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28 - The O akville Beaver, F rid a y F e b ru a ry 3, 2 0 0 6 Goggin-Carroll tops in Eastern Canada For the first time in its history, Oakville's Goggin-Carroll School of Irish Dance is the top ranked school in Eastern Canada. Goggin-Carroll took top hon ours at the 2006 Eastern Canadian Championships of Irish Dance, hosted in Niagara Falls last November. The Championships saw six soloists and four teams of the Goggin-Carroll School crowned as regional champions of their respective age groups. Brigid Corey, 8, Gregory Piper, 9, Brittany Silla, 13, Liam Dinsmore, 15, Lauren Stewart and Sean McCormack, 16, all took first place solo finishes at the event. Teams under 12, 15 and over 15 years of age took another four titles in ceili dancing of groups of four and eight members. Along with the six victories, the Goggin-Carroll students also had 13 second place finishes and an unprecedented 34 top five podium finishes in a competition with 50 or more dancers in each. "This has been an exceptional year and we have many dancers who work so hard to reach goals they set for themselves," said Barb Goggin-Wade, teacher and direc tor of the Goggin-Carroll School. "Our entire competitive year was the best we have had in all levels, not just among our champions." In 2006, the Goggin-Carroll School will be sending 20 dancers to the World Irish Dance Championships, held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, over the Easter Holidays. The school will be well-repre sented in 2006 and will work to improve on their 2005 standings, which ranked them second in Canada, seventh in North America and fourteenth in the world. The Oakville Irish Dance Association will be holding its annual gala dinner dance and silent auction, The Claddagh Ball, on Saturday, February 25, at Le Dome in Oakville. This event raises funds to assist the dancers with their travel expenses as they represent Oakville and Canada at the 2006 World Championships. Entertainment will be provided by the 2006 Goggin-Carroll World Championship Team and music and dancing with Hugo Straney will complete the evening. Bidding on silent auction items like the `Shamrock Shake-down' and the `Wheel Barrel of Wine' are some of the other activities planned in addition to the dinner and dance. _ _ _ _ _ For Claddagh Ball tickets, call Goggin-Carroll at 905-844-0333 or email gccb@sympatico.ca SUBMITTED PHOTO / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER W INNING DANCERS: Members of the Goggin-Carroll School of Irish Dance are back from left, Brittany Silla, 12; Kyla Marsh, 17; Rae MacNeil, 18; Lauren Stewart, 16; Sarah Harris, 19; Nicole Wilson, 16; Erin Chown, 15; middle from left, Rachel VanGemert, 10; Megan Fixter, 12; Sarah Jamestee, 13; Liam Dinsmore, 15; Stephanie Piper, 15; Heather Adlam, 17; Joanne Jamestee, 11; and front from left, Rylie Scott, 10 and Katie Holbrook, 11. Missing from photos are Amanda Nines, 13; Emily Works, 18; Andrea Davidson, 13; and Stephanie Knapp, 19. Open auditions for Tempus Choral Society The Tempus Choral Society is holding an open call for singers until Feb. 14. If you like singing in a relaxed and friendly environment, the Tempus Choral Society is current ly having a membership drive for alto, tenor and bass sections. Tempus is an adult contempo rary, community choir, ages 18 plus, with a wide-ranging reper toire including swing, Broadway, inspirational and contemporary. Rehearsals are held at St. John's United Church, 262 Randal St., Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Call 905-339-2682 or visit www.tempuschoralsociety.com. You and everyone in Canada gain from our ongoing commitment to develop new medicines and vaccines. The health improvements are obvious, but have you ever considered other benefits of our work? Each year we invest nearly $1 billion in research and development in Canada* of which more than $120 million goes to universities and hospitals. Increased investment in research is good for all of us. To learn more about how our work is good for everyone in Canada, visit our website at www.canadapharma.org. ·Source: PMPRB Annual Report.