citylifeParties, Culture & Society

The eighth annual POGO gala got off to a rollicking start recently

at the Liberty Grand in downtownToronto. The event is a celebration ofthe courage of children with cancerand the achievements of the PediatricOncology Group ofOntario (POGO).

It was A-listers all the way for thisfete, overseen by blond bombshellsDimitra Davidson and VanessaYakobson. The fashionable set worefrocks plucked from the runways ofParis andMilan — I spotted ChristianDior andOscar de la Renta.

Max Gotlieb was the big winner ofthe raffle, picking up some diamond-encrusted bling by Tiffany & Co. Thelive auction was also a great success,with a Sotto Sotto champagne dinnerpackage for 10 (served at home) goingfor $8,000 and a two-year lease on aLincolnMKX fetching $18,000 .

Bright lights in the crowd includedSuzanne and EdwardRogers (Su-

zanne was the honorary gala chair); gold sponsors Dimitra Davidson, galachair, and her husband, MichaelDavidson; after-party chair JustineMelman; POGO executive directorDr. CorinGreenberg; POGO med-ical director Dr. MarkGreenberg; POGO board president Dr. RonnieBarr, sporting his famous plaid trou-sers, and board members Dr. Law-rence Jardine, Dr. Maru Barrera,andPattiBambury.

Among the POGO patrons wereAnthony and Valerie Melman,Rick and Lynne Waugh, DavidKassie and Susan Harris, Chuckand Libby Winograd, and Lynneand Ian Cleghorn. Other specialguests included, from Tiffany & Co.,Anne Leger Smith and AndreaHopson, and from Global News,the lovely AnneMarieMediwake,POGO’s spokesperson, and medicalreporter BeatricePoliti.

“We are so pleased with the support from our gala sponsors, attendees andvolunteers,” said Yakobson. “Despitethese challenging times, this year’s event was a huge success, raising ap-proximately $375,000. The familieswho depend on financial assistancefrom POGO need our support nowmore than ever. ... We are so pleasedthat, with the support of the commun-ity, we are able to help reduce this bur-den, and make things just a little biteasier for these families.”

Over the past eight years, the POGOgala has raised $1.7-million to fund re-search and provide cancer care andsupport for children, survivors andtheir families.

Weekend Postamoryne@nationalpost.com

Hip, hoppin’ POGOPediatric Oncology Group ofOntario

AMORYN ENGEL

PHOTOS BY GEORGE PIMENTEL

NATIONAL POST, SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2009WP10 nationalpost.com nationalpost.com WP11

Danna andDavidHorwood.

Cherie and Reid Stekel, president, RostekHomes.

Patrick Rahme and Salvatore Leonetti.

Lina and JimDeGasperis, president,Con-Strada Construction.

Paul Pellegrini, Sussex Strategy Group, with his wife, Lisa,and Franco Palladini, president and CEO, Al Palladini’s

Pine Tree Ford Lincoln.

Richard Bertrand andNella DeLuca.

Bruce Pinn andDebraleeGoldberg, IFDS/InternationalFinancialData Services, platinum sponsors.

Artist Liz Gallery andMatt Tedford,KPMG.

Dr. MarkGreenberg, POGOmedical director,andDr. CorinGreenberg, POGO executive director.

SamWebster and EllenMcGrath.

Jessica Fenton and LexiMitz.

Melissa Cardosa andDylanMacNamara.

ShaneaandDavidRakowski.

Peter Frederick Birdand AndreaHopson, VP,both withTiffany & Co.

CarlaFavre.

DebbieOsieland Roger Rai,CORE Feature

Animation.

Eric andLeahWeisz,EffortTrust.

RobertHiscoxand IngeSpindel.

EllePalladini.

RichardandNatalieWachsberg,co-principal,ApolloHealthand Beauty Care.

Erin Choi-Cormack.

Judy andDevonBrooks, both withBlo (Blow Dry Bar),which offered freetouch-ups to guests’ hairstyles.

POGO boardpresident

Dr. Ronnie Barr.

JonathanGraff,Kaboose Inc.,andHannahSlanGraff.

JustineMelman,

chair of theAfter Party.

Anthony and ValerieMelman.

Lou andMarisaRocca, owner,Sotto Sotto.

POGO spokes-person

AnneMarieMediwake,

GlobalNews,and her hus-band,DarrylKonynenbelt.

Stacey andShawnKimel,K2& Assoc.

Gala chair DimitraDavidson and her hus-band,Michael, POGO

gold sponsors.