The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

12 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 9, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Living Oakville Beaver By Andrew Fruch OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF · WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2007 12 No expense spared for hospital fundraising dinner It has been said that a good meal and a glass of wine are good for a person's health, but apparently it is also good for Oakville's health services. A gourmet meal prepared for a group of Oakville residents has raised a total of $34,000 for the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) over the past three years. The Gala Dinner was organized by a group of six local physicians. Four couples purchased attendance to the dinner last November, at the annual OTMH live auction. "We have done this for three years now," said Dr. Sheetal Sapra, one of the physicians taking part in the dinner. "The original organizers wanted to raise money for the hospital in a novel way. So the idea to have this dinner came up." The total cost for the dinner was $14,000 split among all the couples. The same couples have purchased the dinner since it was first offered three years ago. "A lot of people do not recogthey have to rely on fundraising and community donations." The other couples who attended the dinner were Jonathan and Lynn Beach, Clive and Hillary Maile and Mike and Christine Selim. For the dinner, the physicians brought in Chef Mark Picone to prepare the menu. Picone owns a culinary studio and vineyard in the Niagara countryside and is recognized for his talent across the world. The dinner was held at the private residence of Dr. Santina Andrighetti and Dr. Peter Incze in Oakville. To compliment the meal, a selection of fine wine valued at approximately $9,000 was selected from the private collection of Dr. Sapra and Dr. Julie Khanna. Musical entertainment for the evening was organized by Dr. Costantine Petrea and Dr. Greg Nocent. Under the direction of chef Picone, the physicians also lent a hand in the kitchen, preparing an elegant eight-course meal. Each course was matched to a different selection of wine. "They spent a lot of time researching the menu," said Mundy. "It was like a course in wine appreciation." The setting for the dinner was also fitting with the caliber of the meal. Oakville designer Frank Rea of Forget Me Not Flowers provided floral arrangements for the evening. Organizing and perfecting the evening was done over the course of the past year, with the physicians trying to outdo the previous two years. "The doctors are not doing this for glory," said Dr. Sapra. "We are looking to support the hospital, which is one of the most valuable resources in the community." According to Sapra, the dinner is one of the top fundraising events for the hospital. The first year of the dinner, the cost was $6,000 per couple and last year the cost was the same as this year. Painters Place MASTER CHEFS: Dr. Santina Andrighetti, chef Mark Picone and Dr. Sheetal Sapra helped prepare the dinner. nize that government funding only goes so far," said Jack Mundy, who attended the dinner with his wife Kathy. "When the hospital needs equipment, a lot of the time When Excellence is the Expectation Benjamin Moore Collection Series SAVE * 5 per gallon VIP Members Save $7.00/gallon $ L size only May 10-14th Voted Best Paint / Wallpaper Store Again! No Limit PHOTOS BY JAMES HOGGETT / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER GALA DINNER: Getting ready for their $14,000 dinner on Saturday night are (left to right) Hillary and Clive Maile, Christine and Michael Selim, Kathy and Jack Mundy and Lynn and Jonathan Beach. 478 Dundas St. West Painters Place Oakville 905-257-2061 (Dominion Plaza) Neyagawa & Dundas 2 Locations to serve you! 5636 Glen Erin Dr. (the Longo's Plaza) Mississauga 905-858-1708 YOU PUT IN 110% EVERY DAY. COGECO HIGH SPEED BUSINESS INTERNET Adel Szakacs PACKAGES STARTING AT $ 5495 Business Internet PER MONTH See how Cogeco's personalized services can help. · Build a service package that'll fit your needs and budget · Take advantage of the fastest Internet service* up to 16Mbps , · Connectivity problems? Our Technical Service Representatives are available 24/7 Call: 1-866-646-6116 Visit: cogeco.ca/biz *The download speed of Cogeco High Speed Business Internet is faster, in every service category, than the download speed of corresponding high speed Internet services by phone (DSL); based on data published by suppliers. Rates may change at any time without notice. Some restrictions may apply. Subject to availability in your area or building.