry Gibson's third fundraising event for Hycroft's elevator. Kerry has successfully raised enough for the first part of the elevator project, and funds are still needed to bring people to the third floor.

Please donate as the elevator will allow everyone access to the entire house, which currently limits those unable to use stairs to the main floor. The live statues wore fashion by BHANA Design Company. They were also adorned in hats by Shay Lhea: *Chapeaux Chic by Oculto* and jewelry by Carolyn Bruce. Mehndi (henna art) was by Iti Kalsi.

There was an abundance of performing artists, including concert pianists Raymond Chow (who also donated an art piece for the event) and Tatiana Ribnitskaya, Bollywood Fusion Dancers, a Banghra performance by Gurpreet Dhaliwal, a Belly dancing performance by Arezou ZouZou, as well as a special guest appearance by R & B artist Sarah Karkouch of Sarah K and The Soul Collective.

And it was not only a feast for your eyes and ears, but also for your taste buds! An exotic lunch was served by none other than Siddharthas Choudhary of Siddhartha's Indian Kitchen. There were also other national award winning celebrity chefs, and people bid on one of ten special picnic baskets for two. We finished off with tantalizing deserts by Balraj Sivia of Silk Dinner Lounge and Melissa Maan of Mellie's Munchies.

And to top it off, Paul Jordan of Rustico Winery in Oliver put on a tasting. I sampled a nice pino gris. Congratulations to Kerry for all your work to make Hycroft accessible for all! Although stairs never stop Kerry, whom I've seen being carried in her wheelchair all over! But I would never be brave enough to be so precariously perched as people could easily fall and it really is too dangerous! Hycroft Manor is the home of the University Women's Club of Vancouver, where promoting our networking and events and especially supporting education for girls and supporting rights and opportunities for women is done on all floors!

As Kerry had promised, we were ushered into a glittering world where crisp linens met jewel-toned saris. Our senses loved the colours, tastes, and sounds of this special afternoon at Hycroft. We all enjoyed it.

I didn't edit enough but managed to get it down to 100 images. You can go directly to the Elevate and Celebrate: The Mystique of India! gallery to see them. And if you would like to buy a print 50% goes to the Elevator project. Thanks!