Michael Simpson
Vancouver's elegant Sutton Place Hotel saw the sweet and spiffy get together this weekend at the Once Upon a Cure Gala to raise money for research into Hunter Syndrome. Local business people, members of the film community and assorted other donors came in suits and evening dresses in support of efforts to cure this degenerative condition in children.
The local connection was the Purcell family, whose seven year-old son, Trey, was diagnosed with Hunter Syndrome around his second birthday. His father, Ryan Purcell, is a camera operator who has worked on many Vancouver-based films and TV series, including Fringe, Smallville, Sanctuary, Stargate Universe and Stargate: Atlantis. Trey recently became the first Canadian child to get a promising new treatment for Hunter, also known as MPS II.
Guests at the Alice in Wonderland-themed gala had their mouths watered at the entrance with a sweetly spectacular cupcake display (above) and the event was decorated with actors dressed as characters from Lewis Carroll's stories (left).
Money was raised not only from the sale of $250 tickets but also live and silent auctions that included items ranging from video games to a priceless signed picture of hockey legend Gordie Howe.
You can read more about Trey's moving story on this blog. Any monies made from the publication of this story will be donated to the MPS II Research Fund and the author requests that a donation be made by anyone who reproduces any part of it.
(Below, from left: Sanctuary stars Robin Dunne and Amanda Tapping and writer/producer/director Damian Kindler).
The local connection was the Purcell family, whose seven year-old son, Trey, was diagnosed with Hunter Syndrome around his second birthday. His father, Ryan Purcell, is a camera operator who has worked on many Vancouver-based films and TV series, including Fringe, Smallville, Sanctuary, Stargate Universe and Stargate: Atlantis. Trey recently became the first Canadian child to get a promising new treatment for Hunter, also known as MPS II. Guests at the Alice in Wonderland-themed gala had their mouths watered at the entrance with a sweetly spectacular cupcake display (above) and the event was decorated with actors dressed as characters from Lewis Carroll's stories (left).
Money was raised not only from the sale of $250 tickets but also live and silent auctions that included items ranging from video games to a priceless signed picture of hockey legend Gordie Howe.
You can read more about Trey's moving story on this blog. Any monies made from the publication of this story will be donated to the MPS II Research Fund and the author requests that a donation be made by anyone who reproduces any part of it.
(Below, from left: Sanctuary stars Robin Dunne and Amanda Tapping and writer/producer/director Damian Kindler).
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