Denis Vincent: Après Celebration Fundraiser Was a Huge Success

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Après Celebration fundraiser event Sunday night at the Whistler Brewhouse. We absolutely packed the house and it was a huge success on all accounts.

We’d like to thank Mark James for generously donating the venue and all the food & beverage to allow 100% of ticket proceeds to go direct to the Spearhead Huts. The staff were amazing and the venue was outstanding.

We were pleased to have special guests Damian Cromwell, Colin Boyd, and Paul Dixon share emotional stories about their dedications to Brett Carlson, Barbara McGeough and Kees and Claire respectively. It was amazing to see how such at tightly knit community of backcountry enthusiasts have rallied together to support a common vision for backcountry accessibility and safety.

We also welcomed special guests from BC Parks and the Resort Municipality or Whistler who have made significant contributions to our project progress to date.

And we were thrilled to have Andrea Thomas Hill and Brian Hill join us to announce their recent transformational gift of $1.5 million towards the second hut at Mount Macbeth.

The event directly raised almost $60,000 including a generous $10,000 match from the Dixon Family and $12,500 match from Coast to Coast Helicopter. Plus we announced an additional $73,000 worth of recent contributions from the Brett Carlson Memorial Foundation, and from friends and family of Barbara McGeough.

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the silent auction and who attended the event.

Thank You To The Event Team

Event organizers Jamie Bond, Laurie Block, Erin Hutchison & Jolene Livingston.

Event volunteers Joe Schwartz, Sarah Frood, Sue Drinnan, Jayson Faulkner, Chris Christie, Karen Hughes, David & Adrienne Hughes, Ken & Joan McCance, Rob Brusse, Liz Scremin, Carol Evenchick, David Scanlon, Andre Charland and Mike Douglas.

Thank You To The Event Sponsors

Mark James, MJG, Brewhouse at Whistler, Coast to Coast Helicopter, Arcteryx, RMU Skis, Gibbons Life, Surefoot, Mountain Skills Academy, Stacey Bodnaruk, Altus Mountain Guides, Escape Route, Black Diamond, Dakine, DrySure, Extremely Canadian, Harbour Air, Helly Hansen, Life Straw, Patagonia, Scarpa, Kathryn Hluchy, Kim Eidjenberg, Eat Prima.

Paul & Jill Dixon present a $10,000 donation match on behalf of Paul’s parents Mark & Susan Dixon, to go towards the Kees and Claire Hut project in honour of Kees Brenninkmeyer and Claire Dixon. Chris Christie photo.

Some of the original Kees and Claire Memorial Hut Society team, now 10 years into this ambitious project. Sarah Frood, Laurie Block, Jamie Bond, Andre Charland, Paul & Jill Dixon, Karen Newby. Chris Christie photo.

Thank you Denis Vincent and Coast to Coast Helicopter for your generous donation match. Chris Christie photo.

Damian Cromwell of the Brett Carlson Memorial Foundation keeping Brett’s memory alive in style, sharing a quintessential shot ski with friends. Chris Christie photo.

Colin and Keiran Boyd presenting presenting the cumulative donations from the friends and family of Barbara McGeough towards Barbara’s Kitchen in the Kees and Claire Hut. Chris Christie photo.