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Picnic on the Pier raises $65,000 for all-abilities park

White Rock event a collaboration between hospital foundation, Landmark Premiere Properties
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Thursday evening’s Picnic on the Pier event on the White Rock waterfront raised $65,000 for Peace Arch Hospital Foundation’s all-abilities playground initiative.

More than 450 guests attended the “dazzling long table dinner” which was sponsored by Landmark Premiere Properties and held on the White Rock Pier for the third consecutive year.

“When Landmark Premiere Properties suggested this fundraiser to us two years ago, we couldn’t have predicted what a special and spectacular event it would become,” said Geoff Funke, Peace Arch Hospital Foundation’s board chair, in a news release issued Friday.

The playground project is a $900,000 effort involving the hospital foundation, City of White Rock and the White Rock Fire Fighters Charitable Society, the latter of which has championed the idea of such a playground since 2009.

At Thursday’s dinner, guests enjoyed a “gourmet picnic dinner” and CBC’s Fred Lee served as MC.

“Picnic on the Pier has become an important annual event, and we couldn’t ask for a better partner than Peace Arch Hospital Foundation. The support for this unique fundraiser continues to grow and reinforces just how much the entire community counts on our local hospital,” said Ray Chen, president of Landmark Premiere Properties.

The event will return for a fourth year in August 2019, the foundation also announced.

Last month, Peace Arch News reported that construction at the all-abilities playground – to be installed in Ruth Johnson Park – would be delayed due to a fire at the Alabama factory that was to supply the playground equipment.

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Guests dine on White Rock Pier during Thursday evening’s Picnic on the Pier event. (Contributed photo)
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Picnic on the Pier MC Fred Lee speaks to dinner guests Thursday. (Contributed photo)
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